The TUC claims that the UK government has failed to implement the Temporary Agency Workers Directive properly, to the detriment of thousands of agency workers, and has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission on this basis.
According to the TUC, the government’s flawed implementation of the EU Directive has allowed the abuse of the so-called ‘Swedish derogation’ – where employment agencies routinely pay agency workers far less than permanent staff doing the same job. The TUC has apparently gathered evidence from workplaces where agency staff are paid up to £135 a week less than permanent staff, despite working in the same place and doing the same job.
The Temporary Agency Workers Directive was implemented in the UK in 2011 as part of Europe-wide legislation to give equal treatment to agency workers, and says that countries must prevent the misuse of Swedish derogation contracts. The TUC believes it has evidence that the UK government has failed to provide adequate protection for agency workers and that the right to equal pay is being widely flouted. Swedish derogation contracts should therefore be banned, says the TUC.
The number of workers on Swedish derogation contracts has grown rapidly since 2011. Around one in six agency workers are now on these contracts, according to a report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.
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