This was one half of a deal which the same MEPs are ppro[posing to
welsh on for the other half - that Britain would retain its opt-out
on working hours.
But on this alone see what Open Europe Research Director Mats Persson
is quoted by the BBC as saying, "On the brink of a recession, MEPs
have done exactly the wrong thing: they've passed a law that will
lead to fewer jobs and make life even harder for small businesses."
The Birmingham Post quotes Mats saying that "Small businesses create
millions of jobs and remain the backbone of the economy. The EU
should be doing everything it can to help them beat the economic
downturn. Instead EU politicians have chosen to impose additional red
tape and strip small firms of vital flexibility. This is bad news for
the UK and for Europe".
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EU OBSERVER 23.10.08
MEPs back equal rights for temporary workers
LUCIA KUBOSOVA
BRUSSELS - The European Parliament has backed new rules for
temporary workers meant to improve their rights and make them equal
with permanent employees in firms.
The vote by MEPs on Wednesday (22 October) comes as the final step of
the EU's decision-making on the issue after six years of wrangling
between the bloc's member states, mainly due to Britain's opposition
to changes which would make it more expensive for firms to employ
temporary staff.
Under the agreed scenario, agency workers should get the same
treatment as regards pay, holidays, working time, rest periods and
maternity leave as permanent employees in companies, unless social
partners in individual states decide otherwise.
The exemption is provided particularly for the UK where employers and
trade unions had agreed to allow such equal treatment of agency
workers in case they have worked for a particular firm at least for
12 weeks.
At the moment, there are over three million temping workers in the
EU, while 1.3 million of them are employed through agencies in the UK.
London had previously feared that the new requirements would harm the
well-developed agency business in the country, with some British MEPs
noting that it would lead to cuts of jobs for temping workers.
"It will not help in these times of rising unemployment,
Derek Roland Clark from the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
But the British conservative deputy Philip Bushill-Matthews, normally
against heavier regulation and labour costs, argued "I think there is
a moral for us as politicians here that, when the stakeholders
themselves say that this is what they want, I do think we have a
responsibility to try and facilitate that wherever possible."
EU social policy commissioner Vladimir Spidla also welcomed the
decision, suggesting that the new law represents "a major step
forward for Social Europe guaranteeing protection for all agency
workers in Europe."
The breakthrough was possible after member states in June agreed on a
package deal with agency work and working time rules - which was also
a highly disputed piece of legislation at the EU level, mainly due to
a clash between Britain and France and countries following their line
on worker protection.
Thursday, 23 October 2008
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