Equal Treatment for Agency Workers from 5 December 2011
Friday 2 December 2011The Employers’ Group IBEC failed in its attempt to secure a twelve month stay on equal treatment for agency workers. The employers had argued that equal pay and conditions for agency workers who perform equal work would cost jobs and increase business overheads. Unions, including Mandate, argued strongly that equal pay and equal conditions for equal work is a principle the trade union movement was not prepared to compromise on.
Mandate’s General Secretary and ICTU Vice President John Douglas who was part of the ICTU delegation meeting with Government and Employers said “this is just one example of how trade unions are fighting back to protect vulnerable workers, such as agency workers. We will fight all attempts by Government and employers to drive down pay and conditions in a race to the bottom.”
Agency workers from 5 December will be entitled to the same pay and conditions of employment as direct employees on the site to which they are deployed from day one of deployment. Agency workers who do not get their legal entitlements form 5 December 2011 should contact a union immediately.
John Douglas continued “we in Mandate will now with even greater resolve lobby for a full restoration of an effective Joint Labour Committee system which protects basic rates of pay and conditions of workers in retail, restaurants, hotels, cleaning and security.”
Workers are urged to join a Union and fight back for respect and a decent income.
