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The REC has responded to a report in the Financial Times that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been in talks with the EU on the Agency Workers Directive. 

Commenting on these talks, Tom Hadley, the REC’s Director of External Relations, said: “The Government has made it clear that it is looking for a solution on the European Directive and it is therefore no real surprise that discussions are taking place with the EC at this stage. The REC understands that the Directive was also mentioned during the recent visit of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.  

“Ultimately, the aim must be to ensure that any Directive includes sufficient flexibility to be workable in the UK. Within this context, the REC has been proactive in putting forward possible solutions and we remain optimistic that any political compromise will not have a negative impact on the UK temping market. 

“Even the French President made some very complimentary noises about the UK’s labour market and it is in nobody’s interests to jeopardise the opportunities that agency work provides for workers and the vital resource that it affords to employers.” 

The REC is in regular contact with the Government, with other business bodies such as the CBI and other European officials with regards to the Directive.

The REC is also represented on the board of Euro-CIETT, the representative body for the recruitment industry in Europe.  

The Directive is likely to be discussed at the EU Employment Council in June and the REC will continue to take forward the views and concerns of the UK recruitment industry ahead of this meeting.