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REC affirms that PM's TUC speech does not signal any AWD policy changes

In spite of the way it has been reported in some of today's national press, the Prime Minister's announcement about 'fast-tracking' the EU Agency Workers Directive does not signal any change in policy or in timescales, the REC has assured.

Setting the record straight on some of the fall-out from yesterday's TUC Conference speech, Tom Hadley, REC Director of External Relations, says: "This was essentially a case playing to the Trade Union gallery and is nothing new as it has always been the Government's stated aim to have new regulations on the Statute Books before the next election. The key issue is when the regulations actually come into force and the REC has been lobbying hard for a delayed implementation. 

“The fact that the Government has confirmed there will now be an extended second round consultation on the draft regulations is significant. As well as providing an extra opportunity to influence, this means that in reality the earliest that the regulations could go live is October 2010, rather than April 2010 as the unions had hoped.

"The REC will continue to fight for actual implementation to be pushed back as late as possible - to the end of 2011 - in order to provide the industry with time to prepare and with much-needed breathing space in a tough business climate.”