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New agency regulations must not threaten jobs recovery, says REC

The REC has responded to the final regulations for the UK implementation of the EU Agency Workers Directive (AWD) that were laid before Parliament earlier today.

This is the latest milestone in an eight year campaign by business bodies to ensure that equal treatment measures for temporary workers do not add substantial cost, bureaucracy and uncertainty to the provision of flexible staff.  The new regulations come at a time when latest labour market data shows demand for temporary and contract staff reaching a two year high.    

Commenting on the implications of these new regulations for the UK jobs market, Kevin Green, the REC’s Chief Executive says:   "Professional recruiters will bare the brunt of making these complex regulations work on the ground and we are pleased that some of the recruitment industry's key concerns have been taken on board. In particular, we welcome the delayed implementation date and the decision not to impose potentially damaging restrictions on the fees charged by agencies where a temporary workers is taken on permanently by an employer. 

 "However, there are real concerns that these EU regulations are ill-adapted to the UK labour market and could limit job opportunities at a time when flexible working options are providing a crucial route into employment. The priority now is to ensure that effective guidance is developed for employers and recruitment agencies.” 

Specific areas for concern in the new regulations include a wide definition of pay for the purposes of establishing equal treatment and the issue of short-term repeat assignments which could result in temporary workers acquiring equal treatment rights with several employers after 12 weeks of an assignment.   

To  see full details of the Government statement the AWD being laid before Parliament and implementing the regulations , go to  http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=410468&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=431  or  http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=410468&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=431