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Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:

“The Agency Workers’ Directive is a crucial step forward in protecting agency workers, something UNISON has long been fighting for. We have all heard the horror stories of unscrupulous employers exploiting vulnerable workers on agency contracts. It is only right that we consign these horror stories to the history books.



“It is time to do do the right thing by temporary and agency workers by ensuring the directive includes a wide view of basic employment rights. We want to see, for example, agency workers getting paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave. They should also be entitled to bonuses, training, redundancy and holiday pay and have access to workplace facilities such as childcare and transport services. The directive must include a broad and clear definition of agency workers, leaving unscrupulous employers no loopholes to get around the law.



“We expect savings to be made and service quality to improve in some areas of the public sector, if more temporary posts are filled by permanent staff as a result of this directive.



“Protection for agency and temporary workers was one of the Government’s commitments in the Warwick agreement and in their 2005 election manifesto – and now is the time to deliver on that promise.”