More
than 300,000 temporary workers in the UK will earn an average of £1,000 extra a
year if the EU directive on agency workers is passed as the draft stands,
according to government figures.
The
directive gives temps who have worked for the same employer for six weeks or
more the same pay and employment rights as their permanent counterparts.
The
Department of Trade & Industry’s "regulatory impact assessment"
of the directive suggests that more than half of Britain’s estimated 600,000
temporary workers would be paid more, boosting total temps’ earnings by about
£366m a year.
Most
of the cost will be borne by temps’ employers, with the rest of the cost
transferring to temp agencies.
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It
is feared the extra burden in cost and time will destroy jobs and harm
competitiveness.
