The
Government will have to change the laws on short-term staff’s holiday
entitlement following a landmark ruling in the European Court of Justice.
The
court has declared that the UK rules – which don’t guarantee holiday
entitlement to employees who work less than 13 continuous weeks – breach
European law.
Currently
millions of freelance and contract employees are denied the right to paid
leave, including many teachers, cleaners and media workers.
Now
UK law will have to be amended to comply with the Working Time Directive, which
set minimum worker requirements across Europe in 1993.
The
case was brought by the Bectu union which represents many short-term contract
staff who work in the television, cinema and theatrical industries.
