EEF keeps up pressure by setting out concerns over EU plans on agency workers to Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling

Manufacturing and engineering employers’ group the EEF has written to in-coming prime minister Gordon Brown expressing its concern over trade union pressure for higher temporary worker rights.

The new ‘super union’ Unite and the TUC last month called for agency workers to have equal rights to permanent employees.

There has also been renewed interest in resurrecting discussions on the stalled draft EU Directive on Temporary Agency Workers.

But EEF officials have written to Brown and trade and industry secretary Alistair Darling http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page1386.asp on 25 May explaining the benefits of temporary workers being flexible.

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“We explained that temporary agency workers are used by many EEF members to enable them to respond quickly and efficiently to changing customer requirements and fluctuating demands for their products and services,” said EEF deputy director of employment policy David Yeandle.

“We stressed that it was, therefore, very important that any legislation on temporary agency workers did not adversely affect the ability of our members to use agency workers for these purposes or have a negative impact on the UK’s flexible labour market.”