The
Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo) is the latest employer
group to denounce alleged government plans to introduce the European Agency
Workers Directive (AWD), which would give temporary workers the same pay and
rights as permanent staff.
It
is believed that the Government has agreed to drop its opposition to the AWD in
exchange for union support in the next general election.
Ann
Swain, ATSCo chief executive, “If this is true then British business is being
used as a sacrificial lamb to appease the unions for the sake of winning the
Government their support.”
“It
would be very disappointing if the UK Government were to destroy its reputation
in the business community in exchange for election funding,” she said. “The EU
has sidelined these proposals once already so it’s very frustrating to hear
talk of this potentially damaging directive doing the rounds – this time with
the support of the UK.”
Several
employers’ bodies have warned that introduction of the AWD will make
contracting less attractive to workers and increase the cost of using
contractors
