Do agency workers have the same rights as employees and can they join a trade union?
Agency workers do not have the same rights as permanent employees, and that’s bad not just for them but for all workers. Agency workers are usually paid less than employees and are therefore used as a source of cheap labour. Agency workers have no job security, get fewer holidays and are not entitled to sick pay or to join company pension schemes. Even if they work at the same department or company for over a year they do not get the same employment rights, such as the right not to be unfairly dismissed, as employees. The government promised the unions legislation on this when it made the Warwick agreement, before the last General Election. However, it has only just put forward proposals for legislation, and these do not go far enough towards achieving equality for agency workers. A private members’ bill put forward by the Labour MP Paul Farrelly with the support of the trade unions would have given agency workers equal rights. However, it was “talked out of time” in the House of Commo
