Equal treatment for all agency workers

The European Commission today welcomed the decision by the European Parliament to approve the proposal for a directive on Temporary Agency Work. The European Parliament voted to support the Council's common position – adopted in June 2008 – without amendments so it can now become law. Over three million temporary agency workers currently working across the EU will benefit from better protection of their working conditions.

Vladimír Špidla, EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, said: “Today's vote is a major step forward for Social Europe guaranteeing protection for all agency workers in Europe. This agreement also shows that a Europe of 27 Member States can take decisions and deliver tangible benefits for all its citizens. And it demonstrates that when social partners find ways forward together, real benefits for both workers and businesses are possible.”

 

He added: “I would like to thank the rapporteur, Harlem Désir, for his efforts to ensure a speedy adoption of the proposal. I hope this agreement will pave the way for a quick agreement on the Working Time Directive – on the basis of the difficult compromise reached by Member States at the Council last June. I also hope that an agreement on the recast of the European Works Council Directive, along the lines of the Commission's proposal and the joint advice of the Social Partners, can be found urgently: it is particularly important in light of the current difficult economic context.”

 

The Temporary Agency Workers directive will ensure:

• Equal treatment from day one for temporary agency workers compared to permanent workers in terms of basic working and employment conditions (including pay, holidays, working time, rest periods and maternity leave) unless social partners agree otherwise
• Equal access to collective facilities (such as canteens, child care facilities, or transport services).
• Better access for agency workers to training both when working on an assignment, and in between assignments

The Commission's original proposal dates back to 2002. At the Employment Council in June this year, Member States reached agreement on the longstanding issue of the Temporary Agency Work Directive, originally proposed by the Commission in March 2002 (see IP/02/441). The Council formally adopted its common position on 15 September 2008, which was supported by the Commission and the European social partners.

 

Following the approval of the European Parliament, EU countries are now required to incorporate the provisions of the Directive in their national law. It will then come into effect within three years.