New temp rules will put jobs at risk says CBI

Temporary workers will not benefit from complex new rules that MPs have supported in Parliament and a quarter of a million jobs could now be put at risk according to the CBI.

The organisation believes that Andrew Miller’s Private Members Bill is a result of misleading assertions that all agency workers are vulnerable and ignores the strong protection that temps already have.

The Bill – which has just received its second reading - proposes a complex regulatory regime that would deter businesses from using temporary staff. The CBI says the vast majority of good employers would be hit with extra costs and a confusing system of matching pay to permanent staff.

Under the proposals, temporary workers would receive equal treatment on pay from day one, but this would create regulatory confusion over how to compare temporary and permanent workers. It will also muddle the relationship between the temp's employer - his or her agency - and the business user.

CBI deputy director-general, John Cridland, said that very few temporary workers qualify as vulnerable and even fewer are exploited. Around half choose temporary work over a permanent job, and many are well paid.

The real issue, he said, is enforcement of existing rules.

Although MP’s voted in favour of the proposals, the Bill is still a long way from becoming law. It doesn’t have the government’s support but will now be considered by a House of Commons Committee.