by Chris McLaughlin
Union leaders have reacted angrily to a Government decision to delay key parts of new laws designed to protect workers’ rights until after the general election.
The decision by Business Secretary Peter Mandelson falls into line with Tory policy announced by his shadow Jonathan Djanogly at the part’s recent annual conference.
It means that the European Union’s agency workers directive will not be implemented until the end of next year, the last possible date within the EU deadline.
Mr Mandelson is also planning to scrap laws giving workers the right to take time off to carry out civic duties.
The decisions received a warm welcome from employers, who have been campaigning against the new protection and pressing for a delay on the grounds that the labour market should be kept as flexible as possible and that implementation would slow the decrease in unemployment.
In a separate move to ensure market flexibility, Mr Mandelson is to grant a year’s exemption to firms with fewer than 250 workers from forthcoming legislation on the right to time off for training.
Kevin Green, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, who welcomed the Tory announcement that David Cameron would delay the new law, said: “It is vital that the labour market recovers before the regulations are implemented. The cost of getting the implementation of this directive wrong could be huge.
“This is a complex issue and by waiting till December 2011 we can ensure that we minimise the adverse effect this legislation may have on jobs.”
The agency workers directive, for which unions have campaigned hard, is designed to protect full-time staff being undercut by cheaper agency staff and to promote the rights of agency workers to full and fair wages.
Paul Kenny of the GMB said: “This decision will go down very badly with workers and will undermine support for Labour at the next general election.”
The CWU’s Billy Hayes said it was another example of the Government appeasing big business: “It’s a real blow to agency workers. How the Government believes delaying the implementation of equal treatment for agency workers is in their interest beggars belief.
“This is more about the Government dragging its feet and playing politics by appeasing big business than protecting the welfare of agency workers.”
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “This is a disappointing move. At a time of recession vulnerable workers are even more likely to be exploited by unscrupulous employers. Agency workers are particularly prone to abuse as they have so few rights.”
