John Monks calls on Labour MPs for a change of policy on temporary agency workers
John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), addresses British Labour Members of Parliament in the House of Commons today, calling on them to pressure the UK government to stop blocking European legislation designed to protect temporary agency workers.
The UK has spearheaded opposition in Europe to the draft Temporary Agency Workers’ Directive, which would bring agency workers’ rights and conditions into line with permanent employees. John Monks is urging Labour MPs to lobby British ministers to change their position in advance of an EU Employment Council meeting on 5 December.
He blamed the government’s stance on its one-sided alliance with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). “Since 1997, the government has set its face against any new social legislation not acceptable to the CBI,” says John Monks. “With workers’ pay decreasing as a share of GDP and the share of profits rising, with the ever more dominant speculative, financial capitalism, with the problems of globalisation pressing hard on semi and unskilled workers, we have the bizarre situation of the government supporting big business against unions.”
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