| Author (Person) | Banks, Martin |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.8, No.35, 3.10.02, p6 |
| Publication Date | 03/10/2002 |
| Content Type | News |
|
Date: 03/10/02 By EU EMPLOYMENT ministers are set to clash next week over plans to give temporary workers more rights. The European Commission has proposed that companies should stop discriminating against 'temps' and offer them the same pay and benefit rights as permanent staff. However, some member states, including Germany, Ireland and the UK, are unhappy with the plans as they stand. Others insist they already make sufficient provision for temporary workers. Employment ministers are due to discuss the proposals for the first time on Tuesday (8 October) in Luxembourg. One Commission insider said: 'The whole thing adds up to a classic EU fault-line on social policy.' There are just over two million temporary agency workers in the EU, with the largest number, 623,000, in France, followed by the UK (557,000), Netherlands (305,000) and Germany (243,0000). Anna Diamantopoulou, the social affairs and employment commissioner, said legislation is needed to protect temporary workers from unscrupulous bosses. 'We all committed ourselves at the Lisbon summit to providing more and better jobs. This proposal is about both,' she said. 'It aims to provide better jobs for temporary workers through improved protection and attract more people into such jobs.' Contrary to some suggestions, the proposal was not designed to harmonise employment laws. 'It allows considerable margin of manoeuvre at national level in applying the rules according to national practice,' added Diamantopoulou. The proposals, announced in the Spring, are due to be debated by MEPs later this month. The European Commission has proposed that companies should stop discriminating against 'temps' and offer them the same pay and benefit rights as permanent staff. However, some Member States, including Germany, Ireland and the UK, are unhappy with the plans as they stand. Others insist they already make sufficient provision for temporary workers. |
|
| Related Links |
|
| Subject Categories | Employment and Social Affairs |
