Unite cracks down on employers using agency workers

Unite has voiced concerns over the “widespread use of agency labour” in the mechanical and electrical sectors.

This week the union launched its national campaign, “Play by the rules” aimed at policing key agreements on every site in the UK. In a press release the union said it is concerned that “employers are increasingly cherry picking the parts of the agreements that suit them while ignoring the rules that don’t, resulting in workers not receiving the correct rates of pay and other terms and conditions as well as the widespread use of agency labour.”

Unites agreement states that employers should make every effort to offer directly employed work, however there are increasing levels of temporary agency workers in the sector.

This is not unique to these sectors, and whilst some employers may use so-called ‘casual’ workers to flout laws and avoid higher pay-rates, the majority use temporary agency workers due to their flexibility and skills. Whilst Unite doesn’t want to remove all temps from the industry, caution should be taken, especially whilst the economy is still so volatile.