An EU Directive providing additional rights to temporary agency workers will come into force across Europe by 5 December 2011. In the UK the rules are set to come into force earlier on 1 October. The UK agreed a derogation of the Directive which will entitle agency workers to the same pay and conditions as permanent staff after 12 weeks of employment. Minister Richard Bruton has resisted implementation of these rules and hopes to secure an Irish exemption from the new Directive. The Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation has submitted that without some "leeway in transposing the directive" Ireland's overall commercial competitiveness may be negatively affected. Fundamentally, Mr. Bruton is seeking to extend the 12 week rule to a requirement of 6 months employment. It is likely however that any attempts by the Minister to stall implementation of the Directive, or impose significant changes to its entitlements, will be met by opposition from Ireland's trade unions. The Directive is expected to be generally implemented across member states within six months.  If you have agency/temp staff working for you and need advice on this issue please contact us.

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This publication is for guidance purposes only. It does not constitute legal or professional advice. No liability is accepted by Leman Solicitors for any action taken in or not taken reliance on the information set out in this publication. Professional or legal advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from any action as a result of the contents of this publication. Any and all information is subject to change