Press Release: European Commission calls for protection of temporary agency workers and for steps to help develop the sector

The European Commission adopted a draft EU law on 20 March 2002 designed to provide a minimum EU-wide level of protection to temporary agency workers and to help the agency work sector to develop as a flexible option for employers and workers. This proposal follows the final break-down of negotiations, after 12 months, between the EU-level social partners on temporary agency work. The draft directive establishes the principle of non-discrimination, including for pay, between temporary agency workers and comparable workers in the user undertaking to which the temporary agency worker has been assigned. The principle applies when the worker has completed [6 weeks] with the same user undertaking. The principle of non-discrimination is already present in the national laws of 11 Member States.