In an increasingly diverse world of work, we need to ensure appropriate working conditions for any form of work – regardless of the contractual arrangement – in order to guarantee a fair job for all.
The 2008 EU Directive on temporary agency work establishes the principle of equal treatment, meaning that, as a general rule, temporary agency workers are entitled to the same basic working and employment conditions as workers recruited for the same job directly by the undertaking. However, some derogations may be allowed.
The Directive also obliges EU Member States to review the restrictions imposed on temporary agency work and test whether these are justified to protect temporary agency workers, for reasons of health and safety at work or to ensure the well-functioning of the labour market and prevent any abuse.
In 2019, the EU Directive on transparent and predictable working conditions defined new provisions to cover more of those workers who have adopted new forms of work. It requires certain information to be provided on the obligations for the employment relationship. The Directive is to be implemented by Member States before 2021.
The World Employment Confederation-Europe supported the general intentions of the Directive, while being critical of several provisions. A particularly sensitive point was to ensure more time for employers to provide information on the employment relationship. In this area, important improvements could be reached in the legislative procedure at EU level.
