Ciett reacts to Global Unions' principles on TAW: "TAW is the most secure form of external flexible employment"

 

Responding to yesterday’s release by the Global Unions, Denis Pennel, Managing Director of Ciett said, “Ciett and its members already share many of the principles outlined by the Global Unions, however there are a number of points mentioned in teh document that need to be clarified and/or corrected. Temporary agency work is the most secure form of external flexible employment available and both the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the EU institutions have recognised the role that temporary agencies can play in improving the functioning of the labour market[i].”

 

Ciett recognises that temporary agency work should be appropriately regulated (either by law, collective labour agreements and/or self regulation) in order to ensure that workers’ rights are protected, to prevent unfair competition by fraudulent agencies and/or user companies and to fight human trafficking. Jointly with ITUC and UNI Global Union (which are both members of Global Unions), Ciett has been working together with the ILO Office towards ensuring further ratification of ILO Convention 181 on private employment agencies. In 2008, Ciett’s corporate members signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNI Global Union. This serves as an international minimum standard for the agency work industry and promotes the operation of private employment agencies while ensuring the protection of the temporary agency workers.  Ciett is also part of the sectoral social dialogue on temporary agency work at EU level, along with UNI Europa trade union, and was involved in the development of the EU Temporary Agency Work directive, which includes the principle of equal treatment with permanent workers.

 

Temporary agency work is the only form of flexible employment that is organised as a sector on its own, and is able to provide extra specific benefits to its workers. Collective labour agreements signed at national sectoral level between representatives of agency workers and of the TAW industry have allowed temporary agency workers to access extra rights and social benefits such as complimentary health insurance and pension schemes, individual access to vocational training or guarantee for loans.

 

The agency work industry not only helps to create jobs that would otherwise not have existed, but it also helps to maintain permanent jobs, by reinforcing companies’ competitiveness. It also facilitates the implementation of life-long learning strategies, especially by facilitating the access to vocational training for temporary agency workers. In this way it contributes to more effective, active labour market policies, particularly through partnership with public employment services with the aim of putting more people at work.  Private employment agencies also help minimise undeclared work and support the integration of migrants into the labour force by aiding companies and workers in facilitating work mobility and desired labour migration.

 

Ciett’s members adhere to a voluntary code of conduct consisting of principles built on members’ national codes of conduct as well as international standards for the agency work industry, as outlined by the ILO and the EU institutions.  This includes the principle of prohibition on charging fees to job-seekers, respect for laws, the principle of transparency, commitment to safety at work, respect for diversity, and respect for fair competition.

 The full text of the statement is available here.

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