Reported on Fri, 02 Jun 2006

British firms are under pressure to secure a better package for their temporary workers, but taking out a business loan could provide them with the support to expand.

With temps making up 18 per cent of the British workforce, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called for an end to the "raw deal" they experience, with 87 per cent earning less than those hired on a permanent basis.

Claiming that temporary staff also suffer through reduced holiday entitlements, limited pension scheme access and less financial rewards, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber appealed to the government to work for the implementation of the delayed European Union agency workers' directive.

"The government should do all it can to breathe life back into the shelved directive and to encourage other European governments to give the draft legislation similar support," Mr Barber claimed.

A TUC survey found that 80 per cent of UK companies had increased their proportion of temporary workers since 2001, with the total in employment now coming up to 15,000.

Companies seeking to attract a larger temporary workforce with a new financial package could look to a business loan to get the strategy off the ground.

© Adfero Ltd

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