THE IRISH Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) has said the introduction of legislation to ensure equal treatment for agency workers is "most assuredly" a deal-breaker in the forthcoming national pay talks.
Trade union leaders told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment yesterday that increasingly, employers were recruiting staff through employment agencies who were on less favourable terms and conditions than existing personnel.
Ictu general secretary David Begg said the increased use of agency workers in companies was "redefining the employment relationship ". The trade union movement would not have any credibility if it left this problem unresolved.
Union leaders gave examples of instances where agency workers had been exploited by employers.
Siptu Dublin regional secretary Patricia King said that in one case in the distribution sector with which she had dealt, regular personnel were paid €18.50 an hour but agency workers - who made up 30 per cent of the staff - were receiving between €11.20 and €13.20 an hour for doing the same job.
In addition, the agency workers did not receive overtime, shift premium, sick pay or pension entitlements. There was absolutely no continuity of employment. "If the employer didn't like the look of you, he could ring up the agency and say don't send him again the next day," Ms King said.
Jerry Shanahan of Unite said if the issue of rights for agency workers was not addressed, it could create a "hotbed of racism".
He warned that in the construction sector downturn it was local Irish labour, which was covered by legal minimum pay and pension rights, that was being let go.