MP Disappointed by failure of Bill

Neil Gerrard MP voiced his disappointment that Conservative MPs deliberately stopped debate of a Private Members Bill going through Parliament which would have given agency workers equal rights and protection in the workplace. Tory MPs talked at length on earlier non-controversial Bills so that this Bill did not have time for debate.

The Walthamstow MP was in Parliament on Friday along with other Labour colleagues to support the Bill which would have ended the discrimination against agency workers with regards to their rights and protection in the workplace.

“It is high time that the law afforded agency workers proper protection from exploitation. There has been a significant increase in the use of agency workers in recent years and the lack of protection has allowed some unscrupulous employers to gain competitive advantage by restricting employment rights for some of our most vulnerable workers”, said Mr Gerrard.

“I was very disappointed that the Bill didn’t get to be debated on Friday but a number of Labour MPs, including myself, and the General Secretaries of all the major Trade Unions have written to the Prime Minister about this issue and I hope that progress can be made on this in future.”

October 2007

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