UK 'facing casual labour upsurge'

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Prime Minister Gordon Brown must act before employers turn most workers into "casual labour", the leaders of the UK's biggest union have warned.

Unite general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley said increased use of temporary employment agencies were pushing down wages and eroding rights.

Mr Simpson called the situation "one of the biggest scandals you can imagine".

Unite will argue for tougher laws to protect agency workers at the TUC conference, which starts on Monday.

According to TUC research, temporary staff are on different rates of pay to those with permanent jobs in half of all workplaces.

It also says that, in 25% of workplaces, temporary workers are not entitled to contractual sick pay and, in 14%, do not receive any holiday pay.

'Job security'

Mr Simpson told the BBC: "There has been a decline in traditional, high-quality, reasonably paid jobs. This has been substituted with casual labour.

"It means someone who is looking for work for the first time or has been made redundant is faced with temporary work as a first option.

We are told we have pretty much full employment, but how much of that is temporary and casual? Tony Woodley, Unite

"Low rates of pay and the lack of job security mean that people can't afford the things they could before... The ability to get a house, for instance, is reduced."

He added: "Immigrant workers are being exploited. The indigenous population feels it is having its jobs taken away.

"This feeling is used by groups like the BNP."

Unite's TUC motion on agency workers calls on the organisation "to mount a high-profile campaign for UK legislation in this Parliament to outlaw discrimination against agency workers in basic terms and conditions, from day one of employment".

'Dark days'

Mr Woodley said: "We well remember the dark days of Thatcher, when three million manufacturing jobs went and three million people were on the dole. God forbid we ever do that.

"We are told we have pretty much full employment, but how much of that is temporary and casual?

"Our forefathers and mothers fought to end casual labour on the docks and in industry. We should end the modern-day equivalent."

Unite was formed earlier this year by the merger of the T&G and Amicus unions.

The TUC conference, in Brighton, runs until Thursday.