Telephone exchange workers call for scrapping of legal ‘loophole’
WORKERS at Portadown Telephone Exchange have taken part in a UK-wide event, organised by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), to demand that a legal ‘loophole’ which sees agency workers not receiving equal pay is scrapped.
The employees participated along with counterparts in Scotland, England and Wales, on Wednesday at the Carrackblacker Road site to highlight what the CWU believe is the “exploitation” of agency workers thanks to a loophole introduced into Northern Ireland in December last year.
The CWU maintains agency workers should receive equal treatment after 12 weeks in a job, following legislation brought into Northern Ireland in December 2011. However, the union says a legal loophole allows ‘Pay Between Assignment’ contracts to exist, which it insists signs away agency workers’ rights to equal pay with many signing the contracts without realising the implications.
CWU General Secretary, Billy Hayes said, “Both agencies and hirers are at fault for choosing to use these contracts which sign away workers’ rights to equal pay, rather than sticking to the spirit of the new legislation which was meant to award equal treatment after the 12 week qualifying period.
“Agency staff earning less than the Living Wage should be entitled to equal pay with directly-employed staff doing the same job as them after 12 weeks. It’s not fair to exploit people on as little as £6.20 an hour and this loophole should be closed.
Lawrence C. Huston, CWU regional secretary for Northern Ireland, explained, “We’re asking companies and agencies to stop using these PBA contracts. Most people signing up with an agency don’t realise what rights they’re signing away and it’s irresponsible and dishonest to exploit often low-paid workers in this way. We’d also like government to look at this issue as it’s clearly in contradiction to the spirit of the law.”
Further details to follow for on-the-day activities and times at each site.
For more information visit www.cwu.org/agency-loopholes.html or follow the Twitter hashtag; #AgencyLoophole
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Weather for Portadown
Wednesday 22 May 2013
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