Employment Relations in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Employment Relations in Britain - Essay Example Research evidence suggests that the availability of agency and short-term contracts flexibility in UK accommodate and provide the employment opportunity for people with limited working experience, under-qualification, or under-developed skill level (DTI, 2007, p.7). Considering the increasing importance of temporary agency workers’ sector in Britain and beyond, the European Commission (EC) has introduced proposals for a European directive in order to prevent the discrimination against agency temps (EC, 2002a cited in Forde and Gray, 2005, p.249).In its analysis of whether the availability of agency working and short-term contracts expand new opportunities for secure employments or it leads to the exploitation of vulnerable workers, the paper identifies that the former claim may be true to some extent, it does not compensate for the later. A closer look at the recent changes in British labour market reveals an incredible but neglected trend of rapid temporary agency growth. Onl y 50,000 workers in mid-1980s (Casey, 1988) increased to more than one per cent of all employees’ jobs that amounts to about 270,000 workers (cited in Forde and Gray, 2005, p.1). ... in sectors and occupations, agency workers are most likely to be hired in professional ,secretarial, process/plant/machine operations, administrative occupations, and personal services, such as, social careers, workers in hospitality, and class room assistants(EMAR,2008,p.12). Two main sections in this paper analyse the prospects of new opportunities for secure employment and exploitation of vulnerable workers. Opportunities for secure employment With increasing unemployment throughout the world, it seems logical that unemployed will turn to other means for earning and temporary employment through agency provides them they way out. Survey of Recruitment Agencies 2007(SORA) evidence proves that agency work provides a route to enter into permanent employment for several workers. During one year period, the survey identified that nearly 340,000 people got a permanent job stemming from their experience with a particular employer as a temporary worker (cited in EMAR, 2008, p.13). Accordi ng to Labour Force Survey (LFS) data (2006) approximately 25 per cent of temporary workers are employed at managerial and professional levels (cited in DTI, 2007, p.7).Furthermore, Labour Force Survey (LFS) data (2006) indicates that 24 per cent of UK’s agency temporary workers were either unemployed or inactive one year before (DTI, 2007, p.7). There are various reasons for working as temporary employee. According to Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) research, 63 per cent of temps decided to work temporarily because they were unemployed. Moreover, 39 per cent referred to other reasons, such as, earning during study or during career break. Labour Force Survey (LFS) put forth the same question differently and got 58 per cent of people mentioned that the absence of permanent