LETTER OF THE WEEK
Page 15
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Treat all agency drivers equally
Firstly, I wish all readers of Commercial Motor a happy New Year, hopefully it will be better than the last one.
I have been reading about agency workers’ entitlement and was under the impression that when the legislation was implemented in October 2011 regarding agency drivers, their entitlement would be the same right across the board?
However, having spoken to a number of agency drivers, some state that they re ceive no holiday pay, no sick pay and no job seekers’ allowance (both unemployment beneit and income support).
I know one driver registered with an agency who had no work for 14 days but could not claim a penny because he was registered with the agency, so technically he was an employee.
What is the point of the legislation if it is not going to be adhered to?
All agency drivers should be treated fairly and by this I mean the same terms and conditions. Why treat people as second-class citizens and third-rate drivers? After all they are still drivers delivering food to go on shelves.
Peter C Clark Durham