Law threatens team approach

I was sad to read that the EU Agency Workers Directive had been passed in full without the key amendments the industry and Government had fought for.

I am all for giving temporary workers decent rates of pay (the basis of the directive) but I have real problems with the new legislation.

In the functions business, we rely on agency staff to top us up. At Trunkwell House and the Elm Tree we have 20 full-time employees and another 50 regular temps.

These aren't people we don't know and don't care about. They don't represent an exploited minority. These are 50 people who choose to work on an ad hoc basis. They enjoy the buzz of a big event, they like getting out and meeting people, and their circumstances make this the best way of earning extra cash. They are part of the team, without the 24/7 commitment our core members of staff bring to their jobs.

We use some agencies all the time. This means we keep in touch with the temps who have best fitted in with the Trunkwell scene.

In other parts of the hospitality industry, I'm sure it is the same. With the labour and skills shortages we all face, we rely more and more on agencies providing us with short-term help to fill a gap while we recruit new people or until existing employees are able to return to work.

According to research, 40% of agency temps in Britain like the life; 40% are looking for a permanent job and 20% are temping during the holidays, their college gap year, or while waiting to do something else.

Temping is part of our culture but it seems to be under threat in the latest round of EU legislation, which proposes that temps placed by an agency would receive the same terms as full-time staff after working for a company for just six weeks.

At the moment, pay is based on market rates. Some temps are even paid a higher rate than permanent staff as compensation for the times when they are not earning.

This new legislation will add unnecessary bureaucracy and make the process of hiring temps very complex. Each temporary position will have to be compared with and judged against a permanent role. It will be a red-tape nightmare for businesses. There is also the fear that you could unwittingly make an error and find yourself hauled up before an industrial tribunal.

Maybe there are situations where temp workers need protection, but by taking a blanket approach, the EU is damning all industries, including our own.

This new legislation won't only make my life more difficult, but will also penalise our regular ad hoc workers, who feel like part of the family.

Bob Walton is proprietor of Trunkwell House, Langan's Marquee and the Elm Tree, and is vice-chairman of the Restaurant Association