Brussels, 04/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - EU Employment Ministers, who met on 3 December under the presidency of Klaus Hjort Frederiksen, held a long debate on the Commission's proposal on temporary work, aimed at establishing minimum security norms for temporary workers. At present there is a concrete discussion framework, Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou said after the work, hoping that a compromise would be possible under Greek Presidency.
During the debate described as "structured" by President Frederiksen, the Member States confirmed that they differed over questions concerning the duration of the period before the provisions of the Directive are to apply (or, as it is now called, the exemption period), and over the right to operate temporary work agencies. Ministers also discussed temporary work as a labour market instrument. Ms Diamantopoulou recalled that only 1% of European companies use this kind of labour because of its high cost. She went on to insist that the Directive must guarantee a minimum level of protection, and, as far as the general framework is concerned, Member States may adjust it to take into account the specific features of their labour markets. A large majority of countries defended the possibility of maintaining national restrictions to temporary work (Article 4 of the Directive), fearing that revision of this Article could lead to the abolition of restrictions. Also, according to the social partners, who regulate this sector through collective agreements, such revision could endanger the agreements concluded with trade unions. Furthermore, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany find the directive over-restrictive and would like more flexibility on the matter of exemption time, allowing the principle of non-discrimination to be applied. Instead of 6 weeks, they advocate a longer period (Ireland recommends 12 months). This comes as a shock to Spain, where contracts for temporary work do not exceed 4 weeks. The United Kingdom and Ireland believe the problem is the effect that the directive will have on the labour market, the temporary work sector taking up the largest increase in employment. Germany, for its part, used temporary work as an instrument for intervening on the labour market (for example, for long-term unemployed) and hopes that the text of the directive will take into account this possibility. Luxembourg, the leader in Europe for the protection of temporary workers, is the second EU country, with 3.5% of its labour market temporary workers (just after the Netherlands which has 4%) and which has the most favourable legislation for their protection. It therefore insists that countries should be able to keep their national restrictions. Luxembourg, moreover, considers there should be no exemption period, as the temporary workers should immediately, from the first day of employment, have the same rights as the other workers of the company in which they are placed. France also insisted on the protection of temporary workers. And Portugal proposed that countries that have difficulties with the exemption period should be able to benefit from a transitional period, for example 2-3 years, before implementing this provision.