SUPPLY TEACHERS AND AGENCY WORKERS REGULATIONS

That this House welcomes the Government's commitment to introduce Agency Workers Regulations to give agency workers equal treatment with permanent staff on pay and holidays after 12 weeks in a job; notes however that the draft regulations published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills state that if there were a break in service for six weeks this would break the continuity for the purposes of the 12-week qualifying period for equal treatment rights; shares the concern of the National Union of Teachers, that having a six week break clause would offer very little protection to supply teachers as the school summer holidays would constitute a break in service and it would be simple for agencies to avoid the provisions by moving supply teachers between schools; further notes that it would be virtually impossible for teachers working in local authorities that have moved to four or five shorter academic terms to acquire 12 weeks continuous service in a single school; and urges the Government to strengthen the regulations before publication to ensure supply teachers can benefit from the equal treatment provisions.