Use of Agency Staff to Cover for Striking Workers

Samer Cheaitou
Trainee Solicitor
View Profile

Today, the government announced plans to change the law to allow employment businesses to supply agency staff to cover for workers out on strike.

Under current legislation, recruitment agencies are not allowed to provide agency staff to cover work that would usually be done by workers who are on strike.

According to the government, changing the law will give businesses impacted by strike action the freedom to take on agency staff at short notice who can temporarily cover essential roles for the duration of any industrial action. The intention is that this will lessen disruption to peoples’ lives and the economy caused by strike action.

This is in response to major strike action which has seen the vast majority of rail services in the UK cancelled due to an industrial dispute between Network Rail, 13 train operators and the RMT union.

On Tuesday 23 June 2022, our Director, David Reid spoke to BBC Radio West Midlands about the government’s planned changes. Listen to the audio clip from David’s radio interview here.

If you would like to discuss the above or any other employment law matters further, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the team on 0141 331 5150.

Topics: Agency Workers, Industrial Action, Trade Unions