DTI ministers are set to attempt to water down European Commission plans which will see temporary workers qualifying for the same conditions as permanent staff after just six weeks working for an organisation.

Business leaders have attacked the uncompetitive "one size fits all" approach.

Forum Response: Institute of Directors

A spokesperson for the Institute of Directors told ePolitix.com: "This plan will have a detrimental impact on the UK job market. The more restraints placed on businesses in terms of contracts, the less likely employers are to take people on.

"The government really should be resisting this proposal. It is simply over-zealous and unnecessary."

Forum Response: Manpower

A spokesperson for Manpower told ePolitix.com: "Manpower recognises and supports the principle of providing an appropriate level of protection and a framework of basic rights for agency workers. However, Manpower is strongly opposed to fixing these by reference to the user companies.

"It is distressing that, despite the conclusions reached at the EU Summit in Lisbon which acknowledged that improved labour market flexibility could lead to stronger economic performance and drive down unemployment, we are now approaching the Barcelona Summit later this year with a proposal under consideration that tries to turn the clock back and impose increased rigidity.

"A recent McKinsey report identified the proven capacity of the agency sector to support access to work for those who face barriers to gaining permanent employment and to create new jobs - McKinsey forecast that, with increased flexibility, there was the potential for our sector to create four million new jobs across Europe by 2010. With this proposed legislation the EU rejects those jobs and denies many of it citizens a route way to economic independence.

"We understand the TUC's concern about access for agency staff to the workplace remedies that most of us take for granted. Manpower does provide our temporary staff with employment contracts that in turn provide the rights, amongst others, to be paid redundancy and to claim unfair dismissal, the type of issues that concern the TUC.

"This reflects our view that the relationship between temporary workers and their agency is a legitimate one that should not have to refer to an independent third party for its terms of reference. The directive should define a minimum standard but the responsibility for meeting it should rest with the agency.

"These proposals will stifle the demand for short-term temporary staff by imposing unnecessary and irrelevant burdens on user companies and achieve little for the temporary worker. What use are comparable benefits with a user for just two weeks rather than receiving support and benefits from an agency over a much longer period? By making this form of working unattractive UK business will become less competitive, employment costs will increase and job opportunities will decline.

"Manpower believes that a positive approach to workforce protection is to put the agency/temporary relationship onto a proper footing and recognise the value it delivers to all parties. That is the proper way forward for the UK and Europe as a whole and will deliver significant economic and social benefits."

Forum Response: CIPD

Diane Sinclair, employee relations adviser at the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, told ePolitix.com: "The draft directive will limit opportunities for temping in the UK. If organisations are forced to go through the bureaucratic process of comparing terms and conditions of temps with permanent staff, they are much less likely to use agency staff.

"The commission's decision to make equal treatment applicable only after an agency worker has been with the same organisation for six weeks will do little to change employers' views of the draft directive. If implemented in the UK as it currently stands, the directive will damage employment prospects for those who can't find a permanent job or who do not want one. It's difficult to see who will benefit significantly from the proposals."