The TUC has called on European employment ministers to reject Britain's stance on new employment rights for agency workers.

The British government has backed an extended qualifying period of up to 12 months before new rights on pay, holidays and maternity leave are granted.

But the union organisation has said that agency workers should receive the rights from their first day in the job.

Ministers from across the European Union are set to discuss the proposed directive at a meeting in Brussels later this week. Ireland, Denmark and Germany are tipped to back the British government.

But the TUC said that 71 per cent of all UK agency workers would fail to qualify for the new rights if a 12 month qualifying period was implemented.

"Agency work is by its very nature temporary and many of the UK's most vulnerable, low-paid workers would lose out if they had to wait several months before any rights kicked in," said Brendan Barber, the TUC's general secretary-elect.

"Any delay would provide bad employers with an open invitation to avoid the new rights by simply employing temps for shorter periods."

Barber added that increasing numbers of temps are likely to be "low-paid, low-skilled workers employed in catering, hotels, and factories".

Responding to the call, the government said it was important that new regulations didn't stop groups such as young workers or the long-term unemployed from re-entering the labour market.

The CBI said it was backing the government's call for a one year period before the new rights take effect.