IUF tells EU advisors agency work undermines human rights

05-07-2012

The use of agency labour beyond narrow, verifiable criteria undermines fundamental rights when measured against the criteria established by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The Institute for Business and Human Rights and SHIFT are currently advising the European Union on how to address adverse human rights impacts in several areas, including temporary agency labour, in the light of the Guiding Principles. As part of the consultation process, the IUF has made a submission calling attention to the ways in which agency work (which the IUF does not consider an economic 'sector' as such) can undermine and violate international human rights norms and treaties, including the use of 'derogations' from the EU directive on agency work to legitimize inequality of treatment.

The background paper, and information on the online consultation process, are available here [1]. CLICK HERE FOR THE IUF SUBMISSION [2].

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) is an international federation of trade unions representing workers employed in agriculture and plantations; the preparation and manufacture of food and beverages; hotels, restaurants and catering services; all stages of tobacco processing. The IUF is composed of 394 affiliated organizations in 126 countries representing a combined membership of around 2,6 million.

How to contact the IUF:
Email: [email protected]
Post: Rampe du Pont-Rouge, 8, CH-1213, Petit-Lancy (Switzerland)
Phone: + 41 22 793 22 33
Fax: + 41 22 793 22 38

Links:
[1] http://www.ihrb.org/project/eu-sector-guidance/consultation-on-sector-discussion-papers.html
[2] http://www.ihrb.org/pdf/eu-sector-guidance/International-Union-of-Food-Agricultural-Hotel-Restaurant-Catering-Tobacco-and-Allied-Workers-Associations.pdf