It has recently been agreed by the government after intensive lobbying by the entire trade union movement that agency workers should get the same rate of pay as directly employed workers after 12 weeks.

Has it gone far enough?  I believe the legislation should apply from day one and should also include the same terms and conditions as directly employed full time workers.

The legislation is definitely open to abuse by employers as a person could quite easily be made redundant after 11 weeks.  If a temporary worker queries their rights after being taken on by a company, an excuse would definitely be made to get rid of that worker as they may be seen by unscrupulous employers as trouble makers.

On construction sites this will almost certainly happen. As trade unionists we must lobby our unions to fight for change in the new legislation i.e. full employment rights from day one.

If a worker is dismissed for asking for their statutory and legal right, a claim for unfair dismissal should be registered by your union on your behalf, as this could be sacked for unfair dismissal asking for a statutory right. It may require a demonstration or picket on the site by your fellow workers to force the trade union officials to get involved in negotiations and demand reinstatement for the sacked workers. As trade unionists we must take this kind of action to prevent further dismissals and protect our workers.