NG Bailey puts agency workers on books after talks with union

Specialist contractor NG Bailey has agreed to transfer 50 agency workers on the upgrade of Tottenham Court Road underground station directly on to its books, following crunch talks between the firm and union Unite earlier this month.

The workers had threatened to walk off the job after the agency payroll company told them newly-introduced HM Revenue & Custom (HMRC) rules clamping down on self-employment in construction would reduce their take home pay.

The 50 agency workers will join 50 other NG Bailey electricians on the Tottenham Court Road job who are directly employed on the firm’s books.

In a joint statement NG Bailey and Unite said they were “delighted” with the “win-win solution”.

A further 30 electricians on an NG Bailey job in Three Bridges, Crawley, were transferred from an agency to NG Bailey’s books earlier this month.

Unite is embarking on a nationwide campaign to make workers aware of their rights under the new HMRC rules that came into force on 7 April.

A spokesperson for NG Bailey said: “The change to the legislation has presented a welcome opportunity for NG Bailey to be able to employ directly some workers in areas where it has previously been difficult to do so, because of the proliferation of agency employment as the norm.”