Agency Workers Are Vital
April 2025
Agency workers are like the red blood cells of the UK economy. They’re an essential part of the system and without them the rest of the economic body will collapse.
So it’s encouraging that the business secretary Jonathan Reynolds acknowledges they may need to be treated differently in the zero-hour contracts part of the government’s #EmploymentRights Bill. His comments were made in a letter he sent to the CBI and leaked to the Telegraph.
I’m sure there’s an existential argument in the Cabinet between committed ideologues who’re pushing for far-reaching workers rights, regardless of impact or current climate, and those who take a more pragmatic view and recognise that business needs all the help it can get right now to drive growth.
After all, according to Number Ten, ‘economic growth is the number one mission of our government’ and can 'only be achieved through partnership with business.'
It is the private sector that delivers growth and creates national wealth, with the public sector able to help or hinder it through regulation and legislation. For the avoidance of doubt - and criticism - the public sector provides vital services too!
My advice, for what is it worth, to Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner, Jonathan Reynolds et al, is to use the levers you can control to give the private sector the best chance to create growth right now as we all face plenty of headwinds from the things we can’t control. Tariffs imposed by 'our closest ally' being just one example.
Nobbling businesses by tying employers’ hands behind their backs is not going to help the government deliver its ‘number one mission’.
In other news, I’m delighted to mark that MJS Partnership is one year old this week. It’s been a challenging year - I really share the sentiments of so many other small business owners who’re finding the going tough. But it’s been a rewarding 12 months and we power on into year two.
So, congratulations to all the other entrepreneurs who’re out there doing their thing and taking risks and trying to build something. If agency workers are the red blood cells, then entrepreneurs are the vitamins that add energy and verve. We need both to be given all the help they can.
Have a great day, Jo.