UK – Gig economy growth means 1.5 million workers at risk of missing out on employment protection

One in ten workers in the UK are in “insecure employment” due to the growth of the gig economy, with 1.5 million workers at risk of being denied employment protection, according to a report from the Trades Union Congress.

The report, “Living on the Edge,” states that 3.2 million UK workers (1...

Netherlands – Randstad to buy BMC

Randstad Holding N.V. announced today that it was buying BMC in the Netherlands as part of its strategy to expand into professional recruitment. The deal gives BMC an enterprise value of €65 million.

BMC has two main businesses, professional and consultancy. Its professionals business focuses on...

EU – Job vacancy rate increases to 1.6% in third quarter

The job vacancy rate in the euro area (EA19) was 1.6% in the third quarter of 2016, up from 1.5% in the same quarter last year, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

When compared to the previous quarter, the job vacancy rate in the euro area was down...

UK – Uber drivers protest against the company’s corporate customers (Business Insider)

A group representing Uber drivers in the UK are targeting Uber’s corporate customers, protesting its labour practices, reports the Business Insider. A few dozen drivers showed up at a Salesforce office in London earlier this week with the drivers stating that there are more protests planned. The protests...

France – Randstad receives approval for Ausy deal

Randstad France has announced that its voluntary cash tender offer for French consulting and engineering firm Ausy SA has been approved by France’s financial markets authority AMF.

The tender offer will run from 16 December 2016 to 20 January 2017 and is subject to a minimum acceptance rate of 65%. ...

Spain – More than half of workers dissatisfied with hours

According to a survey from Randstad on working time in Spain, 52% of employees are dissatisfied with their schedule and want more or fewer hours than they currently work.

The vast majority of workers dissatisfied with working hours would prefer to work fewer hours. Among the main reasons for shorter...

UK – Number of temp jobs falls 2.1% compared to last year

The number of UK workers in temporary jobs in the three months to October fell 2.1% on a year-over-year basis to 1.62 million, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics.

In addition, the number of temporary employees as a percent of all employees...

UK – Recruitment industry value to economy up 9% in 2015

The UK recruitment industry is bigger than ever before, according to the ninth annual Recruitment Industry Trends 2015/16 report released by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. The value of the recruitment industry to the UK economy was £35.1 billion in 2015, up 9% from the previous year.

The...

UK – JD Sports and Assist Recruitment accused of mistreating agency workers

JD Sports and its staffing agency, Assist Recruitment, deny allegations of poor working conditions at the sportswear chain’s Rochdale warehouse, according to media reports.

The companies are responding to an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News, which alleges a litany of harsh practices inside...

Finland – Universal basic income programme test set; could encourage temping? (KWBU)

Finland plans to test a universal basic income program for 2,000 people that would provide a guaranteed monthly check from the government with no strings attached, KWBU reports. “In the present system they are a little bit afraid of accepting job offers, say, for two months or three months, because...