Over many years
the IT contractor has been assaulted by various chancellors, not least by
Gordon Brown with the introduction of IR35 and other uncomplimentary regulations which has already decimated the UK IT contractor market.
Now, in a Green
Paper from the European Commission on Labour Laws, the EC want to ban IT
contractors working as freelancers completely.
The group which represents IT contractors, the PGC, said that the proposals showed that the Commission did
not understand the UK’s contracting model.
“We fear
that any new proposal based on this Green Paper risks being so ill-defined that
it could destroy freelancing as we know it. We must send the message to the Commission that labour law should be left to
individual member states,” said the PCG's CEO John Thomas.
The PCG is calling on the Commission to respect
the existing commercial relationships between contractors and employers.
Freelancers
provide their services on a commercial basis and are not employees.
The Green Paper
completely fails to appreciate the differences between these commercial
contracts and employment contracts,” Thomas said.
The PGC also said
that the UK government should clarify employment
status in the UK, which it said, had been thrown into
confusion following recent court judgements.
(source)
Watch out for more Government contracts failing as IT Consultancy groups cannot get the experienced personnel needed for complex projects.
Over many years
the IT contractor has been assaulted by various chancellors, not least by
Gordon Brown with the introduction of IR35 and other uncomplimentary regulations which has already decimated the UK IT contractor market.
Now, in a Green
Paper from the European Commission on Labour Laws, the EC want to ban IT
contractors working as freelancers completely.
The group which represents IT contractors, the PGC, said that the proposals showed that the Commission did
not understand the UK’s contracting model.
“We fear
that any new proposal based on this Green Paper risks being so ill-defined that
it could destroy freelancing as we know it. We must send the message to the Commission that labour law should be left to
individual member states,” said the PCG's CEO John Thomas.
The PCG is calling on the Commission to respect
the existing commercial relationships between contractors and employers.
Freelancers
provide their services on a commercial basis and are not employees.
The Green Paper
completely fails to appreciate the differences between these commercial
contracts and employment contracts,” Thomas said.
The PGC also said
that the UK government should clarify employment
status in the UK, which it said, had been thrown into
confusion following recent court judgements.
(source)
Watch out for more Government contracts failing as IT Consultancy groups cannot get the experienced personnel needed for complex projects.
