A crunch meeting of EU employment ministers on Tuesday could decide the fate of the UK’s temporary labour market.

The ministers will discuss the EU Agency Workers Directive (AWD), which would guarantee equal pay and employment rights for temps if it became law.

Under the current draft, the rules would apply six weeks after a temporary work assignment begins.

The REC, the recruitment industry’s trade body, has called for the government to protect the UK’s labour market and oppose the rules at the meeting.

Managing director Gareth Osborne said: “Temporary workers are increasingly temping out of choice rather than necessity and the flexibility afforded by temporary work is essential for business. The Agency Workers Directive would clearly threaten this.”