Chancellor George Osborne has been urged to focus on “long-term sustainable reform” of the public sector over short-term cuts by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

Speaking ahead of today’s speech in which the chancellor will announce details of how £6bn of cuts in public spending will be achieved, REC chief executive Kevin Green said:
 
“Agency staff cuts may seem an easy way to reduce cost but the reality is that temporary workers are critical to the delivery of front-line services. Ultimately, the focus must be long-term sustainable reform rather than short-term cuts.
 
“Agency staff are a cost effective solution for public sector employers because they do not carry the same on-costs, such as pensions, that full time employees do. They can also be used as and when required rather than being a fixed cost.

“In relation to recruitment freezes, at a time when the public sector is going to need ever increasing talent and leadership to transform service provision, limiting the ability of public sector organisations to recruit the talent and capability they need to transform themselves will be self-defeating.”