The unions generally want temporary workers to have the same rights for as their permanent counterparts.

A T&G spokeswoman said: "We don't believe it's fair for two people who do the same job to get different rates of pay."

Tidy desks are something we should all strive for. But some civil servants are finding that this mission can go too far. In a pilot study at Longbenton, Tyneside, black tape has been put on civil servants’ desks to show where pens go. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union claimed the scheme was costing £7.4m nationally and branded it “demeaning”.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) is looking for nominations for its annual 'One in a Million' award for temporary workers.

There are 14 categories. Nominees could be working as locums, drivers, nurses and interim managers or have made the successful transition from being a temporary to full-time worker.

Everybody seems to be getting in on the biggest story of recent weeks. None other than City law firm Speechly Bircham has seen fit to comment on the Celebrity Big Brother issue, sending a lengthy screed to Recruiter on the implications of the Jade Goody-Shilpa Shetty row.