probably not be able to rely on the ERA 1996 rights which require it. So while the rights to equal treatment in the directive would be effective, agency workers would remain unprotected by almost every right in the ERA 1996. Background The Bill largely implements the European Commission's Agency Worker Directive 2008/104/EC which evolved from a Draft Temporary and Agency Worker Directive of 2002 (COD 2002/0149). The latter was delayed these six years due largely to the UK government's consistent opposition to substantial agency working regulations – it preferred labour market flexibility. Per newspaper reports, the UK got the backing of Germany to torpedo the draft Directive in return for the UK to help sink the Takeover Directive (Germany has comprehensive agency work regulation under its Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz and its Civil Code, esp §622, and the UK has strong Takeover Regulation, especially Rule 21 of the City Code). The significant difference between the proposed Directive and the Bill is that governments, particularly the UK, managed to stipulate protections apply from 6 weeks of work in the Directive (equal treatment rights) per draft Art. 5(4). The first tabling of the Bill was undecided on this point, though more than one business consortium in the City of London called for one year of agency (or similar) work for a business to gain the protections. The Directive included equal treatment only for pay, hours, parental rights and anti-discrimination (Art. 3(1)(d)). A significant omission therefore was any formulaic, fixed definition of minimum "reasonable notice before dismissal" enshrined in the UK by the ERA s.86 and defined by subsequent case law (common law). Before the 2005 United Kingdom general election, the trade unions and the government made the Warwick Agreement (after its signing place, the University of Warwick). This included a promise of the government to support the European Directive. But by 2007, the government was yet to deliver, and Paul Farrelly MP introduced the Temporary and Agency Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Bill. It mirrored the Directive in all respects, save that there would be no 6-week qualifying period. In that period's climate, the Bill did not gain enough attention and was talked out of time. In the Court of Appeal case James v Greenwich LBC which further entrenched the subordinate position of agency workers, Mummery LJ pronounced it "doomed to failure for lack of support from the Government". But no sooner as that