Sir;  This week has been a good one for the UK's workers. A landmark move by the government saw the country's 1.4 million temporary and agency workers, many of whom work in food, win the right to equal pay after 12 weeks in a job. At long last, an end to the discrimination of these vulnerable workers is in sight. Unite has come across some horrendous abuses of agency workers - illegal wage deductions, agency workers forced to pay for their own safety equipment, or wage slips that are withheld and where money earned is never fully paid. Agency workers tell us that temporary working means insecurity and powerlessness. Permanent workers report that the absence of equal treatment legislation has spawned a culture of undercutting. The misuse of agency labour is felt by the entire workforce as wages fall back and permanent posts are cut. It is clear, too, that the laws of the land are not being respected by some rogue agencies, and there is a job to be done in enforcing the existing law. Yes, temporary work is valued by some, and government's action will not end flexible labour. What it will do is ensure it is used more responsibly, not to drive down pay and undermine permanent employment.  Our government has accepted that when it comes to pay, equal treatment is the only way to protect the pay and treatment of all workers. It is now up to the agency sector to ensure these rights are applied and that agency employment is no longer associated with exploitation.