ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the historical evolution of labour politics concerning the legislation and policy-making of temporary agency work (TAW) over the past 20 years. It explores on nationwide survey data, our study examines the factors affecting the choice of TAW by employers and workers, as shedding light on both the demand and supply sides of the labour-dispatching market. The chapter provides a historical overview of how labour politics, involving the contested interplay of three actors unions, business, and the state shaped the legislation and policy-making concerning dispatched labour. It explains the trends and current status of the TAW or labour-dispatching market. The chapter offers an empirical analysis of causal factors influencing firms' use of dispatched labour and workers' employment in dispatched jobs. The legislation concerning dispatched labour can be symbolised as a contested terrain of labour politics between the conflicting interests and values towards the reshaping of labour markets.
