Unfair treatment of temporary migrant workers

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Gfamily
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Unfair treatment of temporary migrant workers

Post by Gfamily » Sun Aug 14, 2022 5:23 pm

A report in today's guardian about Philippine migrant workers being lumbered with huge fees for arranging jobs on UK farms.

The UK agency supervising farm workers is the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

There doesn't seem to be anything illegal about anything being done in the UK, but (according to the Guardian), the government's response is, to my mind, deplorable
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My avatar was a scientific result that was later found to be 'mistaken' - I rarely claim to be 100% correct
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IvanV
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Re: Unfair treatment of temporary migrant workers

Post by IvanV » Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:51 am

Gfamily wrote:
Sun Aug 14, 2022 5:23 pm
A report in today's guardian about Philippine migrant workers being lumbered with huge fees for arranging jobs on UK farms.

The UK agency supervising farm workers is the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

There doesn't seem to be anything illegal about anything being done in the UK, but (according to the Guardian), the government's response is, to my mind, deplorable
It is something that recruiters supplying labour in Britain are not allowed to do, and the GLAA exists precisely to prevent such recruiters from operating. According to GLAA guidance to workers "You should not be asked to pay job finding fees to obtain a job in the GLAA regulated sectors. If you have been asked to pay a job-finding fee in order to be given work in the UK, please contact us..."

So it seems that this is precisely an example of an abuse that the GLAA specifically exists to prevent. What it may not be able to do is prosecute them or recover fees paid. Its powers are probably limited to removing their licence to operate.

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Gfamily
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Re: Unfair treatment of temporary migrant workers

Post by Gfamily » Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:57 am

IvanV wrote:
Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:51 am
Gfamily wrote:
Sun Aug 14, 2022 5:23 pm
A report in today's guardian about Philippine migrant workers being lumbered with huge fees for arranging jobs on UK farms.

The UK agency supervising farm workers is the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

There doesn't seem to be anything illegal about anything being done in the UK, but (according to the Guardian), the government's response is, to my mind, deplorable
It is something that recruiters supplying labour in Britain are not allowed to do, and the GLAA exists precisely to prevent such recruiters from operating. According to GLAA guidance to workers "You should not be asked to pay job finding fees to obtain a job in the GLAA regulated sectors. If you have been asked to pay a job-finding fee in order to be given work in the UK, please contact us..."

So it seems that this is precisely an example of an abuse that the GLAA specifically exists to prevent. What it may not be able to do is prosecute them or recover fees paid. Its powers are probably limited to removing their licence to operate.
Precisely, which is why it is a f.cking disgrace that the government is (in effect) telling the GLAA not to look.
My avatar was a scientific result that was later found to be 'mistaken' - I rarely claim to be 100% correct
ETA 5/8/20: I've been advised that the result was correct, it was the initial interpretation that needed to be withdrawn
Meta? I'd say so!

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