Gangmaster watchdog wants wider role
Gangmaster watchdog wants wider role
The leader of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) and the report of a TUC-convened Commission have both called for all sectors of the economy to be protected from gangmaster exploitation. Construction union UCATT has welcomed comments made by GLA chair Paul Whitehouse that all sectors of the British economy should be regulated by his organisation. UCATT says the construction sector has seen a huge increase in gangmasters and labour only employment agencies in recent years. At the moment the GLA only has the power to license gangmasters in the agriculture, food processing and shellfish collection sectors. Speaking on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme on 1 May, Paul Whitehouse said: 'I have absolutely no doubt the government passed the law in order for people not to be exploited. I can't see why if you work in one area you should be protected but not in another.' Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, commented: 'The government must act to extend the GLA's remit to first the construction industry and then all other sectors.' A recent survey undertaken by UCATT officials found gangmaster activity on 69.7 per cent of sites in London and the South East and on 28.2 per cent of construction sites throughout Britain. The TUC-convened Commission on Vulnerable Employment (CoVE) this week said the GLA regime should apply to other sectors where agencies use vulnerable workers, including care homes and construction. Commenting on the publication of the Commission report, GLA's Paul Whitehouse said if the government 'wish to extend our remit into other sectors, as the Commission recommends, our committed and enthusiastic staff are willing and ready to accept the challenge of reducing exploitation elsewhere.'
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