Government must take immediate action to manage migration better for Britain, says TUC

25 August 2016

The TUC is calling on the government to respond to the migration figures published today (Thursday) by the Office for National Statistics with immediate action to better manage migration.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Migrants are contributing valuable skills to Britain, without which the economy would be weaker and the NHS could not function. But too many migrant workers are being used as cheap labour and exploited by bad bosses who use them to undercut local workers.

“The TUC has published a set of practical solutions that the government can quickly put in place to manage migration better for Britain. We need to enforce tough rules on employers who exploit migrants and undercut other workers. We need extra cash for schools, hospitals and public services in communities where immigration is highest. And instead of importing workers to fill skills gaps, we must invest more in training people.

“It’s also important that we work with our European neighbours to address the problems that force people to migrate in search of decent work. Employers and governments across the EU must invest more in jobs and skills so that more workers have the chance of a decent job with a fair wage.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The TUC report, Managing migration better for Britain: what the government should be doing now, can be found here: www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/ManagingmigrationbetterforBritain.pdf

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @The_TUC and follow the TUC press team @tucnews

- Congress 2016 will be held in the Brighton Centre from Sunday 11 September to Wednesday 14 September. Media passes can be obtained by visiting www.tuc.org.uk/MediaCredentials2016 and completing an online form. The deadline for free accreditation passed on 23 August. Applications will now be subject to a late processing fee of £75.