New research tackles the exploitation of immigrant workers
Recent estimates suggest there could be up to 750,000 unauthorised migrants in Britain. Whilst immigration receives much negative press coverage, and is a source of deep public concern, many point to the fact that migrant workers contribute to the economy, and that deporting them could cost the country as much as £9bn over the next 30 years.
In order to fully understand the complex picture of European migration, Professor Andrew Geddes of the University´s Department of Politics is currently examining the subject in relation to the gang labour system in the UK, and the abuse and exploitation of migrant workers by gangmasters.
In 2004 the country was shocked when 23 Chinese cockle pickers were drowned off the coast of Morecombe Bay, as a result of exploitative and unsafe working conditions enforced by gangmasters. This tragedy led to the creation of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), which was set up to prevent the exploitation of workers, particularly by debt bondage and forced labour and to improve health and safety standards, in what had become an unregulated area of employment.
Professor Geddes is looking at the gang labour system in order to understand what is going on in the UK. In a joint study with the University of Liverpool commissioned by the GLA, Professor Geddes and Dr Sam Scott, formerly of the University's Department of Geography, examined three key questions: how well is licensing working?; are agency workers safer because of licensing?; and how well has the GLA done? The study is intended to provide a framework to assess the GLAs impact as a regulator of employment.
Professor Geddes explains: "Broadly, we concluded that licensing has been an appropriate tool to regulate labour providers; that agency workers are now better placed because of government regulation; and that the GLA is an effective and efficient regulator. However, some specific problems remain. It is also still too early to tell how effective compliance and enforcement activity has been given that only one prosecution has so-far been seen through to its conclusion".
What Professor Geddes and his colleagues found was just how vital workers from central and eastern Europe have become in UK food production, particularly over the past five years. "The task of regulating labour providers has been made more complex because of mass immigration. Agency worker exploitation has often, therefore, been linked with immigration". Another key strand of Professor Geddes' research focuses on understanding the causes, drivers and effects of international migration: "Migration is now a social fact. Attitudes towards immigration in this country tend to be fairly negative, and whilst migration can be a source of problems, it can equally provide solutions to labour shortages."
Professor Geddes is further planning to examine the effects of environmental change on patterns of migration, in partnership with the Energy and Environment Agency. To date his work has informed the policy decisions of a number of other key stakeholders, including the UK Border Agency, the GLA and the European Commission.
For further information, please contact Professor Andre Geddes at:
email : a.geddes@sheffield.ac.uk
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