On film: Exploitation of workers
Five years on from the Morecambe Bay tragedy Oxfam has published a report revealing that UK workers employed by ‘gangmasters’ still face unacceptable levels of exploitation and abuse.
Video: Migrant workers
Kat Anderson from Cornwall explains what working conditions can be like. After excessive deductions from their gangmaster, workers are being left with just one pound a week to support their family.
Video: Hotel workers
The research has revealed that there is systematic exploitation in the cleaning and hospitality industry, particularly in London.
Monica from Romania works as a cleaner in a London hotel, “I work for an agency – but I’m ‘self-employed’. They pay me £2.29 per room. I can’t clean enough rooms to make minimum wage. There is no sick pay or holiday pay. And I have to pay for my own cleaning materials and uniform out of my wages.”
Wayne King, from the trade union Unite, explains just how widespread the exploitation is, and how he thinks it can be stopped.
Learn more
Read 'Turning the Tide' report – How best to protect workers employed by gangmasters, five years after Morecambe Bay
