Getting worked up: fighting for the rights of vulnerable workers

Giving advice at the Migrant Workers Information evening. Photo: Crispin Hughes

Oxfam believes in a society where every job is decently-paid, safe, and offers good conditions - sick and holiday pay, for example. Workers are organised, know their rights, and are confident in demanding they are met.

New report: Turning the Tide

The situation

We're acting

We're calling for

Some groups of workers are much more likely to be exploited at work. This keeps people, many of whom are vulnerable for other reasons, trapped in poverty.

This exploitation can be through:

Very low pay (often well below the minimum wage).
Being made to work long hours, in unsafe conditions.
Denial of basic employement rights, for example to sick or holiday pay.
Having other costs, such as transport or accommodation, deducted illegally from wages.
Violence and coercion at work – having a passport stolen, or being threatened with retaliation on leaving.

Groups that are particularly at risk of exploitation include:

Migrant workers.
Those who work from home, usually women (eg making crackers, sewing, or packing).
Domestic workers in private households.
Temporary and agency workers.
People employed through ‘gangmasters’ in sectors such as agriculture, food processing, or construction.
Asylum seekers (who aren’t allowed to work at all).

The problems include:

A lack of proper employment rights for many workers.
A lack of information – from service providers and government – on what workers are entitled to.
Uneven and inadequate enforcement of employment rights.
A shortage of accessible English classes, which means workers can’t understand or demand what they’re owed.
Workers’ reluctance to challenge their employers or join a union, for fear of losing their job or other reprisals.
Workers suffering the negative effects of hostile media coverage and public attitudes, especially towards migrants.

The groups of workers at the highest risk of exploitation are also among the poorest. This isn’t a coincidence. We believe that everyone is entitled to a secure income and a dignified life. Exploitation at work robs people of both.

What we're doing

Empowered workers. Through events and workshops we provide information to migrant workers on their rights, and on the services available to them. Working with community leaders and through media training, we empower migrants to stand up for their rights and speak out.

We also support organisations working with homeworkers in the UK.

Responsible employers. We work with employers, training them to meet their legal responsibilities, deal with racism, and support their staff to learn English.

Oxfam’s Migrant Workers Project works with low-waged migrant workers. One of its latest projects is a ‘Migrants Supporting Migrants’ group, led by migrant workers themselves, which supports migrant workers in the north-west of England.
“We provide migrants with information so people can find out more about their rights and what services are available. We have got a great opportunity to take an active part in improving the quality of life in our society and develop our skills.”
Piotr Pikula, from the Migrants Supporting Migrants group.

Campaigning for better employment rights. We support the campaign for asylum-seekers to have the right to work. And with a broad coalition of partners we have successfully campaigned for the rights of migrant domestic workers in the UK.

Enforcing existing rights: We are looking at the impact of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority, which regulates agencies employing vulnerable workers in agriculture and food production.

What we're calling for

Many women from countries where Oxfam works – including India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines – travel to the UK with their employers. They are often badly treated, and forced to work long hours for little or no pay. We joined a campaign with migrant domestic workers themselves, our partner Kalayaan, trade unions, and others to stop the government changing the law and making migrant domestic workers even more vulnerable. The campaign was successful - the proposed changes were dropped.

The Gangmasters Licensing Authority should be extended to the construction, hotel and catering sectors, and its resources increased.
Free English (ESOL) classes should be available for all who need them.
Government should run a major public awareness campaign on employment rights, especially for migrant and vulnerable workers.
Homeworkers should be granted full employment rights, to prevent employers exploiting uncertainty over their employment status.
Asylum seekers should have the right to work in the UK.