Ed Miliband will announce later today Labour’s intention to illegalise the undercutting of wages with migrant labour.
At a Q&A session in Great Yarmouth, Miliband will declare the plans in order to address “the real impact immigration has had”.
“We will respond to those concerns, not dismiss them. That is why I have changed Labour’s approach since 2010,” Miliband is predicted to say.
“People want there to be control of immigration. That means being tough on illegal immigration, with proper entry and exit checks. But control doesn’t stop at the border, it is also about fair rules when people get here.”
To secure a conviction, prosecutors would need proof that employers have abused their power and hired a migrant worker for considerably different terms to that of a local worker.
Miliband will say how this will protect the wages of local workers and also the rights of those coming from overseas.
“We have all heard the most truly shocking stories of people having their wages stolen, and having to live in the most appalling conditions, exploited because they come here from abroad,” he is expected to say.
“These practices have an effect on local workers too. Because when people can be exploited for low wages or endangered at work, it drags the whole system down, undercutting the pay and conditions of people here.”
Tom Phelan is an assistant editor at HRreview. Prior to this position, Tom was a staff writer at ITProPortal, where he travelled the globe in pursuit of the latest tech developments. He also writes for a variety of music blogs.
