The construction industry will be one of a number of sectors that will be targeted by the government to reduce the number of illegal migrants in the UK…
A government clampdown on firms that employ illegal workers will put the construction sector in the firing line. Raids will take place on companies suspected of hiring illegal migrants and will impact a number of other industries including the care and cleaning sectors.
Speaking to The Times, Home Office Minister James Brokenshire said the government would bring down its “full force” on companies that hire illegal migrants.
He said: “Rogue employers who give jobs to illegal migrants are denying work to UK citizens and legal migrants, and helping drive down wages.
“Experience tells us that employers who are prepared to cheat employment rules are also likely to breach health and safety rules and pay insufficient tax.
“That’s why our new approach will be to use the full force of government machinery to hit them from all angles and take away the unfair advantage enjoyed by those who employ illegal migrants.”
However, the move has been viewed as grandstanding on the government’s part, as the situation in Calais continues to intensify and the public call for more action.
National Secretary of UCATT Brian Rye said: “This is an announcement designed to achieve headlines rather than deal with the problem of exploitation and illegality in the construction industry.
“If the Government was serious they would adopt properly preventative measures to stop this kind of abuse from occurring in the first place.
“The most obvious policy is to extend the Gangmasters Act to construction to prevent rogue employers from entering the industry in the first place.”
