The Exploitation and Slavery of Migrant Labourers – UNISON. Migrant workers are essential to the care industry, but many of them endure hard hours, harassment, and a continual dread of deportation.
The elderly and people with disabilities are our most vulnerable members of society, and migrant workers are essential to their care. However, the national delegate conference heard that migrant workers are subjected to exploitation and, at worst, contemporary slavery, despite their crucial role in maintaining these basic services.
The arrangement gives private care corporations and employment agencies enormous leverage because care visas are granted to employers rather than migrant workers. They are allowed to harass and threaten migrant workers with little to no oversight or control.
“The situation is shameful,” stated the representative from the South West, who introduced the proposal to enhance assistance for migrant workers. Workers risk deportation if they disobey their bosses.
Migrant workers run the risk of experiencing debt, financial difficulties, and even losing their residency rights when they quit their jobs. Not only does this cause a great deal of stress and uncertainty for migrant workers, but it also affects their families who depend on their visa status. They are helpless and confined by these circumstances.
- Here are some instances of employer malpractice:
- Private care businesses refuse to hire migrants after charging them up to £20,000 to come work in the UK.
- Migrants are either required to work long hours (up to 100 hours a week) or are not provided enough hours to support themselves.
- illegally deducting earnings from employees’ pay cheques for extended periods of time
- inadequate lodging
- victimisation of trade unions
- insufficient safety and health
- the ongoing risk of deportation in the event that migrants refuse to comply with their employer’s requests.
Modern-day slavery cases have increased since 2020, when the health and care visa was implemented.
“Migrant workers are the backbone of our health and social care system,” a representative from the Yorkshire and Humberside region stated in support of the resolution. These people put forth endless effort to give the old, the weak, and those in need of hospital care respect, comfort, and vital assistance. Nevertheless, many speak of dishonest employers who exploit the sponsorship regulations in spite of their kindness and concern.
“Let’s be precise. Rather than being disposable, migrant workers are indispensable. One migrant worker in our area informed us that she was hired full-time by a care company in the UK after completing her education. She paid an administration charge of £4,500 to the company after completing training and an interview. She never received a single shift from that employer, and the Home Office warned her that she would have to leave the country if she didn’t find a new employment within 60 days.
According to Linda Hobson, the Northern region’s delegate, her region effectively implemented an organising to win approach in 2024 in order to interact with migrant workers. “Unprecedented numbers of migrant workers in our social care sector joined UNISON. They joined as representatives and sat on committees in addition to being employees.
Hearing their moving accounts of their experiences—this is about equality and justice as much as security. Every employee has the same rights, and this is central to everything UNISON stands for. These migrants have come to the UK with their entire life savings, only to find that the living conditions are dehumanising.
“Migrant workers make a vital contribution often in the face of racism and great personal expense,” stated one Scottish delegate. They contribute their experience, tenacity, and dedication to the community without receiving the credit they merit.
The following were included in the unanimously approved migrant worker motion:
- striving to build the UNISON’S Migrant Workers Network, which will enhance recruiting and organising efforts and enhance contact with migrant worker members.
- advocating for the implementation of a uniform sponsorship certificate for carers and health care providers. This would enable workers to switch occupations without fear of deportation and sever the connection between a single employer and their workforce.
- advocating for migrant workers to have access to assistance and legal services so they may report exploitation and abuse.
- keeping up their efforts to organise and recruit migrant workers in order to expand their base of activists.