19th December 2007
Citizens' Advice calls for new employment watchdog
Individual workers and good employers are suffering unnecessarily at the hands of unscrupulous bosses, a report released today has said.
The report from Citizens' Advice and Citizens' Advice Scotland, titled Rooting out the Rogues, calls for a 'fair employment commission' to listen to workers' grievances and take action against illegal employment practices.
The report says that although the "vast majority" of employers strive to act responsibly, Citizens' Advice Bureaux see tens of thousands of cases every year involving workers who have been exploited. Common complaints include denial of holiday and sick leave, payment below the minimum wage, and lack of final payment after leaving a job.
With those affected typically being the most vulnerable members of the workforce (migrant workers, and those earning low wages), the charities argue that they are in a poor position to stand up for their own rights.
Furthermore, it is pointed out that non-payment of tax and national insurance by some operators is putting respectable firms at a competitive disadvantage.
Chief executive of Citizens' Advice, David Harker, said that while he welcomed the government's "increasing recognition" of the problems faced by vulnerable workers, "much more needed to be done."
"Tens of thousands of workers in the UK economy are currently failing to benefit from the UK government's very welcome policy programme, revealing a real need for a 'fair employment commission' to give exploited workers somewhere to turn, give employers a level playing field, and root out the rogue employers," he said.
The report from Citizens' Advice and Citizens' Advice Scotland, titled Rooting out the Rogues, calls for a 'fair employment commission' to listen to workers' grievances and take action against illegal employment practices.
The report says that although the "vast majority" of employers strive to act responsibly, Citizens' Advice Bureaux see tens of thousands of cases every year involving workers who have been exploited. Common complaints include denial of holiday and sick leave, payment below the minimum wage, and lack of final payment after leaving a job.
With those affected typically being the most vulnerable members of the workforce (migrant workers, and those earning low wages), the charities argue that they are in a poor position to stand up for their own rights.
Furthermore, it is pointed out that non-payment of tax and national insurance by some operators is putting respectable firms at a competitive disadvantage.
Chief executive of Citizens' Advice, David Harker, said that while he welcomed the government's "increasing recognition" of the problems faced by vulnerable workers, "much more needed to be done."
"Tens of thousands of workers in the UK economy are currently failing to benefit from the UK government's very welcome policy programme, revealing a real need for a 'fair employment commission' to give exploited workers somewhere to turn, give employers a level playing field, and root out the rogue employers," he said.
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