04/09/2007
Thousands of Polish and Lithuanian workers are being exploited at work in the UK, reveals a new report commissioned by the TUC and published today. Since 2004 when 10 new states joined the EU, more than 475,000 Polish and Lithuanian workers have come to work in the UK. This study by Compas, a research unit based at Oxford University, shows that most had found insecure and poorly paid employment, with more than half of those surveyed encountering problems at work.

A quarter of the workers in the study reported having no written contract (a figure which rose to nearly a third amongst agency workers) and over a quarter had faced problems with payment - including not being paid for hours worked, discrepancies between pay and payslips, unauthorised deductions and errors in pay calculation. Ten times as many migrants as indigenous workers were paid less than the minimum wage.

The study also uncovers that migration has re-introduced the 'tied cottage' - where employers provide accommodation (at a cost) and use it to increase their control over migrant workers. Nearly a third of the workers in the report were living in accommodation provided by their employer, and as a result described excessive hours (due to their employment being linked to where they lived) and poor living conditions.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'This study reveals systematic abuse of migrant workers which is tantamount to modern day slavery. Too many unscrupulous bosses are getting rich by exploiting migrant workers and the full force of the law should be used against those profiting from such appalling ill treatment.

'Everyone should be treated fairly and with dignity and respect at work, wherever they come from. Unions are working hard to recruit migrant workers to protect them from rogue employers who seek to deny their workers a fair day's work for a fair day's pay.

'It's clear migrant workers need help to secure their rights. By working with advice agencies and other similar organisations, unions can help ensure that migrant workers get the support and protection they are entitled to.'

• The report