The Centre for Global Labour Research: Colloquium on ‘Migrant Workers and Trade Unions in Britain’
Starts: 4 May 2007
The Centre for Global Labour Research held a colloquium titled ‘Migrant Workers and Trade Unions in Britain’ on the 4th May 2007 in the Glamorgan Building.
Contributors consisted of academics, civil society activist and policy representatives including Ian Fitzgerald, University of Northumbria; Don Flynn, Project Director at Migrants’ Rights Network; Elena Kotchetkova and Tue Hong Baker, North Wales Racial Equality Network; Nigel Costley, TUC South West Regional Secretary; Omer Ahmed, Migrants Support Unit Transport and General Workers' Union; Lydia Hayes, Region 2 Bristol Education Organisation T&G Bristol Office; Edmund Heery, Peter Fairbrother, Peter Turnbull and Surhan Cam, Cardiff University.
Union Member (%)?
Context of the Debate
During the last decade, trade unions, developmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and –international- policy watchdogs have campaigned for business to tackle the issue of poor labour conditions which migrant workers faced in Britain. Accusations of some employers relying on operations carried out by exploited migrant workers, aimed to help galvanise companies and the government take greater responsibility for labour conditions in the process of production.
Unions Exist in the Workplace (%)?
Subsequently, a number of policies were highlighted in an attempt to encourage the introduction of some progressive labour codes of conduct in line with the standards of European Union. The colloquium discussed the potential impacts of such initiatives on improving the works status of migrant workers. In this context, it was underlined that migrant workers make for an interesting case in economic and political terms not only because of the moral implications of their working conditions but also for the coherency of inter-community relations between migrant and ‘indigenous’ workers, if their well-acknowledged contribution to the economy is to be sustained.
Terms are affected by your membership (%)?
Some of the questions the colloquium explored:
- How do labour initiatives improve the working conditions of migrant workers?
- What role do the initiatives play in terms of labour regulation?
- What is the future of the relations between migrant workers and trade unions?
A Sobering Debate
The Migrant Workers Colloquium was carried out through an engaging debate by over fifty delegates on the complexity of the relations between migrant workers trade unions in Britain whilst a general consensus emerged over the need to put more effort in organising such workers. The debate was foreshadowed by Surhan Cam who set the scene with an account of his research interest regarding the unionisation of migrant workers, especially in low pay jobs in the UK. This was followed by each guest speaker presenting for twenty minutes on their role, as social actors in organising migrant workers, or as academics in investigating various challenges and potentials, with five minutes at the end for the most pressing of questions. A more detailed panel discussion was held after all presentations had been made.
Average gross hourly pay (£)
All of the presentations made led to some thought-provoking suggestions on the role of the various social actors related to the issue of the working conditions of migrant workers. In particular, a number of topics were raised: the multi-layered disadvantages of migrant workers in the labour market; how to enforce labour codes of conduct throughout the economy, including the spheres of the secondary sources of labour ‑supply agencies at national and international levels‑; the role of supranational bodies, such as the EU in promoting social and workplace-based standards; and the brokering role of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in terms of the implementation of codes and standards during the recruitment and retention of migrant workers.
Useful Links
Working Papers on migrant Workers by Surhan Cam at Cardiff
BJIR Special Issue on Migrant Workers (2007)
North Wales Race Equality Network
Susan Meiselas’ “Costly Dream” slideshow in cooperation with Human Rights Watch on migrant women workers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka
Other information
Open To: Staff and Students