Reducing the risks of exploitation for Romanian seasonal labour migrants after COVID-19
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: Sch of Sociology & Social Policy
Abstract
The measures imposed to control the Covid-19 pandemic significantly affected the British agricultural sector which relies on 90,000 seasonal workers annually, a large proportion of whom are Romanian, including ethnic Roma. Romanian nationals are also consistently among the top 10 nationalities and the largest group of European Union citizens accepted as potential victims of exploitation within the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Based on the NRM data, labour exploitation of Romanians is by a large margin the most commonly-observed type of modern slavery within this group, followed by sexual and criminal exploitation. In 2019, 222 cases of labour exploitation of Romanian nationals were referred by Police forces in England alone. Foreign and seasonal employees unwillingness or inability to report exploitative practices in a sector which is already susceptible to exploitation is concerning within this sector, which has also been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The project therefore proposes to provide the first quantitative assessment of the impact of Covid-19 on the exploitation risk for Romanian seasonal workers in the UK. We will use a survey-based approach, alongside a policy review and key informant interviews with enforcement leads, businesses and recruitment agencies, to gain a rapid overview of how the pandemic is affecting the vulnerability of Romanian workers. We will also suggest potential options for mitigation of increased risks. By engaging with multiple stakeholders we aim to identify lessons that have been drawn from this pandemic and suggest policy and practice changes that may assist with mitigating current challenges and future crises.
Our research will explore the following questions:
1) What risks and challenges did COVID-19 bring for employers, recruiters and workers?
2) How has the pandemic affected worker decisions about migration to the UK?
3) What understanding do workers have of their labour rights under UK law?
4) Do workers consciously expect and accept poor or exploitative conditions? What impact has the pandemic had on this expectation?
5) What learning has occurred within industry in response to managing the crisis and responding to workforce needs?
6) What policy solutions have other northern European economies used to mitigate emerging vulnerabilities?
Our research will explore the following questions:
1) What risks and challenges did COVID-19 bring for employers, recruiters and workers?
2) How has the pandemic affected worker decisions about migration to the UK?
3) What understanding do workers have of their labour rights under UK law?
4) Do workers consciously expect and accept poor or exploitative conditions? What impact has the pandemic had on this expectation?
5) What learning has occurred within industry in response to managing the crisis and responding to workforce needs?
6) What policy solutions have other northern European economies used to mitigate emerging vulnerabilities?
Publications
Burcu O.
Vulnerabilities and agency among migrants workers in the UK
in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Title | Migrant workers' vulnerability to labour exploitation - informative and educational video resource |
Description | We produced an animated video aimed at a general audience to raise awareness and inform about labour exploitation. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | Educational impact -the video has been disseminated to a wide range of academic networks and it reached hundreds of students in the UK and abroad. It has also been disseminated to third sector organisations, businesses and the GLAA with the hope that it will be used for training and awareness raising purposes. |
URL | https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/beacons-of-excellence/rights-lab/research-projects/reducing-th... |
Description | • 67% Romanian and Bulgarian workers reported to be negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, potentially making them more vulnerable to exploitation. Many workers struggled to cover basic expenses and ran into debt due to being furloughed and having to rely on 80% of their regular wage, being placed on statutory sick pay, having had their work hours reduced and, in some cases, losing their jobs. • Some workers faced additional pressures, with reports of problematic practices including not being allowed to take breaks at work and enforcing overtime. • Covid-19 amplified existing vulnerabilities, such as working on non-permanent contracts, lack of language skills or lower literacy. • The systemic challenges faced by businesses and enforcement agencies limited the inspection and regulatory oversight of workplaces and had potential negative effects on workers' vulnerability to exploitation. |
Exploitation Route | Recommendations for the UK Government: § Ensure that levels of statutory sick pay are sufficient to cover basic needs. § Reduce zero-hours contracts. § Ensure the new Single Enforcement Body is appropriately staffed and resourced to monitor and address the full range of labour violations that can lead to exploitation, and its work and function highly publicised amongst employers and the general public. § Fund and champion NGOs working with and within migrant communities (potentially through business-rates) to take on roles as advocates for migrant workers. § Ensure funding provision dedicated to improving language skills amongst recently arrived groups via courses offered by further education providers and employers. § Monitor cases of labour exploitation to identify and understand any impacts arising from the new visa system. Recommendations for Enforcement Agencies (including the new Single Enforcement Agency): § Develop communications campaigns that engage with existing social media networks, in community languages, in order to share important employment information, for instance, around applying for visas and accessing support to report workplace abuses. § Develop draft model employee contracts, in multiple languages to promote good practice. Recommendations for employers: § Provide accessible information, in relevant languages, to employees regarding their employment rights in the UK, including information regarding relevant helplines (such as the Modern Slavery helpline) and relevant apps (such as Clewer Initiative "Farm Work Welfare" App and "Just Good Work"). § Provide workers with an employment contract written in their home language § Conduct training for employees in home languages, and ensure that training anticipates the needs of workers with lower levels of literacy. § Provide workplace support such as drop-ins, helplines and buddying schemes § Include information about holiday pay and annual leave on payslips Recommendations for the media § Consider alternatives to "shaming" businesses that are open about systemic and supply chain problems and prepared to address them. A culture of openness and collaboration has been essential throughout the pandemic, and is important to help all sectors deal with examples of criminality. Recommendations for Trade Unions § Ensure consistent records of members' nationalities and ethnicities. § Consider developing more programmes to support migrant and seasonal workers, and work with community-based NGOs to increase representation of migrant and seasonal workers amongst the membership. |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Government, Democracy and Justice |
URL | https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/beacons-of-excellence/rights-lab/research-projects/reducing-the-risks-of-exploitation-for-romanian-and-bulgarian-labour-migrants-after-covid-19.aspx |
Description | University of Nottingham QS funding |
Amount | £3,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Nottingham |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2021 |
End | 07/2021 |
Description | GLAA |
Organisation | Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | During the project, the GLAA has provided us with internal information and has made some of its GLAA inspectors available for interviews, all of which have supported the findings of this research project. Post-project, the GLAA has been interested in the positive role that they can play on social networks and in measuring users' change of behaviour. Social networks were identified in our report, anecdotally, to be significantly used by workers, but also to often contain erroneous information. |
Collaborator Contribution | We provided the GLAA with information that they were interested in, some demographic data of workers, their understanding of labour rights and workers' experiences during Covid. Post-project, we have discussed and proposed to the GLAA various approaches to the positive role that they can play on social networks and in measuring users' change of behaviour. We have submitted an EPSRC New Horizon proposal to try to fund a project that will partly address GLAA's needs. |
Impact | EPSRC proposal submission |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | BIICL guest speaker |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The British Insittue of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) invited me to deliver a talk on "Covid-19 and Value Chains" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.biicl.org/events/11518/hrdd-forum-covid-19-and-value-chains-three-recent-studies |
Description | Diversity Festival, University of Nottingham |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Diversity festival celebrates diversity, creates and supports a forum for challenging conversations. I have presented the findings of this report to mainly an academic audience formed of both staff and students. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | GLAA quarterly meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | At GLAA's invitation, we presented a business focused policy briefing of our report at the GLAA quarterly meeting organised in March 2021. Approximately 85 participants where on the call and a Q&A session was held at the end of our presentation. Engagement was positive. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | IASC |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | We presented the findings of this research to the Independent AntiSlavery Commission in a quarterly/bi-annual event format that the Rights Lab and the IASC organise. Dame Sarah Thornton and her team were in attendance, along several academics from the Rights Lab. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Stakeholders' workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | GLAA, NFU, national recruiters and key businesses in the agri-food sector attended our stakeholders' workshop where we presented the preliminary findings of the report and incorporated their feedback into our final report. Our findings were well received and stakeholders explained how different findings will inform certain aspects of their work and their future plans. The discussions also led to future requests for information and discussions about potential future research projects and collaborations. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |