 Clampdown on rogue recruitment agencies
May 1st 2007
UK businesses, especially in the manufacturing and industrial sectors, which have faced drastic skills shortages and an everdiminishing pool of available labour, have to a great extent been saved by the skilled labour available from other EU countries including Poland. However, according to specialist international recruitment consultants Omega Resource Group, a minority of UK and foreignbased recruitment agencies are at best sweat shops and at worst little more than promulgators of slavery.
According to James Strickland, group director of Omega Resource Group, with offices in the UK and Poland, most businesses recruit overseas labour in response to the lack of applicants locally or based upon a specific skills base which is needed, that cannot be found within the existing UK labour pool.
Boasting reliability, hard work ethic, willingness to work and flexibility it is easy to see why they are such an attractive option to UK organisations.
"If reputable employers and recruitment consultants engage in a professional process, the myth of cheap labour from abroad can be dispelled. But only if the Gangmaster Licensing Authority hits offending companies very hard – and by that I mean putting them out of business.
We vet client companies along with candidates and employ welfare officers from the country of origin to ensure work, pay and ethical standards are adhered to throughout the period of an employee's contract," adds Strickland.
Commenting on a recent BBC exposé of 'Bonded Labour' and alleged contravention of the rights of migrant workers Strickland said: "Regarding the BBC programme it was very much emphasised on minimum wage, quality of accommodation and deductions from hourly rates. Apart from the fact that it seemed candidates had been duped into a supply chain of hiring businesses, seemingly fraudulent paperwork and a catalogue of what can only be described as unethical practices. The GLA must stamp this out and we will make representations to Government and the recruitment industry's own body REC to ensure that any companies flouting regulations are kept out of the recruitment business." "It would be foolhardy to close the door completely on the recruitment of overseas labour since potentially UK businesses could be forced to move their whole operations abroad if insufficient labour is available within the traditional catchment areas for hiring staff." In a recent IP&E enews Poll, readers were divided on the issue: 'Has the influx of skilled immigrant labour made a positive contribution to UK manufacturing?'. Just over 52% thought they had. To receive IP&E's enews go to ipesearch.com/ More articles from Omega Resource Group Ltd: | 
