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Worker Exploitation: Leicester Textile Industry
18 November 2020
Lead MP
Liz Kendall
Leicester West
Lab
Responding Minister
Paul Scully
Tags
EconomyTaxationEmploymentCulture, Media & SportBusiness & Trade
Word Count: 4339
Other Contributors: 2
At a Glance
Liz Kendall raised concerns about worker exploitation: leicester textile industry in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The Government should ensure an effective system of regulation and enforcement with sufficient resources. The Minister must commit to working with trade unions such as Community and the GMB to support positive changes needed for better workplace safety, standards, and transparency in the textile industry.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
There are long-standing and serious problems of workers being exploited in some textile factories in Leicester. In the last five years alone, issues have been highlighted by various sources such as the University of Leicester, BBC's Dispatches programme, Financial Times, Environmental Audit Committee, and The Sunday Times. Boohoo, a major fashion retailer based in Leicester, has been found to pay its employees less than the national minimum wage and ignore health and safety concerns on a wide scale, according to Alison Levitt's QC review published in September 2020.
Newcastle upon Tyne North
She put on record her admiration for the debate's relevance to Leicester and highlighted that the issue affects consumers across all retail sectors who purchase goods manufactured in conditions where worker exploitation may occur.
Claudia Webbe
Lab
Westminster North
The Minister says that we need to learn, but while the pandemic has thrown the crisis into sharper light, exploitation in Leicester's textile industry is not a new phenomenon. It has been widely reported and studied for at least a decade with a failure to address institutional exploitation despite widespread evidence of employer misconduct.
Government Response
Paul Scully
Government Response
The Government are committed to protecting vulnerable workers and have spent over £35 million a year on enforcement. HMRC recovered more than £20.8 million for workers in 19-20, while the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority recovered over £166,000 for workers. A new single labour market enforcement body is being planned to better enforce employment rights, focusing on holiday pay and umbrella companies. The Government have also engaged with retailers to promote compliance in supply chains.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.