APPG Migration
On December 10th the APPG on Migration held a briefing and discussion on the Employment Rights Bill and its impact on migrant workers and victims of modern slavery. The briefing enabled parliamentarians to hear from experts in the migration, employment and modern slavery sectors such as FLEX, Work Rights Centre and Justice and Care.
The event examined the extent to which the Bill in its current form gives meaningful access to protections for some of the most at-risk workers, and explored how it could be improved to ensure that it is inclusive to the needs and priorities of migrant workers and victims of modern slavery. The event aimed to connect parliamentarians working on business and employment policy with those focusing on migration and modern slavery, creating a platform to incorporate these perspectives into their engagement with the Bill.
Speakers highlighted the issues that migrant workers currently face in the workplace due to the restrictive nature of temporary visas and shared their concerns about areas of the Bill which could impede the ability of migrant workers to exert their rights, such as through changes to probation periods. The discussion focused on aspects of the Bill which may provide an opportunity for migrant workers and victims of modern slavery rights to be strengthened.
