On Friday 6th March, Worker Support Centre (WSC) together with Professor Ruth Dukes, Dr Eleanor Kirk and Professor Melanie Simms at the University of Glasgow is convening a practical discussion on the enforcement needs of workers at risk of labour abuse and exploitation in Scotland. By working together with these leading thinkers in this field, we are hoping to develop the framework for better labour market enforcement that works for every worker in Scotland.
The Fair Work Agency (FWA) will be established on 7 April 2026 initially combining the enforcement roles of Employment Agencies Standards Inspectorate, Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and the oversight role of the Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement. This event will bring together frontline worker organisations, academics, enforcement authorities and policy makers to discuss barriers and opportunities this new authority presents Scotland. The new UK FWA will have significant implications for Scotland, particularly for those workers at risk of exploitation for whom enforcement is so vital. This is a unique opportunity to find new and better ways of preventing exploitation in a changing enforcement landscape in Scotland.
This event continues discussions started by WSC back in November, of what a new FWA will mean for Scotland, and how new oversight roles and powers will impact workers at risk of labour abuse and exploitation. We will consider what effective enforcement in Scotland could look like, and how can ensure it works for every worker.
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(Image credit: Zdravka Boudinova – Zdravolina for The Greats)