WSC launches its new briefing for a new UK single labour market enforcement authority, the Fair Work Agency (FWA). This briefing sets out WSC’s five principles for effective labour market enforcement, based on our experience of supporting workers at risk of exploitation to report to labour market enforcement.
A new FWA must be: accessible; trusted; worker-centred; connected; and resourced. It should seek to prevent exploitation before it takes place, by operating on an understanding of risk that relates to the International Labour Organisation forced labour indicators and guided by experts on the issue of labour exploitation, including representatives of at-risk workers that are non-unionised.
In this briefing WSC outlines a central focus for the FWA should be on pro-active inspection, strong engagement with independent worker support organisations – as well as trade unions – safe and anonymous reporting routes, and resourcing to meet International Labour Organization (ILO) standards of 1 inspector to every 10,000 workers.
This briefing draws on a longer submission that WSC made in December 2024 to the UK Director of Labour Market Enforcement (DLME) in response to the call for evidence to inform her Annual Strategy 2025-26. This is also available to view below.