In a statement yesterday, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) revealed that, working with a range of partners in East and West Cornwall to prevent and identify exploitation of vulnerable workers, it made a number of unannounced visits to a number of businesses between Tuesday and Friday last week.

These included:

• eight car washes, where concerns included the non-payment of the minimum wage to workers, not having personal protective clothing and other health & safety concerns. Two people were found to not have rights to work in the UK
• four nail bars, with one worker found to not have the correct status to live in the UK
• a farm, revisited after a visit carried out in 2017, uncovered sub-standard accommodation for workers. The revisit revealed that the landlord has taken the necessary steps to improve the accommodation
• a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in which workers are accommodated. Concerns had been raised about fire safety. The fire service and Cornwall Housing have been made aware of the issues
• a number of takeaway restaurants in Newquay and Falmouth
• a site accommodating Romanian and Bulgarian families, visited due to concerns raised about the railway embankment running next to the site, which Network Rail deemed to be safe.

The GLAA added the visits were part of an annual operation organised by the Cornwall Migrant Workers Action Group (MIGWAG), of which the GLAA is a member, while the operation sought to prevent the exploitation of workers, as well as uncover modern slavery, human trafficking and health & safety offences.

A range of agencies were involved, including Devon and Cornwall Police, Cornwall Council, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, the Health and Safety Executive, UK Immigration Compliance and Enforcement, HM Revenue & Customs, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and Network Rail.

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