The Gangmasters Licensing Authority is bracing itself for a period of change in which it will have its “teeth visible” but will not pursue a strategy of constant intervention in gangmasters’ operations, according to Margaret McKinlay, its new chair.

McKinlay, who took over from predecessor Paul Whitehouse in July, told Recruiter her previous experience of change management roles at energy firm Centrica, setting up, selling, running and integrating businesses, would place her in good stead for a period of change and “lighter touch regulation” brought about by government initiatives such as its Red Tape Challenge.

“The government want lighter touch regulation. Within the GLA, we have already started to look at lighter touch regulation.”

While a lighter touch may be required, the GLA will still maintain its hardline on non-compliance with regulations, says McKinlay.

“What do we need to do is to go after the very small residue of labour providers that are still not compliant and we have no difficulty in saying: ’what do we need to do?’ and ’what are the things we don’t need to do so much now?’ But the outcome of protecting vulnerable workers has to remain at the core of what we are about.

“I think there is a lot to do within the sector. Cockle-picking will be in the news again in September time because there are cockle beds that have been left with nobody harvesting them for two to three years. So there is going to be a lot of cockle-picking activity and we will be there.”