Workers more vulnerable after Tory cuts to employment agency watchdog

17 August 2016

The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has failed to make a single arrest since its funding was cut by 50% by the Tories.

New figures revealed through parliamentary questions put by Labour and reported by the Morning Star show that the government has been slashing the watchdog’s funding since 2010 and is now only £500,000 a year.

This is despite complaints to the Inspectorate rising by 21% in the last five years, during which time targeted inspections have fallen by 52%, warning letters have dropped by 54%, and cuts to the Inspectorate’s staff have seen its workforce fall from 30 to just two by 2013.

Shadow Minister for Trade Unions Ian Lavery told the Morning Star: “This Tory record is a scandal. This analysis demonstrates the Tory government’s unwillingness to stand up for working people.

“Despite the government’s rhetoric on irresponsible capitalism and tackling unscrupulous employers in the wake of the Sports Direct inquiry, it is clear that they have undermined the work of the very agency charged with investigating breaches in employment agency practices.”

Ian Lavery and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell have backed the IER’s proposals to reframe labour law in order to improve security in the workplace and promote equality across society. Read more about our Manifesto of Labour Law here