bogus job agencies

mark | 19.09.2004 16:10

Fortress Europe Represssion and the jobs market.

From independent first-hand sources in London( and which reminds me of the cockle-pickers and field workers in Kent and CornwallI ) I keep hearing stories of bogus job agencies employing people as temporary staff fpr employment on private and council jobs. These agencies may pay occasionally - if so, underneath the minimum wage with bogus deductions, but usulaly they move office ( rented office space ) and don't pay the workers at all. They are preying on a marginilised and vulnerable section of our communities. I have heard also of internationals being recommended to these agencies through the job centres!

This is slave labour - shit jobs, shit or no money. All made possible through the arms industry, the oil trade, the diamond trade, Fortress europe and the IMF.

Does anybody out there have more news about these agencies or experiences. Please post.

mark

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

good point

21.09.2004 08:55

This is an important topic to bring up. Here in London there are a lot of dubious notices including one which is handwritten and purpotedly from an agency looking for everything from 'models' to security guards, which I've seen in the Tottenham area. From what I know of the sector even the 'legal' ones are extremely abusive in terms of not giving people even toilet breaks or the legal 20 mins per 4 hours. But they are dealing also with an extremely submissive workforce whose immigration status and working papers often makes them even more vulnerable. At least that is the case in job agencies in West London if you go and see who is filling up their waiting rooms at 6-7am in the hope of getting work on any given day.

More observations anyone?

Jake

find them

21.09.2004 11:40

and show them your displeasure.

karen eliot

TUC investigation

21.09.2004 17:39

More evidence of Fortress Europe's exploitation re. migrant peoples and precarious work. A TUC undercover investigation found job agencies charging people to find work e.g as a pot washer.

The april 2004 article is here.

http://www.tuc.org.uk/law/tuc-7853-f0.cfm

This is happening all over Europe.

See also No Sweat's website

http://www.nosweat.org.uk/ .

There are films and workshops on No Borders and Precarity at the Beyond ESF event on 13th -17th October at Middlesex University, Tottenham.

http://wombles.org.uk/auto/aimsauto.php

More resources at

http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/resources/link.htm

No Borders