Third of licence refusals down to failure to provide decent accommodation

A significant number of gangmasters supplying workers are not getting their licences because of the poor housing they offer.

Inside Housing - 27 March 2008

Gangmasters Licensing Authority figures provided to Inside Housing show that 30 out of 87 refused and revocation cases failed its workers’ accommodation rule.

The rule ensures that homes provided to migrant workers comply with houses in multiple occupation laws and are supplied with appropriate facilities.

So far the authority has revoked the licences of 49 gangmasters, 15 of whom provided substandard accommodation.

The GLA was established after the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in 2004.

GLA head of projects Neil Court said safety and overcrowding were among the most common issues dealt with. ‘Most gangmasters take out a business lease on properties and place migrant workers in there. Local authorities need to be aware of these kinds of business lets, especially larger houses being let to large amounts of migrant workers, because some of these are subject to HMO legislation.’ - full article