Construction union UCATT are renewing their calls for the Gangmasters Act to be extended to construction after an investigation by The Observer newspaper revealed that workers on the East London line extension were being exploited.

The Observer discovered that a group of workers employed for a period of a year on the East London Line extension were being paid just £50 a day, far below industry minimum rates, while their gangmaster made excessive profits.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "The level of exploitation occurring on the East London Line was outrageous. It is very disturbing that this level of abuse went unchecked for such a long time. The highly fragmentated nature of the construction industry allows principal contractors, to turn a blind eye, about the working conditions on their sites."


UCATT have long campaigned for the extension of the Gangmasters Licensing Act to cover the construction industry. If the Act were extended Gangmasters and employment agencies could only supply labour once they had met a series of minimum conditions, including checks concerning financial probity and health and safety. The Gangmasters act currently only covers agriculture, food processing, shellfish collection and forestry.

Mr Ritchie, added: "Sadly until the Gangmasters Act is extended to the construction industry, unscrupulous employers will continue to be able to exploit their workforce."

(CD/GK)