The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority

The Gangmasters Labour and Abuse Authority (GLAA) (previously the Gangmasters Licensing Authority) was set up in 2005 following the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster in which 21 Chinese undocumented migrant labourers tragically drowned. Originally part of DEFRA, the GLAA is now part of the Home Office. The GLAA began life as a licensing and inspection body limited to specific sectors. However, in May 2017, the GLAA was given new powers to investigate labour abuse allegations across the entire UK labour market. GLAA labour abuse prevention officers can investigate labour market offences, including slavery, arrest suspects, enter premises, carry out searches and seize evidence.

However, the GLAA’s licensing and inspection function remains limited to the following sectors: agriculture; horticulture; shellfish gathering; and any associated processing and packaging.

A consultation on extending the scheme to other sectors closed in October 2019. Trade unions strongly support extending the scheme to other sectors where workers are at risk of exploitation, including social care, construction and contract cleaning. They strongly oppose its watering down and the use of any sort of voluntary certification system. A recommendation by the director of labour market strategy for a council-led licensing scheme for hand car washes has not been carried forward.

A searchable public register of licensed operators is available on the GLAA website: www.gla.gov.uk. Information about suspected labour offences can be emailed in confidence to the GLAA’s intelligence team at [email protected].