The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority



The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (now renamed the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA)) was set up in 2005, in the aftermath of the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster, in which at least 21 Chinese undocumented migrant labourers were tragically drowned.


In its original form, the GLA was a tripartite body with representatives of employers, labour providers, retailers, trade unions and the government, all of whom played an active role at board level. Subsequent changes undermined the representativeness of the GLA board and ended its tripartite structure, and since 2014, no trade union representatives have sat on the board. Instead, unions sit on a Worker/NGO Liaison Group, which assists the board in carrying out its functions.


Originally part of DEFRA, the GLAA is now part of the Home Office.


The GLAA operates a licensing and inspection regime in the following sectors: agriculture; horticulture;
shellfish gathering; and
associated processing and packaging. A searchable public register of licensed operators is available on its website.


Significant changes have recently been made to the scope and functions of the renamed GLAA. Here are the main changes, enacted under the Immigration Act 2016:


• The GLAA has been placed under the overall supervision of the new Director of Labour Enforcement (see page 75).


• The GLAA has been given new powers to investigate labour abuse allegations across the entire UK labour market, instead of being limited to specific sectors. However, the licensing regime has not been extended and remains limited to the sectors listed above.


• There are now Labour Abuse Prevention Officers – a new role with powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to investigate labour market offences.


• A new information Hub is to provide strategic assessment of labour exploitation and new risks.


The transition to the renamed GLAA is scheduled for May 2017. Unions have welcomed its extended remit to other sectors, even without the extension of the licensing function, but the extra powers do not come with extra resources, and the GLAA has already suffered large budget cuts since 2010. There are also fears that the move of the GLAA to the Home Office may shift its focus towards immigration and illegal working, rather than worker exploitation, and that vulnerable workers will be deterred from coming forward. There is information about the powers and activities of the GLAA on their webpage: www.gla.gov.uk.