Plymouth MP calls for an end to 'cheap foreign labour' undercutting local wages
A Plymouth MP has called on the Government to stop businesses "harvesting" cheap foreign labour that is fuelling resentment among workers who see their wages being "undercut".
Alison Seabeck, Labour MP for Plymouth Moor View, said immigrants "contribute significantly" but criticised agents who "dishonestly" tempt overseas workers to Britain.
Ms Seabeck, speaking in a debate on the Queen's Speech that she claimed failed to address immigration fears, cited an unnamed South West taxi firm "harvesting people from overseas" when there were local drivers to fill the posts.
She demanded Government action to tackle cheap imported labour that is the "root of the problem that many people see with immigration".
The South West has witnessed a comparitively small influx of migrant workers, chiefly as a result of its distance from major centres of activity, but the region does rely on foreign labour in sectors including tourism and farming.
Ms Seabeck told MPs the lack of affordable homes and the undercutting of wages was feeding into the concerns of voters that was "all too evident in the run-up to the last set of elections".
UKIP's anti-immigration message helped it top the polls in the European elections and increase its share of local councillors, including three seats in Plymouth. Nigel Farage has identified Plymouth as a target in the general election.
Ms Seabeck argued the "nitty-gritty of people's lives has largely been ignored" by the Government's legislative programme for the next year.
Arguing immigrants are seen as "somebody to blame" during tough times when people are "walking through treacle", she made clear that they are not responsible "for all our ills".
She pointed to the benefits of foreign students attending the city's two universities who are paying for courses, rent and services, and paying tax, but that it is "disheartening" they are sometimes seen as "more of a problem".
But Ms Seaback called for the Government to "target those who bring workers into the UK and undercut local workers in terms of salaries and conditions", which is not tackled in a Bill to crackdown on human trafficking.
She went on: "They are the agents and others who are actively recruiting people, and dishonestly telling them that they have a job and accommodation.
"Quite frankly, too little is known about where these people operate, where they are coming from and where they are housing and employing some of the people they ship into this country.
"I have been told that in Plymouth and the South West there is a taxi firm that employs drivers in the EU. We would think, 'Okay, that's fine, they're from the EU. That shouldn't be a problem'.
"However, that firm is training those drivers in the EU and then bringing them to the UK.
"It is not clear how and where the vetting is done or what is the source of the information, which is vital for the safety of passengers, particularly women. Would it be considered adequate in the UK?"
She added: "Frankly, I find it extraordinary that an employer would have to go overseas to find cab drivers, because there are people here who would very willingly do the work. Of course, the reason is startlingly simple: they can get the labour cheaper. That is the root of the problem that many people see with immigration."
She said Labour would "put a stop to this type of practice", adding: "If we can deal with the undercutting of wages, we will go a long way towards cutting out the benefits that some employers see in harvesting people from overseas and bringing them here to work."
Ms Seabeck also wants more stringent controls when visas expire so workers can be "properly counted in and out".
"It is all the unknowns – the areas where information is not fully available and the facts are unknown – that naturally fuel people's fears and insecurities," she said. "Why should the people of Plymouth have to rely on vague and inaccurate information about what is happening in their area?"
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http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Plymout ... z34Pvikx6m
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