LMEUs served in West Midlands

Two individuals have been prevented from supplying workers without a licence in separate investigations by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) in the West Midlands.

Labour Market Enforcement Undertakings (LMEUs) have been served by GLAA investigators to a 51-year-old Bulgarian woman living in Telford and 21-year-old Romanian man in Evesham.

Both investigations, although unconnected, relate to the food processing sector.

The LMEUs have been signed by the individuals and will remain in place for two years for the woman and one year for the man.

GLAA Director of Operations Ian Waterfield said: "The Gangmasters (Licensing) Act requires individuals to have a licence with us if they want to provide workers in our regulated sectors of agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering, food processing and packaging.

"When we suspect someone is not following the regulations, we have a range of legal powers available to us, including LMEUs, which allows us to protect vulnerable workers at risk of exploitation."

LMEUs were introduced in November 2016 as part of the Immigration Act and can be imposed when someone breaches the law. The undertakings feature a signed agreement to comply with the GLAA and its rules.

The GLAA currently has 14 active LMEUs along with the UK's first Labour Market Enforcement Order (LMEO) which was handed to a couple who supplied workers to food factories in Leicester without a licence.

If you suspect someone has been exploited, contact the GLAA's intelligence team on 0800 4320804 or email intelligence@gla.gov.uk