The Commission on Vulnerable Employment recently met with workers and staff from across London. They heard from Eastern European migrants who had received support from The Upper Room, a charity supporting people with experience of homelessness. One respondent had worked for an agency in a seaside resort outside of London - after being driven to the hotel her group was left with no food or money, and were forced to steal so that they could feed themselves.

At Kalayaan the Commission met with migrant domestic workers who had experienced extreme exploitation. This included being paid nothing for their work or significantly less than the National Minimum Wage; working shifts of over twelve hours with no rest breaks; and being denied any personal space in the houses they worked in, including being accommodated on sofa beds in their employers’ bed rooms. Some had experienced physical and sexual abuse.

The Commission also held a round table discussion event with representatives from the Citizens Advice Bureau, Praxis, JCWI, London Citizens, Transport for London, Refugee Council, St Mungos, The Portuguese Workers Association, and BECTU.

Workers from The Migrants Resource Centre, Groundswell, St Giles Trust and Praxis were also involved in the day.

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