Construction union UCATT have welcomed comments made by Paul Whitehouse, Chairman of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), that all sectors of the British economy should be regulated by his organisation.

UCATT are campaigning for the Gangmasters Licensing Act to be extended to the construction industry, the sector has seen a huge increase in labour only employment agencies in recent years. This has been fuelled by increased casualisation in the industry and the large number of eastern European migrant workers.

The GLA was established in 2005 and it only has powers to licence gangmasters in the agriculture, food processing and shellfish collection sectors. All other sectors including construction are unregulated and there are very few checks and balances on who can become a gangmaster.

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Speaking on the Today programme Mr Whitehouse, said: "I have absolutely no doubt the Government passed the law in order for people not to be exploited. I can't see why if you work in one area you should be protected but not in another."

Mr Whitehouse also explained that currently if his organisation stripped a gangmaster of their licence and they continued to operate unfairly in other unlicensed sectors there is nothing the GLA can do. He said: "Sometimes we find them [gangmasters] still operating but not in our sector we have no power to check if they are breaking employment laws."

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "We welcome Paul Whitehouse's comments. Workers will continue to be exploited by gangmasters until universal licensing is introduced. There has been a massive increase in ganged labour in construction; my officials have unearthed many shocking abuses. The Government must act to extend the GLA’s remit to first the construction industry and then all other sectors."

(CD/JM)