The
TUC is signing an agreement with a European trade union on Thursday to increase
the number of UK-based Portuguese workers with union representation.
There
are over 21,000 Portuguese in the UK, mainly working in the hotel and catering
industries, that don’t belong to a trade union and have little knowledge of
their rights.
The
TUC hopes that its tie up deal with CGTP-IN will see more Portuguese workers
join trade unions.
The
union plans to provide them with information in English and Portuguese as well
as Anglo-Portuguese cultural events.
“The
majority of Portuguese people working in the UK don’t belong to trade unions.
Problems with language and the temporary nature of much of the work means that
they are often unaware of their rights, and as a result can be treated very
badly by their UK bosses,” said TUC general secretary John Monks.
By
Paul Nelson
