The TUC is today heading for Poland to encourage thousands of workers attending a jobs fair to find out about UK employment law and union membership before they set off for the UK in search of work.
The TUC delegation will attend the British Days Jobfair in Warsaw, which is being run by Jobcentre Plus as part of the European Year of Workers’ Mobility.
About 30 major UK employers, including Tesco, First Group, and the Jurys Doyle and Macdonald hotel groups, are expected to attend to encourage Polish nationals to apply for current vacancies in the UK.
The TUC plans to use the two-day fair to advise Polish jobseekers about how to survive working in the UK, and speak to the employers in attendance about how they can get the best from their prospective Polish employees.
Its delegates will also be handing out leaflets to Polish jobseekers about rights in the workplace, including information about the minimum wage, working time regulations and joining a union.
Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, said: “It’s vital that Poles and other migrant workers know their rights before they come to work in the UK. Otherwise they risk becoming sitting ducks for employers who delight in making money out of exploiting vulnerable workers.”
The Jobcentre Plus event is expecting more than 10,000 visitors during the two-day event.
