Reuters
Polls show immigration is a top voter concern ahead of a national election in May, and both Labour and Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives have unveiled policies aimed at halting the surge in popularity of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (Ukip), which wants to curb immigration.
“When people can be exploited for low wages or endangered at work, it drags the whole system down, undercutting the pay and conditions of local workers,” Miliband told a question and answer session with voters in eastern England.
“We are serving notice on employers who bring workers here under duress or on false terms and pay them significantly lower wages, with worse terms and conditions. We will make it a criminal offence to undercut pay or conditions by exploiting migrant workers.”
Labour, which most opinion polls put either neck-and-neck with the Conservatives or slightly ahead, has also said it plans to increase fines for firms who do not abide by the national minimum wage and ban recruitment agencies hiring only from abroad.
Data published by the International Labour Organisation this month showed that migrants earn 8.4% less than British citizens on average, despite being very nearly as well educated, experienced and productive.
Labour’s push on immigration was overshadowed, however, after an election strategy document on tackling the threat of Ukip was leaked to a national newspaper.
The document said it would be “unhelpful” in some cases to raise the issue of immigration with voters, saying activists should “listen carefully” to voter concerns on immigration before “moving the conversation on” to how Labour would tackle wider issues such as housing and healthcare.
When asked about the document, Miliband, who came under fire for forgetting to mention immigration during his keynote speech to his party’s annual conference in September, described it as “not very well drafted language, out of context”.
“There can be no doubt about where we stand on this issue. We think this is an important issue and an issue we are going to talk about,” he said.
