Migrant Labour in Greater Colchester

The Project

The project aims to map the nature and extent of the phenomena of migrant labour in the greater Colchester area, particularly in the fruit, vegetable, and salad farms. The project will involve desk research and field research visiting local farms and agricultural businesses in the local area. Given the coalition government's policy to cap labour mobility, the objective of the research is to examine the net flow of labour, the average wage, the working conditions, and other key economic dimensions of the phenomena. The ultimate aim is to examine the implications for the UK obligations under the ICESCR and other relevant international and European human rights legislation.

Progress

The project has developed through both field and desk research. In the field interviews have been conducted with local farmers about the labour conditions of their seasonal workers, who are Eastern European immigrants employed under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme visa provided by the British government. As part of the desk research the project team is comparing the local legislation regulating those visas with international labor standards such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Union (EU) legislation. In the following months the team plans to return to the field and interview the workers in person, who should be arriving in the country for their period of work in the farms.

Partner Organisation

Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (IDCR)

Supervisor

Professor Todd Landman

Coordinator

Cornelia Epuras

Student Team

Pinar Canga, Nilda Carkanat, Yuka Koyano, Dicle Uca