BRITAIN: The Blair government is coming under mounting cross-party pressure to crack down on rogue employers who exploit migrant workers in the continuing fallout from the Morecambe Bay tragedy, writes Frank Millar in London
Former minister and now chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mr John Denham, says they should be treated like drug dealers and other criminals who face the seizure of their assets and profits under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Meanwhile a fishing boss arrested in connection with the deaths of 19 Chinese cockle pickers nine days ago, has protested he is being scapegoated for the tragedy, while the Commons Environment Committee has decided to reopen its inquiry into possible action against "gangmasters". At the same time Britain's main construction union, UCATT, said it was launching a campaign to expose gangmasters exploiting cheap migrant workers - a problem it described as rife on building sites across the country as well as in the cockle industry and in agriculture.
Mr David Eden (33), a director of the Liverpool Bay Fishing Company - who with his father is on police bail after being held on suspicion of manslaughter - told a press conference near his Wirral home yesterday he was "angry and upset" at "being made a scapegoat" while criticising the fishing ministry because, he said, the Chinese workers had permits.
Mr Eden - who categorically denies acting as a gangmaster, having ever been to Morecambe Bay or having played any role in the organisation, employment or disciplining of the Chinese cockle pickers - also claimed the workers had been subject to racial attacks for working in the area and that police had failed to protect them.
Mr Eden said: "Four weeks ago I was approached by a Chinese national who asked if I was interested in buying cockles from him. We negotiated a price, the price was £15 a bag.
"This was in excess of the price a British person was being paid for cockles. There is no question of exploitation."
Clearly surprised by news of Mr Eden's press conference, Lancashire Police issued a statement describing their ongoing inquiry as complex and sensitive and suggesting it would be inappropriate for Mr Eden to try to pre-empt it.
As the political fallout continued, meanwhile, the need to protect migrant workers - both legal and illegal - was moving up the political agenda.
Conservative MP and former cabinet minister Mrs Gillian Shepherd said they faced "appalling exploitation" and were often left to survive on "slave wages". Even where the workers were legal, from countries such as Portugal, said Mrs Shepherd, they were intimidated by employers and blocked from seeking their rights.
Liberal Democrat MP Mr Colin Breed said the government had been "breathtakingly complacent" about addressing the problem of rogue gangmasters.