As workers’ rights enters the election campaign, experts at Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX) today welcomed interest in this area and called on all political parties to do more to address labour exploitation in the UK. News that the Conservative manifesto will make pledges to improve workers’ rights is welcomed by FLEX, who have called for all parties to make commitments to ensure the protection of workers as the UK exits the EU.

Labour has pledged to ban zero hours contracts and the Conservatives promise improved rights for workers in the gig economy. In order to really ensure that workers are protected in the workplace, the next government must closely review employment relationships which render workers vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. FLEX looks forward to the outcome of the modern employment review and hopes that findings will seek to extend rights to all workers in the UK’s increasingly flexible labour market.

It is vital that promises on workers’ rights made during the election campaign are backed up by fully resourced, labour-market-wide inspection and enforcement to combat widespread labour abuses and prevent labour exploitation.