Member

The noble Baroness, Lady O’Grady, who has signed this amendment, wanted to be here this evening. We did not anticipate that it would clash with the TUC conference, which is where she is in her role as a previous general secretary. I will of course not read her whole speech, but she would have said that the key lesson she has taken from her experience as a trade unionist and as chair of the committee on modern slavery of your Lordships’ House is that policymakers must listen to the workers who are at the sharp end of the labour market and do everything we can to protect their interests. She says that she personally has heard from women forced to sleep on a mattress in the kitchen and who are under instruction from their employers never to leave their workplace, often isolated in big houses in London’s most affluent postcodes. I have heard from some of them as well, and they are in a particularly difficult position because they are so isolated. In addition to what I have just said, in practice, the exploitation means no access to your own passport, not being paid regularly, not having your own bedroom or private space and not being allowed to leave your workplace.