Government agency tasked with protecting vulnerable workers has had half its funding cut, says Labour

 

 

The government agency responsible for protecting workers from being exploited by their employers has had more than half its funding cut since the Conservatives came to power, according to a new study.

Now Labour is demanding that Theresa May put her call for responsible capitalism into practice by restoring the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) to its former size.

According to the government’s website the EAS works with agencies, employers and workers to make sure that employment rights are complied with, particularly for vulnerable workers.

But according to the Labour Party, its budget has been cut by 53 per cent in six years, bringing it down to £500,000 a year, and it now has the equivalent of nine full time staff, a cut of 70 per cent over the same period.