'Migrant and Refugee Worker Appeal ' Appeal 2005-6

New LHC migrant and refugee worker project

Abuse of employment rights (including health & safety) is commonplace amongst refugees and migrant workers. They can get rates of pay less than the minimum wage and endure long and illegal working hours. Accidents and injuries have always been high amongst this group of workers as the Morecambe Bay and other tragedies have highlighted.

The London Hazards Centre has launched a new project that will:

· Address the health, safety and welfare of refugee and migrant workers in London who are concentrated in low paid, dangerous and insecure jobs.

· Ensure that refugee and migrant workers know the range of potential health risks associated with their work.

· Tell refugee and migrant workers of their rights under health and safety and employment legislation.

· Create a user group steering committee.

We will work with refugees and migrant workers, employed or seeking employment in low paid and insecure jobs. e.g. construction, catering, factory work and health care.
Via a series of briefings and advice sessions across London we will provide understandable information about employment rights and alert people to the life dangers that exist in the workplace. We hope to work closely with trade unions, union branches, workplaces, education providers and voluntary sector organisations to get the information and organisation to where it is needed.

Appeal for extra funding

We carried out a survey early last year that showed that refugee and mainstream organisations clearly see the need for this project and want to work with LHC in delivering it. We have managed to secure a small grant to do this work from the City Parochial Foundation BUT we didn't get enough money to fully implement the project and so we are seeking additional funding.

This is your chance to do something about the exploitation of migrant and refugee workers. Please consider making a donation to ensure we have a chance to do this work as thoroughly as we originally planned.
Please make all cheques payable to "London Hazards Centre" and send them to us at 213 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4QP.

You can also help by

• Considering a donation by standing order (thank you to everyone who already does this)
• Ensuring your branch/organisation is affiliated to the Centre

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