Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111

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CSSA welcomes new online visa check tool

The Cleaning & Support Services Association has welcomed the announcement of a new visa check system that will allow employers to verify migrants' visa status online.

The scheme, which will be operational from early 2012, will help companies that hire migrant workers avoid the large fines imposed for employing workers who have forged or invalid work permits.

"This is definitely a positive signal from the UK Border Agency and it shows that it is interested in offering better support for businesses," says Andrew Large, Chief Executive of the CSSA.

"The CSSA has long argued that government policy towards migrant workers places too much responsibility on employers and not enough on the UK Borders Agency, with the increasing complexity of forgeries making it very difficult for companies to ensure that they always obey the law.

"In addition to this, the heavy fines in place for companies that employ illegal workers, even unknowingly, are a serious operational hazard for companies during difficult economic times.

"An online tool that could help cleaning contractors only employ workers who have the right to work in the UK, will be warmly welcomed by the cleaning industry."

The Cleaning & Support Services Association is the UK trade association for the contract cleaning sector. Founded in 1967, it represents businesses that account for 70% of the turnover in the UK contract cleaning sector and employ approximately 275,000 staff.

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8th December 2011