Guests we can't do without

摘要

The government is to opt out of a proposed EU directive that would strengthen the penalty for employing anyone not eligible to work in the UK. The CBI sounded the alarm over these proposals over the summer, arguing that they would have a "far-reaching and damaging effect on the UK labour market". It feared UK businesses would be hit by heavy penalties, taxes and fines. The most draconian measure proposed was that those who knowingly employ migrants illegally would face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine. Illegal working has been a perennial issue for the construction industry. In 2006 a Chartered Institute of Building survey of more than 1,400 construction professionals concluded that three in four (76%) of respondents regarded the employment of illegal workers as widespread in the UK.