International Recruitment Charter

Due to on-going significant workforce challenges in radiography and many other professions international recruitment is being utilised more frequently to plug the widening workforce gap and deal with increasing levels of vacancies. In the UK we are seeing alarming figures of international recruits being mistreated in hostile environments and exploited. Unions regularly find examples of employers threatening to recover visa fees and travel costs or holding recruits to bogus training fees. Some private sector employers have added exceptionally long notice periods and or extended probation periods into overseas recruits’ contracts. This can be on the top of long hours and poor conditions expected of all professionals in the system. We want to ensure that Northern Ireland/Ireland is a welcoming place for all international recruits and to ensure that they are provided with safe and professional work environments that promote equality and diversity.

Conference calls on ICTU to:

1. Develop and publish a charter for overseas recruits into health and social care
2. Name and challenge employers in the public and private sector who fail to meet these standards.
3. Challenge the Home Office to remove the right to sponsor visas from any employer who is found to abuse overseas workers with modern slavery clauses or practises.
4. Develop materials and training to mainstream challenging equality and racism into all rep work.
5. support unions developing equality reps to champion anti-racism in workplaces.