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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · 8d

Really proud of this work by @workersupportc.bsky.social its been developed with workers, built on evidence and centred on changing the system.

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · 8d

🌱 Who wants to work a 12-hour day and be paid for eight?

No one, yet we found widespread underpayment of seasonal farm workers.

So we're
💻 calling for policy change &
📝 equipping workers with tools to evidence time & pay.

Check our our new post!
workersupportcentre.org.uk/2025/10/02/m...

Making sure all farm workers are paid for the hours they work – Worker Support Centre

Launching our brand new guide: Know your rights and evidence your work.

workersupportcentre.org.uk

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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · 11d

From workers highlighting horrific housing conditions to last week's Scottish Parliament discussion on how to address the gap in oversight.

This gap affects @ 45,000 people who come to pick our fruit & veg annually (who spend 20% of their wage on housing)

Read @workersupportc.bsky.social blog ⬇️

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · 16d

🏡 New WSC blog: Housing

Many seasonal farm workers live in cold, unsafe caravans without legal protections.

Last night Cab Sec for Housing,
@mairimcallan.bsky.social
confirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to closing this gap.

Read our response!
workersupportcentre.org.uk/resources/on...

One year of action by and for workers on seasonal worker housing – Worker Support Centre

workersupportcentre.org.uk

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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · 29d

It was incredibly exciting to launch this news yesterday.
🤝 our essential work with care workers
💻 our new website [www.workersupportcentre.org.uk]..&
⛰️ our new office in Perth, the Fair City!

I'm super proud of our team & whats been achieved & excited for the next step in our journey.

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · Sep 10

Today we're proud to share 3 major milestones:
🤝 Launching our new Worker Power stream, standing in solidarity with carers who've come to the UK to look after our loved ones.
🌱 A brand new website & look - link in bio!
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Opening our new office in Perth, in the heart of Scotland.

Big news from WSC: Standing in solidarity with the workers who care for us – Worker Support Centre

The Worker Support Centre is really proud to make three big announcements today. We believe …

workersupportcentre.org.uk

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · Jul 30

Today #worlddayagainsttrafficking Scottish Government published their new Trafficking & Exploitation Strategy,with prevention at its core.

Read our statement welcoming this new approach, which could represent a significant step forward for Scotland.

workersupportcentre.org.uk/wsc-welcomes...

WSC welcomes new Scottish Government Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy | Worker Support Centre

workersupportcentre.org.uk

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · Jul 28

Seasonal agricultural workers reported wage theft & widespread payslip confusion in 2024, we partnered with workers to highlight this issue.

So we're pleased that the UK Director of Labour Market Enforcement has now committed to a review on payslips
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68779f...

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

United Farm Workers @ufw.bsky.social · Jun 24

"Rosa" harvests strawberry in Santa Maria, CA: We work piece rate and I get paid $2.50/box. I work very fast as I have to pack a lot of boxes each day to earn enough to pay my rent and bills. It's a very tiring job. #WeFeedYou

A Santa Maria California strawberry field where workers are harvesting the berries

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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · Jun 3

Much to say about this report considering legal costs to workers of the Seasonal Worker visa. A couple:
1. Its focus is far too narrow when we know so many are paying illegal costs & fees;
2. Without effective labour market enforcement we've no way of ensuring EPP won't be passed on to workers.

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · Jun 3

New by @mellino.bsky.social UK Gvt commissioned report explores "Employer Pays Principle" for agricultural worker recruitment costs.

WSC Director @carolinerobinson.bsky.social
"raised concerns that some of the report’s proposals, like introducing a loan system, could in fact worsen exploitation"

Emiliano Mellino @mellino.bsky.social · Jun 3

And on our site: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · May 22

This Tuesday @ariane-burgess.bsky.social shared WSC cases of unsafe agricultural worker accommodation in the Scottish Parliament.

Her amendment to the Housing Bill tried to tackle lack of oversight of this housing.

Scottish Government says its addressing this.

We look forward to hearing how.

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Migrant Voice @migrantvoice.bsky.social · May 2

We are thrilled to launch the digital version of our new special edition Migrant Voice newspaper. We are sharing the first hand experiences of migrants, on a wide range of topics.
www.migrantvoice.org/home/pagenew...

Migrant Voice: special publication launched

A one-off Migrant Voice newspaper delivered to selected MPs and other opinion-makers is now available here.

www.migrantvoice.org

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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · May 1

I observed three main problems [...]: firstly [..] farms calculating hours in a way that served them; secondly there were major barriers for workers moving from one farm to another, the “transfer process”; and thirdly some farms had a poor attitude towards seasonal workers.

Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · May 1

This International Workers' Day Kevin (chosen pseudonym) writes with such insight on this visa:

"I was transported to work on other farms. The treatment on some of those farms was much better, but my employment was tied so I was unable to move without a transfer."

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · May 1

Pleased to celebrate International Workers Day with the publication of an article by a real champion of workers' rights.

Kevin (chosen pseudonym) spent 6 months in Scotland as a seasonal agricultural worker in 2024 & shares his experience & analysis in SLR:
scottishleftreview.scot/picking-with...

Picking Without Freedom: The Struggle of Seasonal Workers

Kevin, a seasonal agricultural worker from Uzbekistan, and Caroline Robinson of the Workers' Support Centre, are pioneering a new model for building workers' power.

scottishleftreview.scot

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · May 1

Pleased to celebrate International Workers Day with the publication of an article by a real champion of workers' rights.

Kevin (chosen pseudonym) spent 6 months in Scotland as a seasonal agricultural worker in 2024 & shares his experience & analysis in SLR:
scottishleftreview.scot/picking-with...

Picking Without Freedom: The Struggle of Seasonal Workers

Kevin, a seasonal agricultural worker from Uzbekistan, and Caroline Robinson of the Workers' Support Centre, are pioneering a new model for building workers' power.

scottishleftreview.scot

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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · Apr 28

Not only was it lovely working with the incredible Nita Prasad & Alfie Gordo again who shaped the concept so carefully, but it was so fascinating to hear about the incredible work of GAATW members and allies globally to seek justice, formally & informally, with & for women migrants.

Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · Apr 28

I was very pleased to be part of this cross-membership project by @gaatw-is.bsky.social this winter, the inaugural edition of a new GAATW Annual Publication launched earlier this month.

This first ever edition (of many) considers:
(In)formal pathways to justice

www.gaatw.org/images/2025/...

www.gaatw.org

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Maggie Chapman MSP (she/her) @maggiechapman.bsky.social · Apr 24

We can't create a better future without understanding our past.

Congrats to the @oneworldcentre.bsky.social for their hard work creating the Breaking the Chains Slavery Trail.

It informs us of Dundee's history with slavery, while also connecting us to local & global justice issues ✊

Multiple leaflets overlap each other in this image, each of them white with a light tan-brown header and footer. The heading says "Breaking the Chains: Making Connections" with information about the newly created slavery trail below.

Light blue graphic with dark green geometric shapes on the left border. In the bottom left corner is an image of Maggie smiling widely. She has white skin, grey cropped hair, wearing a black scoop necked top and plain silver necklace. As the content does not fit in this alt text, you can read the motion text by going to the 'Votes and Motions' search on the Scottish Parliament website and inserting S6M-17209 as the motion reference into the search.

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Interregnum @intrrgum.bsky.social · Apr 15

Find us in Glasgow (9th May) and in London (12th May) for the launch of The Precarious Migrant Worker! @politybooks.bsky.social

More info here: interregnum.ghost.io/book-launch-...

Book launch: The Precarious Migrant Worker, Polity (Glasgow and London)

In the desert of neoliberal precarity, how do we struggle? We invite you to the book launches for The Precarious Migrant Worker: The Socialization of Precarity, taking place in Glasgow (9th of May 202...

interregnum.ghost.io

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women @gaatw-is.bsky.social · Apr 8

2/2 Issue #1: (In)formal Pathways to Justice
It explores how migrant & trafficked individuals seek justice—through both formal systems & informal avenues. Read it & share your thoughts: gaatw.org/resources/pu...

Reframing Narratives: Anti-trafficking from the ground up - The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)

This is the website of GAATW - the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women - a network of over 80 organisations worldwide, working to ensure that the human rig

gaatw.org

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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · Mar 13

Really interesting findings from Valeria Ragni on pay, looking into payslips from 11 farms employing workers on the UK Seasonal Worker visa.

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · Mar 13

Have you seen our new blog on PAY?

54 seasonal agricultural workers reported non-payment of wages to us in 2024 & so WSC's Valeria Ragni reviewed 38 payslips from 11 different farms to see whether workers' time was accounted for.

This is what she found:

workersupportcentre.org.uk/time-to-make...

Time to make work pay | Worker Support Centre

workersupportcentre.org.uk

Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · Feb 24

New Observer article from @everebecca.bsky.social on the seasonal agricultural workers that weren't paid for hours worked last year & confusion around hourly vs piece pay.

www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Worker Support Centre helped 99 workers with pay issues last year, here's what we found:

‘Exploited’ migrant farm workers in UK paid for picks, not hours

Call for investigation into unfair payment for labourers on seasonal visa scheme

www.theguardian.com

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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · Feb 21

This sounds super interesting!

Hannah Lewis @hannahjlewis.bsky.social · Feb 18

...: the Socialisation of Precarity @politybooks.bsky.social which looks certain to be an essential handbook to both decode neoliberal atomisation of worker solidarities & 'building up' workers' rejection of class injustice. I can't wait for that www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...

www.politybooks.com

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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · Feb 14

New BBC report on @workersupportc.bsky.social work out today!

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · Feb 14

Thanks BBC for covering the 703 cases and enquiries that we worked on in relation to seasonal agricultural work in 2024!

Issues workers reported include:
Restriction of workers movement
Non-payment of wages
Unsafe housing
Health & safety hazards

Read more here ⬇️
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article....

More migrant workers seek help over UK farm exploitation claims

The UK government says it always takes

www.bbc.co.uk

Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · Jan 9

Super interesting themes Deirdre!! Will follow this with interest.

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Darren Newman @daznewman.bsky.social · Jan 9

Following up on the written evidence to the Commons Committee on the Employment Rights Bill from @thebigbogg.bsky.social I've had a few more thoughts!
rangeofreasonableresponses.com/2025/01/09/m...

More thoughts on “Fire and Rehire”

Back in November I wrote about the Employment Rights Bill and its proposal to ban the practice of ‘fire and rehire’. I suggested that the very narrow ‘financial difficulties’ exception that the Bil…

rangeofreasonableresponses.com

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Caroline Robinson @carolinerobinson.bsky.social · Jan 8

New article in @lemonde.fr on experiences of workers on UK Seasonal Worker visa in agriculture inc. important testimony from workers.

I spoke about @workersupportc.bsky.social 2024 findings on under-payment-workers reporting 12 hrs daily work with just 7-8 hrs pay.

www.lemonde.fr/economie/art...

Le cauchemar des migrants employés dans les fermes britanniques

Pour remplacer les ouvriers agricoles européens chassés par le Brexit, le Royaume-Uni recrute en Indonésie, au Népal et en Asie centrale. A l’arrivée, ces travailleurs, qui se sont souvent endettés po...

www.lemonde.fr

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Reposted by Caroline Robinson

Worker Support Centre @workersupportc.bsky.social · Jan 8

New Year New Job!

WSC is advertising 3 exciting new roles.

Policy and Participation Officer
Peer Engagement Officer (Agriculture)
Peer Engagement Caseworker (Care)

Come and join us as we grow our reach and build worker power to prevent exploitation.

workersupportcentre.org.uk/wsc-is-recru...

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