“UK government unwilling to crack down on illegal car washes”
The Car Wash Association (CWA) has reacted after recent disturbing data by the Home Office on labor exploitation surfaced. “It is disappointing that even in the face of blatant violations of the law, the Government is still unwilling to crack down on illegal hand car wash operators”, CWA-chairman Brian Madderson said.
Data from the Illegal Immigration Unit at the Home Office showed that 78 hand car washes across the UK had been fined a total of nearly £1.5 million for ‘right to work’ offenses in the first nine months of 2023.
Impunity
The so-called non-compliant hand car wash (HCW) operators are estimated by the police to account for 80 per cent of all HCWs in the UK. According to the CWA non-compliance can take many forms. From breaches of environmental regulations to non-payment of tax, to labor abuse including failure to pay the minimum wage and forcing workers to endure dangerous working conditions.
“These non-compliant hand car washes flout the law with impunity and are continually empowered by the authorities’ lack of enforcement”, Madderson said. “Whether born from unwillingness or inability, the failure to act signals to criminals that they can violate workers’ rights without legal repercussions.”
Big turnover
Hand car washes are commonplace in streets and communities across the UK, with estimates ranging from 8,000 to 20,000 locations, with annual turnover in 2022 estimated to be £1.8 billion. The HCW industry has been identified as a high-risk sector for labor abuse. The workforce can include illegal migrants who have been trafficked to the UK.
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