The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) has taken decisive action against Adept and Agile, a Nepali recruitment agency, by revoking its license. This move comes after a thorough investigation revealed that the agency was involved in charging workers exorbitant job-finding fees before their arrival in the UK1.
Adept and Agile had previously been suspended by the GLAA earlier this year due to suspicions of exploiting workers. The directors, Pravin Rimal and Resham Gurung, faced a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order for allegedly charging recruitment fees as high as £13,0001. Despite denials from the directors, over 100 workers confirmed they had paid these hefty sums to secure work in the UK, directly contradicting the GLAA’s licensing standards which explicitly ban such fees1.
The workers were also instructed to keep these payments secret, under threat of being sent back to Nepal if they spoke out. This case highlights the critical issues surrounding labor exploitation and the importance of stringent regulations to protect vulnerable workers from such predatory practices1.
For a deeper insight into this alarming situation and the measures being taken to combat labor abuse, read the full report on The Kathmandu Post.