Many issues in a person's life can impact on their experience of work and their capacity to organize and advocate for themselves. The multifaceted states of precarity experienced by many migrants can lead to acceptance of conditions of exploitation, and this has been argued by some to make migrants hard to organize, and even to lead migrant labour to become so pliable that it ‘greases the wheels of the flexible labour market’. Però argues that a critical factor in the success of some of the smaller ‘indie’ unions in organizing such workers has been their careful attention to the economic, legal, social and cultural precarity of workers’ lives, responding through means such as translations, legal advice and the active involvement of members in leadership, decision making and self-representation. This chapter explores these issues at BHX4, considering workers’ wider conditions of life, including the distinctive challenges facing those with migrant or refugee backgrounds, and how the GMB responded.

Challenges in responding to workers’ needs and concerns

This section discusses challenges that arose at BHX4 for addressing workers’ diverse needs and concerns, focusing on issues that emerged concerning immigration status, English-language provision, health and family life.

As has already been noted in earlier chapters, the BHX4 workforce was highly diverse by nationality, race and immigration status.