Would be interested to know what this bill was and what was proposed ?
I thought councils already checked/inspected working conditions via environmental health department and a union member can also request an inspection be carried out by his/her union ?
Enforcement of minimum wage is down to HMRC ?Not sure how a council could enforce it any better?
Illegal workers,presume this is dealt with by Immigration Enforcement.

I doubt these places are unionised

2017 Parliamentary Review of Human Rights Within Business. I bet you can see which two words made this review unpalatable to the government.

Thanks for that Scarlet,only scanned through it,but some very interesting points.
Can see the inquiry recommended government give more powers to local authorities.

Personally not convinced,whether powers sit at National or local level would make any difference.
Also found it a little bothering that Leicester local authority have been aware of problems for years now,but not used the enforcement powers they already have with regards poor working conditions.
I just can't see any straight forward solution to the problem around poor working conditions/paying less than minimum wage/illegal workers,because any kind of enforcement will likely result in a worse outcome for the "employees"

eg - Close the factory down - everyone out of work and potentially claiming benefits.
Enforce minimum wage - forces prices of goods up,not competitive,job losses - claiming benefits.

I also wonder, who are these people working for less than the minimum wage,why are they working for less than minimum wage?Could it be they accept the conditions and pay because they are actually working illegally/on the side (i have no evidence of this - just putting it out there)?

They should be made to either work legally or closed down. Working in this way distorts the market - they have an unfair advantage. Similar happens with many pre-packs where debt is simply jettisoned and then firms compete against properly funded companies.

Is this not free market enterprise much admired by many in the current Government. This is why they want to remove worker’s rights and if they can union influence once we leave the EU to finally turn us into the sweat shop of Europe.
If it was down to Jacob Rees Mogg we would reintroduce work houses much favoured in the time period he most admires.

Free market enterprise has controls - the market cannot function without them e.g Cartels, price fixing, government intervention - its about creating a level playing field - that's free market enterprise

Surely a free market has little or no state intervention/government regulation? It's down to supply and demand. If 100,000 people are desperate to buy just 10 of any one thing, you can charge what you want.

It's an interesting test of the government and it's powers to inspect and shut down "Covid non compliant" businesses, especially with it being in an extremely diverse city like Leicester.

More bluster from those "in charge".

WE may as well stick Roy Walker in charge and we can have a new "catchphrase" every day

Local authorities already have the power to enforce closure of non compliant businesses,so it begs the question why haven't the local authority acted and used their enforcement powers?