Registration scheme for working migrants

Migrant workers from the eight eastern European countries that joined the European Union this month must register with the Home Office, for a £50 registration fee, when they take a job. Under new regulations, which came into force on 1 May, migrants will also be unable to claim benefits until they have been working in Britain for a year.

On registering, migrant workers will be issued with a certificate confirming their entitlement to work legally. If they lose their job within the first 12 months, they will need to re-register. After 12 months' continuous legal employment, they will be able to work without restriction.

The TUC has produced an advice leaflet, Starting work in the UK , to help migrant workers understand their rights at work under UK employment law. It advises them on how to get a National Insurance number, explains income tax and covers basic rights such as the minimum wage, paid holidays and working hours and breaks.

The leaflet, which the Home Office has agreed to send out with every registration certificate, can be found on the international pages of the TUC's website at www.tuc.org.uk