If a migrant care worker is facing issues with their visa, some unions might say: ‘this isn’t an employment issue’. If the same migrant worker’s visa sponsor is treating them poorly at work, some migrants’ rights organisations might say ‘this isn’t an immigration issue’. When visas are tied to employers, how do workers organise against their bosses, and against an oppressive border regime, and against racism in the workplace and beyond?

At the same time, when some of the most familiar approaches to workplace organising assume a shared shop floor; break room; or building, how do domiciliary or live-in care workers working in isolation come together to organise for better pay and conditions?

On the 7^th of September, PAWA, IWW Sheffield branch, and the PRIME Project at the University of Bristol came together to explore some of these questions in a training event called ‘PAWA, PRIME, papers: organising for power as migrant care workers’. Together with representatives from Waling-Waling, Unite, and the Nanny Solidarity Network, we reflected on the challenges and opportunities facing documented and undocumented migrant workers working in child care, older adult care, and domestic work.

In a specialised organiser training, we talked about approaches to organising the whole worker. We explored the structural realities of care work and the cross overs between employment rights and migrants’ rights. This involved discussions of how we organise in workplaces where meeting fellow workers isn’t always straight forward and sharing key insights on the visa regime.

The training addressed the different types of visas that migrant care workers are on. It equipped members with knowledge about the conditions imposed by restrictive visas such as the Health and Care Worker Visa and what they mean for everyday experiences at work. The training provided key guidance about migrant workers’ right to take strike action and direct action in the workplace. In addition to implementing the Agitate – Educate – Inoculate – Organise – Union makes us strong model and marching on the boss, the training focused on organising in our workplaces at migrants and as workers.

The training was co-delivered by PRIME and IWW Sheffield branch. The PRIME Project at the University of Bristol is an international research and policy project that analyses the conditions and politics of irregularised migrants in Europe. The project is conducting research with migrant workers in the care, agriculture, hospitality, and waste management sectors. It is seeking participants to share their experiences of work in the UK. Please contact Dr Eda Yazici, eda.yazici@bristol.ac.uk if you are interested in particapting in the research. Additionally, you could access the training materials used in the PAWA event here.