Sir David Metcalf has been appointed as the first Director of Labour Market Enforcement, tasked by the Government to stamp out exploitation and underpay in the workplace.

The position has been created by Prime Minister Theresa May's administration – and you might remember it was Theresa May who, as Home Secretary, introduced the Modern Slavery Act, implemented last year, as part of an attempt to combat the worst abuses of human rights and employment law.

Sir David is charged with establishing the strategic priorities for employment enforcement bodies to stamp out exploitation, gather information on minimum wage violations, unscrupulous employment agencies and other labour market exploitation, and identify vulnerable sectors and regions to inform the most effective response.

The Government will also launch a new £1.7million campaign to raise awareness of national minimum and living wage rates.

Sir David, who was chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee until August last year, will, for the first time, centralise the intelligence gathering of the three agencies involved (Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority; Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate; HMRC’s National Minimum Wage enforcement team), enabling him to draw up an annual strategy targeting sectors and regions that are vulnerable to unscrupulous employment practices. He is also working alongside the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to tackle modern slavery in the labour market and supply chains of companies.

Sir David says of his appointment: "I’m excited to be taking on this new role, drawing together the important work of these three labour market enforcement teams. While the UK is, by and large, a fair and safe place to work, there are still rogue employers who exploit their workers and undercut honest businesses. As the government has made clear, this will not go unpunished."

Sir David Metcalf – biography

Sir David Metcalf was chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee from 2007 to August 2016. Before that he was a member of the Senior Salaries Review Body from 2009 to 2015, providing recommendations on pay for Judges, Senior Civil Services, top military and senior NHS Managers. He was a founding member of the Low Pay Commission, serving for 10 years from 1997 to 2007 in advisory capacity on National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates.

Sir David is also Director of the Starting Price Regulatory Commission, ensuring the returned price of a bet reflects the starting price. He is currently an emeritus professor at the London School of Economics and has written more than 100 publications on labour economics and industrial relations.