OUTSOURCING firm G4S has been accused of breaking modern slavery laws by asking jobcentre security guards on the minimum wage to carry out unpaid training at home.

GMB union said it had submitted a collective grievance over alleged breaches of the national minimum wage laws and the Modern Slavery Act as more than 1,500 members began their fourth week of strike action in a pay dispute today.

GMB national officer Eamon O’Hearn said: “Not content with paying hard-working security guards just the minimum wage, G4S is pressuring them to do unpaid training in their own time. 

“G4S gets millions in taxpayer cash to run the jobcentre security contract for DWP [Department for Work and Pensions].  

“Instead of forking out for expensive agency staff and lining director and shareholder pockets, that money should be used to make sure these workers can live.” 

A spokeswoman for G4S said the collective grievance will be managed in line with its our agreed process with the GMB, and urged the union "to present our offer to our employees, which is above minimum wage and inflation."

The DWP was contacted for comment.