Supermarkets slammed in gangmaster report
MPs call for crackdown on cheap farm labour
September 18 2003
UK supermarkets have come under fire from MPs who claim pressure to keep prices low has led to abuse of casual labour.
The House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs select committee has also accused the government of failing to prevent the exploitation by so-called ‘gangmasters’ of part-time and temporary workers picking fresh fruit and vegetables.
Gangmasters provide casual labour to the farming industries, mainly for picking and packing fresh produce. The gangs are often made up of overseas workers, some illegally working in the UK.
The MPs said they believed supermarkets’ influence over suppliers had helped create an situation where gangmasters’ illegal activity could flourish. Price competition and short timescales for orders mean pressured suppliers have little opportunity or incentive to check the legality of the labour on offer.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman is now working to devise a code of good practice and accreditation system for labour suppliers.
