May 23, 2007
Thousands of migrant workers in Norfolk could be suffering the same kind of exploitation as that allegedly suffered by Eastern European staff at a fair trade banana supply business in Bedfordshire.
Employment lawyer Richard Cassel, a partner at Norwich-based law firm Hatch Brenner, said he was horrified, but not surprised, by BBC revelations concerning a Polish woman who claims she miscarried because she was forced to work excessive hours at Pratt’s Bananas, in Luton.
“It would be inappropriate to comment on a specific case, but the abuse of migrant workers who slave away hour-after-hour, seven days a week for a pittance, and are subjected to all manner of threats and bullying if they refuse to comply, remains all too commonplace,” said Mr Cassel.
“Many Portuguese and Eastern European people have come to Norfolk to work in our agricultural and shellfish industries, and while many employers take a responsible and caring approach it is a regrettable fact that there are some who afford their workers neither dignity nor humanity.
“As lawyers we sometimes become pretty thick-skinned individuals, but I know I speak for my entire employment team when I say that these are the kinds of stories that make our blood boil every time.”
Mr Cassel said such cases illustrated the ongoing need for vigilance on the part of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), which was set up to curb worker exploitation following the deaths of 21 Chinese cockle-pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay in 2004.
“Gangmasters who supply or use temporary workers in the agriculture, shellfish gathering, and related food, fish and shellfish processing and packaging sectors must have a GLA licence,” said Mr Cassel.
“It remains to be seen whether the recruitment agency which supplied staff to Pratt’s Bananas had a GLA licence. They certainly should have done, in which case its future is presumably now in some doubt. If they have done so without a licence, those responsible are at risk of a substantial fine and imprisonment.”
The BBC investigation revealed allegations that workers at Pratt’s had to work excessive hours, six or seven days a week, and feared losing their jobs if they refused. It highlighted a Polish woman, known as Magdalena, who plans to take the firm to an industrial tribunal over her claim that she miscarried because of her treatment.
Workers also said breaks were refused if they did not meet production quotas, and that they were sometimes refused permission to go to the toilet during 10 to 12-hour shifts.
