Gangmaster inspection reports revealed
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority has abandoned its policy of keeping its inspection reports secret following a complaint by the BBC to the Information Commissioner.
The GLA protects the welfare of workers in industries such as agriculture and food processing by monitoring labour providing companies. It was set up following the death of 23 cockle-pickers at Morecambe Bay in 2004.
When the BBC asked last year for copies of its reports on individual firms, the GLA refused on the grounds that it would hamper its ability to carry out its duties and could damage its relationship with the companies it oversees. The BBC then complained to the Commissioner, and the GLA has now overturned its stance without the Commissioner needing to issue a formal decision.
The BBC has now obtained copies of inspection reports which detail how the GLA has found some companies failing to meet minimum standards.
A company called Jark Recruitment based in Dereham, Norfolk was found by the GLA earlier this year to be 'systematically failing' to ensure workers received their full holiday pay. The report says there is evidence that at least 37 workers did not receive what they were entitled to on leaving Jark.
The GLA inspection also found that the company was charging workers too much for accommodation and threatening some of them that they would lose their accommodation immediately if they left their job. It also could not provide gas safety certificates for some properties used to house workers.
Jark has so far failed to provide the BBC with its response to these criticisms. However the GLA says that it is now licensed as Jark Industrial, having 'successfully reapplied after correcting the non-compliances which led to the licence revocation'.
In April the GLA revoked the licence of a company called Gurkha's UK, based in Sevenoaks, Kent, which had failed to provide holiday or sick pay and had employed workers for excessive hours. The firm's spokesman told the BBC: 'We need to improve so I'm seeking advice and may reapply for a license in the future.'
An Ipswich-based firm Gateway Recruitment Solutions was found to be failing to provide its workforce (which included Lithuanian, Bulgarian and Nepalese labourers) with the required overtime pay, holiday and sick pay entitlements, and was deducting too much for accommodation. Gateway's licence was revoked, but it has since successfully reapplied for another licence from the GLA. The company said: 'We have taken their suggestions on board and have worked to make everything right.'
UPDATE: Jark has now got in touch. The company says: 'We will continue to work closely with the GLA and remain wholly supportive of its aim to safeguard the interests of workers.'
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John Buckman, Group Chairman for Jark Recruitment Ltd said:
On the subject of the GLA instigating a revoke of Jark Recruitment’s licence.
“As part the GLA audit we amended a number of our policies and underwent an additional independent, self instructed audit to ensure that these changes were effective and are robust. As a result applied for and were issued a new GLA licence for the Jark Industrial division, which operates as a specialist company within the Jark Recruitment Group.
“As a major employer of labour across the country we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. We will continue to work closely with the GLA and remain wholly supportive of its aim to safeguard the interests of workers.”
On the subject of accommodation for workers:
“Our Jark Recruitment licence was in the main revoked by the GLA as a result of issues with our accommodation policies and in particular the charge of between £50.00 and £55.00 per head per week for accommodation for legal European workers. We have an arrangement with third party accommodation providers and in every one of our previous audits this fee has never been deemed unsuitable by the GLA. We believe this fee level ensures workers’ accommodation is safe, hygienic and generally respectable, in accordance with multiple occupancy legislation.
“The GLA has now adopted the Inland Revenue stance that the fee for accommodation should be reduced to £30.10. We fear that the enforcement of this new charge will threaten the standards of workers’ accommodation possibly leading to safety issues and illegal over crowding and is unrealistic in today’s market place.”
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