A staff gang boss has had his licence revoked after a Gangmasters Licensing Authority investigation uncovered a “disgraceful story of forced labour in 21st century Britain”.

The investigation revealed shocking conditions imposed on mainly Polish
migrant workers used for flower picking throughout the UK.

Jonathan Beckson, director of Timberland Homes, trading as Timberland Homes Recruitment had his licence revoked with immediate effect by the GLA on Tuesday, 6 May. Timberland was based in Brandon in Suffolk and supplied workers to Winchester Growers in Cornwall and a flower picking consortium, Grampian Growers near Montrose in Scotland.

The GLA said they uncovered a catalogue of abuse including, threatening vulnerable workers with huge deductions from wages; threats to involve their families in their home country if they left or failed to pay money to him; abhorrent working and living conditions and restricted transport in un-certified vehicles.

The GLA is passing the information on this case to the UK Human Trafficking
Centre (UKHTC).

Reports regarding the vehicles’ use in transporting the workers have been
submitted to Scottish Procurators’ Fiscal to consider a prosecution.
Paul Whitehouse, chairman of the GLA, said: “The GLA is here to route out the rogues. We are getting results
through strong enforcement activities, which is the only way to stop
this exploitation. Where we find abuse of vulnerable workers, we will
use all of the powers at our disposal in the continuing fight to protect
vulnerable workers across the UK.”
Some industry insiders have described us as draconian.  We are.  We
are also ugly and intend to get uglier with those who abuse the
vulnerable at work.”
 

The GLA said it received full cooperation from both Grampian Growers and Winchester Growers during its investigation into Timberland Homes Recruitment.

“These firms were not under investigation by us the focus of our operation was the gangmaster. We would also like to point out that the investigation focused on the transport, living conditions and the forced labour issues and not the working conditions at Grampian Growers or Winchester Growers,” a statement to Recruiter added.