A gangmaster, which failed to pay tax and national insurance or provide workers with their full pay entitlement, has lost its licence after losing its appeal against the GLA decision.

Gurkha’s UK had their licence revoked without immediate effect in April, but appealed against the decision. At appeal Gurkha’s UK did not challenge the GLA findings.

GLA officers found:

• no income tax or national insurance had been paid, and there were no measures in place to collect national insurance, tax or VAT

• wages were withheld as no holiday or sick pay was received by workers

• no evidence of payslips

• workers had worked in excess of 48 hours without signing an opt-out

• workers were not receiving health and safety training

• irregularities in contract and record-keeping

Meanwhile, in a separate case, a gangmaster based in Scotland has had her business shut down by the GLA.

Ieva Osite, who ran Renavatio, lost her licence because:

• she had not worked with the labour user to ensure that responsibility for managing the health and safety of workers had been agreed; the health and safety risks to which they were exposed at work were not properly controlled

• paperwork for a 48 hour work opt-out for employees did not comply with employment regulations

• worker pay deductions of income tax and National Insurance were not accurate, appropriate and paid to the HMRC

• contract irregularities