Gangmasters who supplied workers to vegetable packing firm, Simms and Wood, in Evesham have today had their licences revoked by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA). 

A to Z  Employment Services based in Sparkhill, Birmingham has had its licence revoked with immediate effect, meaning that they must stop trading immediately or face prosecution action for trading as a gangmaster without a licence. The main reasons for revoking the licence with immediate effect were: 

• an illegal and seriously un-roadworthy minibus being used to transport workers
• the boss of the agency instructed a worker to put clingfilm on a serious cut and to continue working on a food production line.
 
Two other gangmasters have had their licence revoked without immediate effect, which allows them to continue trading until the appeals process has been exhausted. 

The decisions come after last week’s unannounced raid by the GLA, which was aimed at rooting out worker exploitation and illegal practices. 

On 11 December, as part of a multi-agency operation, GLA inspectors visited Simms & Wood, an onion/leek supplier based at Wyre Piddle near Evesham. Of the 70 temporary staff on site at the time, 19 were interviewed working for three labour providers. Various non-compliances were discovered, in particular there was concern over the reporting and dealing with accidents, ID details, transport issues and the payment of agricultural minimum wage.