A major investigation by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) to root out worker exploitation and illegal practices claims it has found evidence migrant workers lives being put at risk.

In an unannounced raid, GLA officers entered the premises of vegetable packing firm Simms and Wood, of Wyre Piddle near Evesham, after a tip off in the first raid in the GLA’s Operation Scorpion, which targets rogue gangmasters. 

The inspection of three labour providers found:
• A minibus with no tax, no insurance and a single usable door being used to transport 14 workers to and from their homes to the warehouse
• a serious hygiene issue involving food destined for major UK supermarkets
• employees working between sixty and seventy hours a week with only 39 hours shown on payslips
• no accurate record of the number of workers or identity of workers employed
to work at the warehouse.

The GLA is currently assessing the information gathered before making a decision on the licence status of the labour providers involved and the sanctions to be pressed. Operation Scorpion is one of a major ongoing series of unannounced operations
which will be carried out throughout the UK to make sure labour providers are operating within the law and which will protect the interests of vulnerable, largely migrant workers.

GLA chairman Paul Whitehouse (pictured) told Recruiter: “It is disturbing that the lives of these vulnerable workers are being put at risk to process the food that we could be eating over Christmas. There are many reputable businesses in this sector, but unfortunately there are some who exploit these vulnerable workers. Those Gangmasters who do not follow the rules risk being trapped by one of our operations. We will route out these rogues. There is no excuse for exploiting vulnerable workers and we will take the firmest action possible in all cases.”

Simms and Wood told Recruiter that they are co-operating fully with the GLA.