The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has agreed a protocol with major UK retailers and their suppliers to help fight worker exploitation.

The agreement follows extensive talks and consultation with retailers and the supply chain over the last two years and sets out how the GLA will work with the industry to make sure proper standards are in place.

This includes how intelligence should be reported to the GLA, how information will be shared between all parties and what should happen after a GLA operation to ensure workers are protected. 

The protocol ensures that:

·     supermarkets and suppliers provide the GLA with information about suspected breaches of the GLA’s licensing standards, while  the GLA will provide guidance on what action the supermarkets and suppliers could take to make sure workers are best protected.

·     the GLA, supermarkets and suppliers will work together to tackle worker exploitation uncovered by any GLA operation.

Asda, Co-operative Food, Iceland, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose have all signed up to the Protocol, while suppliers’ involvement was led by the Fresh Produce Consortium and the National Farmers Union.

Paul Whitehouse, chairman of the GLA, says: “Much has been achieved in recent years in protecting workers from abuse in the UK food industry.  But problems still exist.  The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report into the meat industry highlights some of the challenges that remain. 

“This protocol shows that everybody in the industry is determined to make sure workers are treated fairly and legitimate businesses are not undercut by rogues.”