'They treat you like an animal': How British farms run on exploitation
Краткое изложение
Date Reported: 27 Мар 2023
Местонахождение: Великобритания
Компании
Gaskains - Employer , AG Recruitment - RecruiterЗатронуто
Total individuals affected: 1
Мигранты и рабочие-иммигранты: ( Number unknown - Непал , Сельское хозяйство и животноводство , Gender not reported , Documented migrants )Темы
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Запугивание и угрозыОтвет
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
Принятые меры: In response to a request, Gaskains "said it complied with government caps on rent". AG Recruitment also provided a response.
Вид источника: News outlet
Краткое изложение
Date Reported: 27 Мар 2023
Местонахождение: Великобритания
Компании
Concordia - RecruiterЗатронуто
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Мигранты и рабочие-иммигранты: ( Number unknown - Южная Африка , Сельское хозяйство и животноводство , Women , Documented migrants )Темы
Restricted mobility , Запугивание и угрозыОтвет
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
Принятые меры: Concordia did not respond to the outlet's request for comment.
Вид источника: News outlet
Краткое изложение
Date Reported: 27 Мар 2023
Местонахождение: Великобритания
Компании
Tesco - Buyer , Lidl - Buyer , Co-operative Group - Buyer , Dearnsdale Fruit Farm - SupplierЗатронуто
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Мигранты и рабочие-иммигранты: ( Number unknown - Южная Африка , Сельское хозяйство и животноводство , Women , Documented migrants )Темы
Запугивание и угрозы , Occupational Health & Safety , Harassment (other than sexual) , Травмы , Wage Theft , Сборы за найм персонала , Heat exposure , Excessive production targetsОтвет
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
Принятые меры: In response to a request, Dearnsdale provided a statement regarding the allegations. Tesco directed journalists to a statement from the British Retail Consortium. Lidl and Co-op did not respond.
Вид источника: News outlet
Краткое изложение
Date Reported: 27 Мар 2023
Местонахождение: Великобритания
Другое
Not Reported ( Сельское хозяйство и животноводство ) - EmployerЗатронуто
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Мигранты и рабочие-иммигранты: ( Number unknown - Непал , Сельское хозяйство и животноводство , Gender not reported )Темы
Запугивание и угрозыОтвет
Response sought: Нет
Принятые меры: None reported
Вид источника: News outlet
Краткое изложение
Date Reported: 27 Мар 2023
Местонахождение: Великобритания
Компании
Pro-Force Recruitment - RecruiterЗатронуто
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Мигранты и рабочие-иммигранты: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , Сельское хозяйство и животноводство , Gender not reported , Documented migrants )Темы
Restricted mobilityОтвет
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
Принятые меры: Pro-Force did not respond to a request for comment.
Вид источника: News outlet
Краткое изложение
Date Reported: 27 Мар 2023
Местонахождение: Великобритания
Компании
AG Recruitment - RecruiterЗатронуто
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Мигранты и рабочие-иммигранты: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , Сельское хозяйство и животноводство , Gender not reported , Documented migrants )Темы
Restricted mobilityОтвет
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
Принятые меры: AG Recruitment provided a statement to the outlet in response to a request for commen.t
Вид источника: News outlet
Краткое изложение
Date Reported: 27 Мар 2023
Местонахождение: Великобритания
Компании
Waitrose (part of John Lewis Partnership) - Buyer , Co-operative Group - Buyer , Concordia - Recruiter , Tuesley Farm - Supplier , Tesco - BuyerЗатронуто
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Мигранты и рабочие-иммигранты: ( Number unknown - Южная Африка , Сельское хозяйство и животноводство , Women , Documented migrants )Темы
Запугивание и угрозы , Harassment (other than sexual) , Occupational Health & Safety , Травмы , Сборы за найм персонала , Access to Non-Judicial RemedyОтвет
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
Принятые меры: In response to a request, Tuesley did not provide a statement regarding the allegations. Tesco directed journalists to a statement from the British Retail Consortium. Co-op did not respond. Waitrose provided a statement.
Вид источника: News outlet
Краткое изложение
Date Reported: 27 Мар 2023
Местонахождение: Великобритания
Компании
Lidl - Buyer , Medlar Fruit Farms - Employer , Tesco - Buyer , Concordia - RecruiterЗатронуто
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Мигранты и рабочие-иммигранты: ( Number unknown - Сербия , Сельское хозяйство и животноводство , Women , Documented migrants )Темы
Dismissal , Сборы за найм персонала , Harassment (other than sexual) , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Access to electricityОтвет
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
External link to response: (Find out more)
Принятые меры: Medlar provided a comment to the outlet's request saying he “welfare and happiness of our team is fundamental to us” and told TBIJ and VICE that they were investigating the claims, which they took “very seriously”. Tesco directed the outlet to a statement by the British Retail Consortium and Lidl did not respond to a request for comment.
Вид источника: News outlet
Краткое изложение
Date Reported: 27 Мар 2023
Местонахождение: Великобритания
Другое
Not Reported ( Сельское хозяйство и животноводство ) - EmployerЗатронуто
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Мигранты и рабочие-иммигранты: ( Number unknown - Украина , Сельское хозяйство и животноводство , Men )Темы
Occupational Health & SafetyОтвет
Response sought: Нет
Принятые меры: None reported
Вид источника: News outlet
… An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and VICE World News has uncovered widespread mistreatment of migrants working at more than 20 UK farms, nurseries and packhouses in 2022. Workers reported a litany of problems, from not going to the toilet for fear of not hitting targets, to being made to work in gale-force winds. Some said they would be shouted at or punished for having their mobile in their pocket or talking to work colleagues while on the field. Others said they were threatened by recruiters with being deported or blacklisted.
Many were left in debt and destitution, and some left the UK being owed money by their employers. One worker even had to pull out his own tooth because he could not find appropriate medical care. Our findings expose a poorly enforced government visa scheme that is flagrantly breached by farms and recruiters, and which leaves people vulnerable to exploitation...
Dearnsdale said: “We do refer to members of staff by their numbers, however this is not to degrade the individual but purely on a business need basis as is standard in the industry.”… “We are not aware that people are sanctioned in the manner suggested.”...
… South Africans were arriving at Tuesley Farm, Surrey, which supplies Tesco, Co-op and Waitrose. One of them was Sybil Msezane… She had previously worked with trade unions in South Africa and was shocked to discover how few labour protections workers had in the UK...
Tuesley Farm did not respond to a request for comment...
… Farmers often charge workers for accommodation, such as a small shared room in a caravan, and gas and electricity bills… At least one farm, Gaskains in Kent, charged workers nearly £85 per week for a shared room in a caravan last year – more than the pay for eight hours of work. Gaskains said it complied with government caps on rent...
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “Worker welfare is absolutely vital to us, and we’re really concerned to read these allegations. We’re looking into this with our supplier as a matter of urgency.”
Lidl and Co-op did not respond to requests for comment.
Tesco directed TBIJ and VICE World News to a statement by the British Retail Consortium, which said: “Protecting the welfare of people and communities in supply chains is fundamental to our members, and any practices that fall short of our high standards will not be tolerated. Our members are urgently reviewing the allegations raised by these workers, engaging with their primary suppliers to ensure a comprehensive investigation is undertaken.”...