"Revealed: Indonesian workers on UK farm ‘at risk of debt bondage’", 14 Aug 2022

Indonesian labourers picking berries on a farm that supplies Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco say they have been saddled with debts of up to £5,000 by unlicensed foreign brokers to work in Britain for a single season...

The fees they pay to secure work include flights and visas, but multiple labourers said they also faced thousands of pounds in extra charges from Indonesian brokers who promised substantial earnings. Under UK employment law, it is illegal to charge workers fees for finding them jobs...

The revelations raise the prospect of fruit pickers being trapped in debt bondage, preventing them from leaving work without risking financial ruin. Migrant rights experts say the situation puts workers at risk of what is essentially forced labour.

The Home Office and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) are looking into the allegations, and the supermarkets have launched an urgent investigation into the issues raised by the Guardian...

Scores of pickers were sent to Clock House farm near Maidstone in Kent, which supplies berries to most major supermarkets and has appeared in an M&S advert.

Clock House said it was “deeply concerned” by the allegations and would “not have entered into an agreement with, or taken workers from, any entity that was involved in such activity [the charging of fees]”. It said it was working with the authorities to investigate the claims.

The Indonesian workers were supplied by AG Recruitment, one of four UK agencies licensed to recruit using seasonal worker visas. AG denied any wrongdoing and said it knew nothing about Indonesian brokers charging money...

AG had no previous experience in Indonesia and sought help from Jakarta-based Al Zubara Manpower, who in turn went to brokers on other islands who charged exorbitant fees to the people they introduced, according to one Al Zubara agent...

Sukiasa Ketut, a freelance agent managing Al Zubara’s recruitment in Bali, said they used “many, many” freelance brokers who did not stick to the rules. He acknowledged that brokers pocketed money from charges and said he felt “really sorry” about the situation.

He added: “We didn’t prepare well regarding the rules of how to recruit people, so we [went] to the recruiters and they just did this in their own way. We were surprised as some charged more and others charged less.” ...

Lawyers representing Clock House said the farm was “deeply concerned” about the recruitment issues flagged by the Guardian “and the potential welfare and worry that it would place on seasonal workers” and has reported the allegations to the GLAA.

It said it was previously unaware of any problems, or of the existence of other recruiters aside from AG Recruitment. It has requested that AG supply no more workers from Indonesia until further investigation is carried out...

Amesz said he was “extremely concerned to learn of the allegations that have been raised” and AG was “fully cooperating” with the GLAA. He said Al Zubara did not handle any recruitment and AG did not ask it to subcontract recruitment to other local organisations or brokers...

AG said the Indonesian ministry of labour had conducted an investigation and confirmed that Al Zubara had acted legally.

Leah Riley Brown, a sustainability policy adviser at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said on behalf of supermarkets: “BRC members are committed to upholding high standards of welfare for all people who work in their supply chains, and are urgently investigating the allegations raised. The BRC continues to advocate for a single enforcement body to ensure that exploitation is prevented and worker’s rights are a top priority.”

Waitrose said it was concerned and would take the “necessary steps to make sure workers are treated fairly”. Sainsbury’s said workers’ safe and fair treatment was “extremely important” and it was working with government and industry “to introduce measures to prevent these practices from happening”. Tesco said it did not tolerate the use of illegal recruitment fees charged to workers and it was vital for any to be repaid in full...