From today, 1 October 2006, a new law comes into force requiring all gangmaster businesses in agriculture and food processing to be licensed. Gangmasters who continue to trade without a licence will be acting illegally and face potential penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
It will be an offence for gangmasters to operate without a licence from October 1st and that it will be an offence to use an unlicensed gangmaster from December 1st. The definition of a gangmaster includes traditional gangmasters and recruitment and employment agencies.
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) who started accepting licence applications in April, have welcomed the applications from businesses who were set up to curb the exploitation of workers in the agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering and associated processing and packaging industries.
Mike Wilson Chief Executive of the GLA commented:
“It is simple to separate the legal operators who are licensed from the illegal operators who are not. There are no excuses for anybody in this industry to deal with the rogue operators.”
“The GLA will start enforcing the new law immediately. We will use all means available to find illegal operators and prosecute them.”
Gangmasters who applied for a licence before the GLA cut off date of 1 September will be allowed to trade without a licence until a decision has been made to grant a licence.
The GLA will be contacting anybody who has applied for a licence and are still awaiting a decision to let them know what action they should take after 1 October.
The new powers will be used to investigate, gather information, interview, arrest and prosecute those operating in the sector without a licence.
The Prime Minister commented at the TUC conference:
“The Gangmasters ' Licensing Act must not simply be in effect, but must be enforced and vigorously.”
Jeff Rooker, Minister for Food and Farming commented:
“The Government has given the GLA the resources and powers to ensure a level playing field for legitimate operators. Workers coming into our food processing and farming industries deserve assurance that they will be treated fairly.”
Jack Dromey, T&G Deputy General Secretary also commented:
"It was the daily experience of our members in food and agriculture that led the T&G to fight for the gangmasters licensing act. The abuses workers reported were not limited to shaving a few pounds here and there off wage packets - they were enduring systemic and organised exploitation where rogue labour providers had neither respect for their workers nor regard for the law.
"So we welcome the fact that from today these abuses will be regarded as criminal and those food and agricultural labour providers caught exploiting their workers, and labour users deliberately using unlicensed providers, will face severe punishment, including up to ten years in jail.
"Tough penalties and robust enforcement of the law are the only way to tackle the rogues who abuse workers and undermine good employers. We fully support the GLA in its drive to locate these menaces and deny them a livelihood built on the misery of others."
A list of licensed labour providers can be found on the GLA website by clicking the following link: Gangmasters Licensing Authority
