‘Migrant Workers Abused And Exploited’
10:26am UK, Saturday March 13, 2010
Agency and migrant workers employed by meat and poultry firms are suffering “mistreatment and exploitation”, an official inquiry has revealed.
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The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) stated it has uncovered “widespread evidence” of physical and verbal abuse and lack of proper health and safety protection.
Furthermore, workers often have tiny knowledge of their rights stated the commission.
Migrant workers are most affected, but British bureau employees face similar mistreatment, with many people afraid to raise concerns because they fear they will be sacked.
The EHRC stated its inquiry, launched in 2008, uncovered frequent breaches of the law and licensing standards in meat processing factories, some of which supplied the UK’s biggest supermarkets, as well as at employment agencies.
The commission made a series of recommendations aimed at improving recruitment practices and working conditions, as well as helping employees raise concerns.
We have heard stories of workers subjected to bullying, violence and being embarrassed and degraded by being denied toilet breaks.
Neil Kinghan, director general of the EHRC
A third of permanent workers and two-thirds of bureau workers in the industry are migrants while at one in six meat processing sites involved in the study, every bureau worker hired in the past year was a migrant worker.
The commission stated this is partly due to difficulties in recruiting British workers for physically-demanding, low-paid work.
One in five workers who gave evidence to the commission stated they had been pushed, kicked or had things thrown at them by line managers.
Meanwhile, a third revealed they had experienced or witnessed verbal abuse, often on a daily basis.
Workers also claimed they had been refused permission to go to the toilet, and one in four told the commission that pregnant workers had been mistreated, including the instant dismissal of bureau workers who announced they were having a baby.
Supermarkets have driven down costs along their supply chain with tens of thousands of workers paying the price, suffering discrimination and unfair treatment.
Jack Dromey, deputy general secretary of Unite
The commission stated it had also found examples of firms which treated all workers with respect and dignity.
Neil Kinghan, director general of the EHRC, said: “The commission’s inquiry reveals widespread and significant ill-treatment in the industry.
“We have heard stories of workers subjected to bullying, violence and being embarrassed and degraded by being denied toilet breaks.
“Some workers feel they have tiny choice but to put up with these conditions out of economic necessity. Others lack the language skills to comprehend and assert their rights.”
He went on: “We recognise that some retailers and processing firms have taken steps to operate in a way which improves the treatment of workers in the sector.
“However, there is still a lot that they and others could do. If the situation does not improve over the next 12 months, the commission will think about using its regulatory powers to enforce change where necessary.”
Jack Dromey, deputy general secretary of Unite, stated supermarkets should “hang their heads in shame”.
He said: “Supermarkets have driven down costs along their supply chain with tens of thousands of workers paying the price, suffering discrimination and unfair treatment.”
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Submited at Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at 12:00 am on Business by jessica
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