Press Release

GMB Demands Effective Licensing For Killer Gangmaster Trade Or Will Walk Out On Process

25 October 2005

GMB fears that government plans to water down the licensing proposals for gangmaster registration could lead to another Morecombe Bay tragedy instead of preventing it.

GMB is taking part in a series of consultation meetings being held around the country up, hosted by local MPs. The first consultation meeting took place in London on 21st October. The rest follow in Worcester 25th November; Morecombe 2nd December, Penzance and Boston both on 9th December. (Details available from Marion Shepherd, Secretariat and Communications, Administrator, Gangmasters Licensing Authority on 0115 900 8963.

GMB’s major concern at present is over the licensing regime. Despite earlier agreement at the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) Board and Government Ministers that every labour provider applying for a license would be inspected – and that inspection would include anonymous discussions with workers – John Hutton and the Better Regulation Executive have intervened to say that only 15% of all applicants will be inspected before licenses are issued. Other labour providers will only be inspected if they have previously broken the law.

Martin Smith, GMB National Organiser who sits as the trade union representative on the Gangmaster Licensing Authority said, “If this goes through it is fair to say that it is a show stopper for GMB. The union side of the Forum is unanimous that we will withdraw from the process. We will not be complicit with a process that simply intends to use us to licence exploitation. GMB will insist the GLA reverts to its previous position. The trade unions must have an input into the information about licensed gangmasters and employers held on the register. It is rather like the terrorism legislation. If employers have nothing to hide then they do not need to fear being licensed for the register.”

Another major issue for the GMB is the extension of the GLA licenses up the food chain to secondary processing and beyond. GMB believes that without this any protection will be limited to workers engaged in stage one agriculture or fishing.

Jude Brimble, GMB National Organiser in the Food Industry said, “A widening of the licensing to cover workers in all aspects of food producing would give the unions the ability to use gangmaster licensing police the all parts of the industry and the behave of the employers throughout the food chain. ”

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