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T&G campaign to end exploitation of migrant workers in Wales
15 Aug 2005



The Transport and General Workers Union in Wales has written to Welsh MPs
and MEPs and to the Gangmasters Licensing Authority highlighting the Union's
serious concerns about exploitation of migrant workers from Poland by
gangmasters operating in the South West Wales area.

T&G investigations have revealed the activities of Llanelli based
gangmasters who are procuring Polish migrant workers for meat and food
processing factories which the Union describe as exploitative and which
circumvent the EU registration scheme.

Senior Regional Industrial Organiser Andy Richards said today: "These Polish
workers are brought into the UK by bus, having to pay two hundred pounds for
a one way ticket and are asked to sign zero hours contracts by the
gangmaster.

"They are employed for long hours on night shifts and weekends for minimum
wage only whilst their contracts compel them to pay thirty five pounds per
week for sub standard accommodation and an additional twenty five pounds per
week for transport to and from their place of work, even though the
workplace may be in walking distance. These payments must be made to the
gangmaster regardless of whether the person works or not, thus ensuring
their financial slavery."

Mr. Richards went on to say that the Polish workers were regularly discarded
by the gangmaster leaving them without accommodation, money or a means to
return to Poland thus increasing the number of homeless people on the
streets of South Wales.

"It is the worst form of labour exploitation which I have ever seen and is
more akin to slavery," said Mr Richards. "We now intend to publicise the
case for these decent working people who are being exploited and are
campaigning for action by the European Parliament and UK Government to close
the loophole in the EC legislation," he said.

The T&G case has been highlighted to Welsh MPs and MEPs and is being
supported by Eluned Morgan MEP and Glenys Kinnock MEP.

"All workers within the EC whether they are Welsh or Polish deserve
protection from exploitation by unscrupulous gangmasters posing as
employment agencies and we intend to campaign strongly for this," said Mr
Richards.

For more information contact Andy Richards, Senior Regional Industrial
Organiser at T&G, 19 High Street, Swansea SA1 1LF. Telephone: 01792 472410.
Mobile No: 0797 0785470. Fax: 01792 644410 or e-mail to:
arichards@...