http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/177/177354_woolies_accused_over_pol\
ish_workers.html


A ROW has broken out over the treatment of Polish workers by Woolworth's.

The Transport and General Workers Union - T&G - claims staff who came from
Poland to work at the shopping chain's Rochdale distribution centre had
money deducted from their wages without agreement, were put up in poor
quality accommodation and had to pay for safety clothing at work.

Woolworth's adamantly denies the allegations, insisting they have a "good
and productive relationship" with the staff in question.



There are 18 Polish employees at Castleton in Rochdale. They were brought to
Britain through a Halifax-based company called Resource Recruitment after
presentations in Poland by senior Woolworth's representatives.

Dossier

But the T&G claims the hours of work, the pay, the terms of employment and
the accommodation provided do not meet with what they expected.

Union officials are compiling a dossier on the case. They plan to take
Woolworth's and Resource Recruitment to an employment tribunal.

William O'Neill, a solicitor working for the T&G, is taking statements from
some of the Polish workers.

Mr O'Neill, of Manchester-based solicitors Rowlands, said: "These workers
were recruited and promised certain terms and conditions. We are saying that
those conditions have not been honoured.

"They have been treated differently in the workplace to the English workers,
which may be an issue of discrimination. And they have not had the hours of
work or the accommodation they were led to expect.

Promised

"The T&G has tried to resolve these issues through grievance procedures but
that has not worked, so they are now instructing us to commence
proceedings.''

A spokesman for Woolworth's and Resource issued a lengthy statement denying
the union's allegations. They said concerns that had been raised had been
dealt with.

The statement said that the pay was exactly what was promised when the staff
were recruited. They admitted that in the past money had been deducted if
staff were off work but this was no longer the case.

Among the allegations is that staff pay £60 a week for accommodation and
that for a time they shared four to a room in a Wigan hotel.

Resource said that there was "no evidence" that workers shared four to a
room and they had been in a hotel because they had arrived in Britain
earlier than expected.

The Woolworth's statement said that they were satisfied that "good,
comfortable accommodation" was provided.

Resource accepted that rented accommodation was in short supply for a time
because they were let down by two landlords. Woolworth's said that after
complaints, they made it clear the minimum accommodation standards expected.

They also accepted that a deposit was taken for clothing worn at work. But
they said it had been refunded to the workers by Resource "as a gesture of
goodwill" after a request from Woolworth's.

Presentations

Bartosz Jaskiewicz, 25, one of the workers living in Rochdale, said: "We
were told we would come here, live in good accommodation and have lots of
work and earn good money. This was all told to us at presentations in Poland
where senior Woolworth's people were present.

"But the truth has been nothing like what we were told. I had a good job
back in Poland working for a brewery which I gave up to come here because we
were promised so much. Now I wish I had not come."

T&G officer Mike Thompson said: "They have shown courage in standing up for
themselves." The T& G has started a petition calling on Woolworth's to treat
the Polish workers better.

It has been signed by some of the English workers who work alongside the
Poles at Castleton.

T&G members will also demonstrate outside the England v Poland World Cup
qualifier at Old Trafford tomorrow.

Would you have complained about such