The use of gangmasters as providers of temporary labour is of vital importance to the horticultural industry.

They provide a flexible workforce to meet the seasonal demands of planting, harvesting and packing crops and the market demands of fluctuating daily and seasonal retail requirements.

However, the recent deaths of 23 cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay threw a public spotlight, not for the first time, on the abusive, evasive and fraudulent activities that are now an endemic feature of this whole system of labour provision.

Both industry and government have now taken action to resolve this unacceptable situation and bring the operational activities of gangmasters within the law.

For its part, the government has introduced a Gangmasters (Licensing) Act that makes it an offence for gangmasters to operate without a licence. It also makes it an offence to use an unlicensed gangmaster. In parallel with this, industry has developed a code of good practice for gangmasters that anticipates what practices must be adopted by gangmasters to become compliant with the licensing requirements.

The FPC is now convening a number of workshops to explain the background to these developments, the impact it will have on businesses, the timescales and what action must be taken in order that gangmasters may continue to operate and businesses may continue to use them.

The first two seminars will be held in Peterborough on October 27 and in East Malling on November 1. Contact Angie Stuart for further information.

Defra has given its backing to the FPC seminars. "The Gangmasters Licensing Act marked a major step forward in the fight to end exploitation by unscrupulous gangmasters,” said food and farming minister Lord Whitty.

“The seminars will help explain what the new Act will mean for businesses and workers, so I would urge as many people as possible to come to them - whether farmers, labour providers, packhouse managers, growers or farm workers.”

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