Five years on from the tragic deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay, the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) is to increase its strict approach to employers who mistreat workers.
The GLA now has over two years' experience and has already raised the standards of many gangmasters, but has decided to toughen up the sanctions and standards it will apply from April 2009 as part of Operation Ajax.
This will include increasing the likelihood that a gangmaster who ill-treats workers will have his licence revoked immediately, disqualifying gangmasters for two years when they are considered to be not fit and proper to hold a licence or have their licence revoked more than once.
The GLA will also expand the test of who is a fit and proper person to be a gangmaster to catch those who try to exercise control without being named on the licence.
Chairman of the GLA Paul Whitehouse said: “During our first phase of operations we faced a variety of scams and efforts to deceive us. We now know what we need to do to put these rogues out of business.
“We have been heartened by the support we have received from many workers who have been helped by us, and by everyone in the industry who wishes to see its good name restored. We are also pleased to learn from our colleagues in HMRC that they are seeing increased revenue from taxation as a result of our efforts.
“We are determined to ensure that the gangmasters we regulate meet the highest standards and pay the penalty when they step out of line. This is why we have ramped up our standards, expectations and enforcement activities.”
Peter Luff, MP for Mid-Worcestershire and Chairman of the Business and Enterprise House of Commons Select Committee, said: “I know from my own constituency what a positive difference the GLA has made; it’s now much easier for reputable growers to be confident that their workers are legally employed and fairly treated. The further toughening of the authority’s sanctions makes good sense and should be welcomed”.
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority was established to combat the rogue and criminal gangmasters who abuse those who work for them, and to protect the much higher number of good gangmasters who treat their workers properly.
On February 5 2004, 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned through the behaviour of a criminal gangmaster who abandoned them on the mud flats of Morecambe Bay as the tide rose.
The main defendant, Lin Liang Ren was convicted on 21 counts of manslaughter and sentenced to fourteen years imprisonment followed by deportation to China.
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