The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has laid out a plan to increase the removal of forced labour victims from UK agriculture by 15 per cent year on year.
The government body, which regulates the supply of over 700,000 workers within the agricultural sector, this week released a new strategy report for the next three years in response to the government’s recent Red Tape Challenge review. The review urged the GLA to focus its resources more greatly on severe cases of worker exploitation.
GLA chief executive Paul Broadbent has admitted that cases of forced labour are on the rise. He explained: “Forced labour in its most extreme form is modern slavery. It is one of the most abhorrent forms of exploitation we encounter and sadly we are uncovering and tackling more and more cases in the areas we regulate.”
However, it will be a case of doing more with less, as the GLA’s funding will drop to £3.9 million in 2014-15; it stood at £4.7m in 2010-11.
Broadbent, who was previously assistant chief constable for Nottinghamshire Police, said the GLA is consistently involved in more than 80 criminal investigations and he confirmed that cases involving organised crime groups are on the rise.
“It is vital that farmers are given a level playing field so those who play by the rules do not lose out to the ones who cut corners,” added Broadbent.
The new strategy also confirms that the GLA will increase joint-investigation operations up to 25 per cent by 2016 as it looks to increase its level of collaboration with groups such as HM Revenue & Customs and local law enforcement agencies.
Furthermore, the GLA, which was set up following the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster, in which 21 Chinese cockle pickers drowned, has pledged to increase the level of public identification and successful seizure of proceeds from crime activity within the agriculture and horticulture sectors by 20 per cent year on year.
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