A Peterborough gangmaster has had his licence revoked and received a two-year ban after failing to meet a raft of GLA licensing conditions.

The number of penalty points recorded was more than six times the amount needed to revoke a licence.

James Smith, manager of JR & JD Smith, was declared “not fit and proper” to hold a GLA licence and under the GLA standards introduced in April 2009 now faces a two-year ban from acting as a gangmaster.

Smith could not prove that he was paying national minimum wage to all workers as accurate records were not kept. When inspecting the business, GLA officers found that buses used to transport workers were not correctly insured, and the main listed driver did not have a valid driving licence, workers had to buy their own protective equipment, several worker files lacked copies of identification documents and labourers were not paid the agricultural minimum wage overtime they were due.

Smith will have to wait two years before he can reapply to be a gangmaster. He is likely to come under very close scrutiny by the GLA should he do so.

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