Trade union Unite is planning a major campaign of action to change labour practices in the entire fresh produce industry, freshinfo has learnt.
The union will approach supermarkets, protest outside stores and look to secure local and national newspaper coverage for its campaign in a sustained plan of high profile action over the coming months.
The news comes as Unite stepped up its action against Thanet Earth, distributing leaflets at the FPJ South East conference last week outlining its grievances against the supermarket supplier. Events were also planned in Margate and Hastings against the company this week.
It had originally been thought that Unite’s protests were limited to Thanet Earth, but it has now emerged that Fresca was selected as it is one of the highest profile suppliers in the sector.
And now the union plans to step up its campaign by targeting some of the biggest firms in the business, according to Mick Duncan, senior regional organiser for the south east. “That’s the long-term plan. We achieved this in the poultry and red meat industry, where the annual turnover of staff was 80 per cent. We have a degree of permanency now. The plan is to keep rolling this through the supply sector.”
Duncan said Unite’s wishlist included getting labour contracted on a more permanent basis, phasing out “casualised” labour, getting better access to complaints procedures and establishing more of a negotiating position for unions. The plans are still in their infancy, he added.
He said the same goals had been achieved in the meat industry by getting retailers to back its stance. Asda has put 60 meat suppliers on “notice of improvement” as a direct result, according to Duncan, with another major supermarket due to sign a similar commitment.
After Fresca, Unite will target other major producers including Langmeads, Natures Way Foods and FW Mansfield, Duncan said. No specific grievances have been issued against those companies, and no suggestion of wrongdoing has been implied.
Dave Moore, chief operating officer at Langmead Farms, who was speaking before Unite named individual companies, said of the union’s campaign: “In reality, I think it would be unrealistic because we only need people six months of the year to harvest lettuce. We are by nature a seasonal business and therefore we need a seasonal, flexible workforce.”
Duncan admitted that Unite had not yet engaged with the NFU, but had been in contact with the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority.
NFU Horticulture & Potatoes board chair Sarah Pettitt said: “It is easy to shout from the rooftops about something that won’t fail to get consumer interest and that’s what concerns me. I’d like to hear from Unite.
“The way it has approached the situation doesn’t appear to have a lot of substance at the moment. This can have such a damaging effect on the industry. Sadly people don’t listen enough to the challenges of the debate to know what they are talking about.”
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