Why do farms recruit fruit pickers from 7,000 miles away?
A shortage of farm workers created by Brexit led to 8,000 tonnes of berries not being picked last year. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the shortage more critical – Ukrainians made up two-thirds of all workers arriving on seasonal work visas in 2021, with almost 20,000 working on UK farms. When war broke out weeks before the start of the harvesting season, recruiters had to look beyond Ukraine, with an increase reported among farmers arriving from Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
How much do farms rely on seasonal workers from abroad?
Very. In 2019 around 2,500 workers came to Britain under the seasonal work visa pilot. This year the number is expected to be 40,000, with many coming from faraway countries and little funding or infrastructure to investigate the circumstances of their recruitment.
Why are UK farm collectors thousands of pounds in debt to brokers in Bali?
AG Recruitment, one of only four licensed agencies allowed to recruit under the UK’s seasonal worker scheme, has been tasked with quickly filling a shortage of farm workers this year, including in Indonesia. With no previous experience in Indonesia, AG sought help from Jakarta-based Al Zubara Manpower, which appears to have gone to brokers on other islands who charged exorbitant fees to the workers they imported. AG chief executive Douglas Amesz said he personally recruited applicants in Jakarta for the Clock House farm in Kent, that applications and visas were processed only by AG and he was not aware of brokers charging fees. He said he was “extremely concerned to learn of the allegations that have been made”.
Do the workers have enough work to pay their debts?
Some collectors at Clock House were worried when they started work that they could end up trapped in debt, as many workers were initially on zero-hours contracts, despite this being against the rules for those on seasonal work visas from April 2022 . With at least one worker earning less than £300 a week after living expenses are charged, some were worried about running out of work as the collection period ends before the end of their six-month visa. Clock House changed contracts to guarantee at least 20 hours after the Guardian approached it for a response. The farm said it carried out an audit of its payroll and found workers were being picked for an average of more than 48 hours a week, which means an income of more than £2,000 a month.
What about workers who were not charged illegal fees?
It is common and within the rules for selectors to cover the cost of their own flights and visas, despite experts saying the best practice is an ’employer pays’ approach. This means that many workers arrive with significant debt when they fly from the other side of the world, even without extra fees.
Will billed workers get their money back?
Unlikely. Dora-Olivia Vicol, chief executive of the Center for Labor Rights, said: “The real tragedy is that compensating these workers will be extremely difficult. This is because law enforcement agencies in the UK are not yet equipped to track down and prosecute fraudulent recruiters who are registered abroad. “To do this we will need continued cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the UK and those in the countries that supply UK farms with agricultural labour. Unfortunately, it can take years to build, so workers from Indonesia, Nepal and [parts of] Central Asia, countries that until recently were invisible to law enforcement agencies, are at particular risk today.”
Do the fruits they pick end up on my table?
Very likely. Clock House, where several workers say they owe between £4,400 and £5,000 to brokers in Bali, supplies supermarkets with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums and apples. Its customers include Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s and the supermarkets have launched urgent investigations into the allegations. Clock House said it was “deeply concerned” and was working with the authorities to investigate.
Who is supposed to stop this from happening or act when it does?
This is where the buck-passing begins. The Gangmasters and Labor Abuse Authority, which operates in England and Wales, has a mandate to protect vulnerable and exploited workers, but the Home Office was quick to point out that the GLAA cannot investigate labor abuse and exploitation in other countries. The Home Office says it’s up to foreign governments to investigate, but cash-strapped states exporting workers don’t necessarily have the resources or the inclination. The GLAA itself has a budget of just £7m – less than the Home Office spends on publications, stationery and printing.
