Memorandum submitted by Fresh Produce
Consortium
1. The Fresh Produce Consortium is the trade
association that represents the interests of Retailers, Wholesalers,
Importers and Packers of fresh fruit and vegetables and flowers
in the United Kingdom.
2. We have since 1999 been involved in a
number of voluntary initiatives designed to ensure that Gangmasters,
their sub-contractors and the workers they supply are managed
in such a manner that all their activities are brought within
the current legislative framework. The most significant of these
initiatives was the production by us of "Temporary Packhouse
Labour—FPC Guide, First Edition 2000".
3. This publication was prepared with the
support of Joyce Quinn MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
for MAFF at that time, and officials in a number of government
departments. Since its publication it has been supported by the
major supermarkets and extensively used in the UK packing operations
supplying these supermarkets.
4. In December 2001 we asked the Agricultural
Investigation Team to prepare a report for us on how they saw
the Gangmaster situation at that time. We agreed with the conclusion
of the AIT that "Guidance and advice have had little effect,
perhaps it is now time for legislation".
5. It was for this reason that we were very
supportive of the establishment of the Ethical Trading initiative
Working Group on Gangmasters. This is a cross-industry group established
to explore the feasibility of developing a licensing and registration
scheme for Gangmasters.
6. Representatives of the Working Group
met with Beverly Hughes MP, Minister of State for the Home Office
and Lord Whitty, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for DEFRA
on 11th March this year (see attached briefing note). The specific
objectives of this meeting were:
6.1 To propose that a code of practice for
the providers of temporary labour (Gangmasters) be developed.
6.2 To propose that legislation be passed
to enable the statutory registration of providers of temporary
labour.
7. The outcomes of the meeting were:
7.1 Government assistance to determine if
competition rules may prevent the establishment of a voluntary
system for the registration of Gangmasters.
7.2 Government assistance with the development
of a code of practice for Gangmasters.
7.3 Development of a programme of voluntary
implementation of the code of practice including the procedure
for independent verification of compliance with the code.
7.4 Preparation of a "tool kit"
designed to assist Gangmasters wishing to secure compliance with
the code.
7.5 Identification of Gangmasters willing
to trial the code.
7.6 Exploration of the merits of establishing
a trade association for Gangmasters.
7.7 Agreement to meet Beverley Hughes and
Lord Whitty to review progress in six months time.
8. We welcome these positive outcomes from
the meeting but are firmly of the opinion that if the problems
relating to Gangmasters are to be effectively tackled, voluntary
initiatives must now be superseded by government legislation that
allows the statutory registration of Gangmasters.
28 April 2003
| 
