Unite: 'Britain's Supermarkets should hang their head in shame'

Saturday, 13 March 2010 12:00 AM

Unite welcomes landmark Inquiry by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission into exploitation, discrimination and undercutting in the 88,000-strong meat industry.

"Britain's Supermarkets should hang their heads in shame", Unite Deputy General Secretary, Jack Dromey today (Saturday 13th March) said welcoming the damning indictment by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, in a forensic report into exploitation, undercutting and discrimination in the 88,000-strong meat industry, supplying red and white meat products to the nation's household name supermarkets.

Mr Dromey continued: . "Supermarkets have driven down costs along their supply chain with tens of thousands of workers paying the price, suffering discrimination and unfair treatment. A two-tier labour market has been created exploiting migrant agency workers on poorer conditions of employment and undercutting directly-employed workers on better conditions of employment. That divides workforces and damages social cohesion in local communities. Unite has fought for equal treatment of all workers and we welcome the call from the EHRC for workers doing the same job to be paid the same

Turning to the wider evidence of shocking abuse, Jack Dromey said "The EHRC report exposes labour practices in the supermarket supply chain that are an affront to human decency - physical and verbal abuse, a lack of health and safety protection, shameful treatment of pregnant women and a culture of fear. The report says, and rightly so, that there are reputable employers but they are undercut by the rogues."

"The customers of Britain's supermarkets demand high standards and fair trade. Some supermarkets have taken welcome initiatives to curb the worst excesses in their suppliers. Only ASDA has acted to end exploitation and undercutting in their supply chain, moving to a new ethical model of supply chain management - efficient, effective and with fair and equal treatment of workers. ASDA has led. The others have lagged behind. The message from the EHRC is unmistakable. The meat industry must change and all supermarkets should accept their responsibility. All workers doing the same job should enjoy equal treatment. All workers should be treated with respect. And there should be no second class citizen in 21st Century Britain."

"The EHRC is right to challenge all those with responsibility to act" Mr Dromey concluded. "Supermarkets, suppliers, employment agencies, Government, enforcement agencies and trade unions, we must all work together. We will be at the table rising to the challenge posed by this landmark Inquiry."

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Jack Dromey 07976 833362
Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931315

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