Gangmaster defends worker claims

Jonathan Beckson is appealing against the GLA decision

A gangmaster who supplied workers for flower picking in Cornwall has spoken out after having his licence revoked.

The Gangmaster's Licensing Authority (GLA) took Jonathan Beckson's licence after finding evidence of "forced labour, intimidation and abuse".

These included low pay, overcrowded accommodation and threats to the workers' families.

Mr Beckson, of Timberland Homes Recruitment, said he was disappointed and surprised at the decision.

The Suffolk-based company supplied a number of farms in Cornwall and Angus in Scotland with foreign, mainly Polish, workers.

Owners of one of the farms became suspicious after talking to workers and contacted the GLA, who carried out an investigation.

It found workers who claimed they were paid £24 for a nine-hour day, receiving four pence per bunch of flowers picked.

If it's good enough for me, it's good enough for seasonal agricultural workers Jonathan Beckson

They also found some of the accommodation did not have enough beds or toilets for the numbers housed there.

The GLA said workers had received a letter telling them they were not free to leave before the end of their contract without paying £700 and, if they did not have the money, this would be recovered from their families in their home country.

Mr Beckson, who is Director of Timberland Homes Recruitment, plans to appeal against the GLA decision.

Speaking to BBC News he said: "We look after our workers. The main point is to have the same people coming back each year and we have a high number that come back.

"The accommodation we put them in is to a very high standard. I stay in it. If it's good enough for me, it's good enough for seasonal agricultural workers."

He said workers were paid for each bunch of flowers picked so their daily wage depended on how hard they worked and the £700 fee was for money workers had been advanced.

He claimed the GLA had not contacted him about its findings or its decision to revoke his licence.