'Grievances' of pickers taken up

Union leaders claim poor working practices continue at the farm

Individual grievances of migrant workers employed as fruit pickers at a Herefordshire farm are to be taken up by a union.

The complaints by workers employed by S&A Produce at Brierly Court Farm near Leominster are to be taken through the firm's internal grievance process.

The T&G union claims the firm operates poor working practices.

The company denies the claims and said practices had changed but many of the allegations were unsubstantiated.

A union spokeswoman said: "We are having to put forward individual grievance claims, we should be engaging in collective negotiations."

Russell Griffin from S&A said: "The T&G have raised certain issues which we have taken on board but others they have raised have proved unsubstantiated, and further investigation has proved that to be the case."