Strawberry pickers' wages probed

Mansfield Farms is a supplier to Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer

Farming Minister Lord Rooker is looking into claims that strawberry pickers working in Kent are being underpaid.

A TV investigation said piece-workers for Mansfield Farms were not having their pay topped up if their picking rate left them below the minimum wage.

The company said the claims - about workers at Pett Bottom near Canterbury - were being taken "very seriously".

The matter is being investigated by Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer, which buy produce from Mansfield Farms.

Two undercover reporters claimed migrant workers from Poland, Latvia and other countries were not having their pay topped up to the minimum hourly rate.

Mansfield Farms said cheques for the amount owed had been sent to two people after they did not contact the harvest manager about their top-up pay.

'Independent audit'

A statement said: "Although Mansfield Farms believes that it has adequate procedures in place, we have commissioned an independent audit of our employment procedures and payment practices."

Lord Rooker said: "If you put someone on a piece-work scheme, picking strawberries, and for some reason they don't make the minimum wage, you've got to make it up to the minimum wage.

"I will personally take it as my responsibility to make sure... I get reports back about what's happening."

Statements from Sainsbury's and M&S said the stores were both taking the allegations seriously and they were awaiting the results of the audit.

An undercover team from Sky News worked in Pett Bottom over two days.