Educational posters created by the GLAA will be distributed to a dozen poultry sites in England, Wales and Scotland as part of a six-week pilot project starting this month, which has been backed by the British Poultry Council.
The posters feature the top 10 labour rights that chicken catchers and other poultry workers should expect from their employer, covering the following areas:
• Contract, including working hours, holidays and time off
• Working conditions
• Pay
• No threats or abuse
• Accommodation
• Water and rest facilities
• Health and safety
• Transport
• Training
• Freedom
The posters will be available in four different languages including English and will include QR codes directing workers to the GLAA and partners’ websites for further information on their rights.
The checklist is based on the legal requirements in the GLAA licensing standards, which protect workers from poor treatment and exploitation.
GLAA investigating officer Adam Wright says:
“Through my numerous compliance inspections in this area, I have found that the poultry industry is a very distinct part of the labour market, which often does not share many similarities with other parts of the GLAA-regulated sector. Our engagement with industry stakeholders has resulted in collective contributions from within the sector towards this pilot, all of which will ultimately benefit workers.
"While the requirements in this poster have been designed with the poultry sector first and foremost in mind, they should be standard practice for responsible and compliant businesses across the labour market. Paying someone the National Minimum Wage and providing them with the correct equipment and training is as relevant for someone working at a car wash or on a construction site as it is for a poultry worker.
"Ensuring that workers understand their rights and the signs of labour exploitation is crucial in maintaining healthy, productive workplaces. We hope that this much-needed resource will help to achieve this alongside our regular compliance inspections and targeted enforcement activity.”
You can find and download the poster from the resources section of the GLAA website.
If you are not receiving the pay and conditions you should, call the confidential reporting hotline on 0800 4320804 or email aW50ZWxsaWdlbmNlQGdsYS5nb3YudWs=.
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