A group of Indonesian workers has reported financial distress after their employment at a UK farm ended prematurely due to unmet targets. The individuals had ventured to the United Kingdom under the seasonal worker scheme, which allows foreign workers to obtain six-month visas for agricultural work. Abdul, a pseudonym for one of the workers, shared his experience of accumulating approximately $4,000 in debt to secure his position at Haygrove, a farm located in Hereford. Despite expectations of earning $65 per day, Abdul and several others were terminated within weeks for not achieving the required 20kg of fruit per hour picking rate.
Abdul attributed the difficulty in meeting targets to being assigned to less fruitful areas of the plantation. Despite efforts, he and four other Indonesian workers were dismissed following three written warnings. Haygrove, in a statement, defended the dismissals as a result of a fair disciplinary process focused on poor performance, emphasizing their commitment to fair employment practices. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) has initiated an investigation into the recruitment processes following allegations of illegal recruitment fees.
Following their dismissal, Abdul found alternative employment on a different farm but faces the expiration of his visa. PT Mardel, one of the Indonesian recruitment agencies involved, cited costs up to 33 million Indonesian rupiah ($2,123) for potential workers, asserting that all placed workers were satisfied with their employment in the UK. However, several workers and applicants have reported significant debts incurred in preparation for their employment in the UK, with some, like Ali, still awaiting departure and struggling financially as a result.
The Indonesian Embassy in London has acknowledged the situation, expressing support for the Indonesian government's efforts to ensure the proper placement of migrant workers and backing investigations into the recruitment process. Labour rights activist Andy Hall highlighted the systemic issues within the UK's recruitment of migrant workers post-Brexit, criticizing the expectation for workers to cover their recruitment costs and the role of supermarkets in driving down produce prices, exacerbating the challenges faced by migrant workers.
Source: Al Jazeera