A La Carte Recruitment supports Gangmasters Code of Practice

The tragedy of the cockle-pickers who died in Morecambe Bay in 2004 is still fresh in the minds of all who provide temporary workers to the agricultural and food processing industries in the UK. It was with this background that a consortium of retailers, labour providers and trades unions has come together to support a voluntary Code of Practice which aims to improve business practices in advance of compulsory licensing in 2006. The Code clearly sets out the standards required to comply with the law and forms the benchmark for independently assessing the employment procedures of labour providers.

Director of A La Carte Recruitment, Robert Vitols, who attended a national conference on the subject last week comments: ëResponsible recruitment agencies like A La Carte are always the first to come on board when sensible Codes of Practice are employed, but the battle is on to ensure that all recruitment businesses and ëgangmastersí also comply. We have already signed up to the Code and once our independent audit has been finalised, we will be one step ahead when legislation comes in next year.í

The intention is that a recurrence of the tragedy like Morecambe Bay will be prevented and that the health, safety and welfare of all temporary workers in the agricultural and food processing industries will be safeguarded.