Working Lives Research Institute
The project was carried out in partnership with Ergon Associates.
Dr Sonia McKay, Marc Craw
January to July 2007
This research report was commissioned by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) - a UK based multi-stakeholder initiative focusing on the improvement of labour standards in supply chains - in the light of expressed concern by some of its members over the apparent disparities in the treatment of agency workers, compared to directly-employed workers, at suppliers of poultry products to UK supermarkets.
The objective of the research was to provide detailed, representative and current information to the interested stakeholders on working conditions for migrant and agency workers within the part of the UK’s poultry sector that supplies supermarkets.
In addition, the research tried to identify areas for improvement in employment practices with reference to current practice, employment law and the ETI Base Code; and to identify good practice and analyse proposals for change made by stakeholders and their potential impact on the industry. While the research was limited to the poultry sector, it was undertaken in the context of the use of agency workers within the wider food processing industry.
The research process for this project was carried out in three parts. The first stage involved a series of structured interviews with stakeholders, including supermarkets, suppliers, labour providers, industry bodies, regulatory bodies and trade unions. The aim of this process was to determine the key factors affecting the industry and how these were perceived to impact on the supply of labour and, in particular, the use of agency work.
The second phase was based around a detailed questionnaire, which was sent to some 60 sites supplying poultry products to supermarkets in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
The final phase involved visits to 8 sites to carry out interview-based research with management, workers, labour providers and trade union representatives on site. A selection of both agency and direct workers were interviewed individually.
The research report was presented to the ETI and to relevant stakeholders including the major poultry companies, the trade unions, the four largest supermarkets and representatives of the main employment agency confederations. The report findings are confidential.