PM urged to prevent another Morecambe Bay
UK food retailers including Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer have joined a push to prevent the abuse of the UK's 600,000 temporary workers.

The supermarkets have lined up with trade unions, labour providers and farmers to call for full implementation of a new law aimed at preventing ill treatment and exploitation of casual staff.

In a letter delivered to Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday, to coincide with the second anniversary of the death of 23 cockle pickers at Morecambe Bay, the group urged agreement on the scope of the Gangmasters Licensing Act (2004).

The group said any failure to act would lead to a significant delay in implementing protection for vulnerable workers.

The letter warned: 'The protracted uncertainty over which businesses will be covered by the Act is threatening the effectiveness of the legislation and risks causing significant delay.

'We urge you to make it clear to all departments that your Government's policy with regard to this Act is unambiguous: exclusions must be kept to a minimum; food processing must not be removed from the scope of the Act and the timetable for issuing licences must be adhered to.'

Signatories included TUC general secretary Brendan Barber, the British Retail Consortium, Co-operative Group, M&S, Sainsbury's, Asda, Waitrose, Tesco and Somerfield.

The importance of the legislation was underlined again today, with the news that 20 Polish cocklers are still missing off the coast of southwest Scotland.

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