Businesses hail GLA move

FORESTRY BUSINESSES across the UK have welcomed a Government decision to remove the sector from the scope of the Gangmaster Licensing Authority (GLA).

The move follows complaints the GLA had been heavy-handed and aggressive in its approach.

There had also been complaints that the licensing regime was costly and complex and added totally unnecessary bureaucracy and expense, creating a barrier to economic growth.

Confor, which is based in Edinburgh but represents 2,000 forestry and wood-using businesses across the UK, led a two-year campaign to remove the GLA remit over a sector that did not have any of the problems with migrant and casual workers that the GLA was set up to address.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Highlands MP Danny Alexander supported Confor’s campaign.

“The Government must be congratulated on recognising that forestry should not be within the scope of gangmaster licensing and announcing it will take action,” said Confor chief executive Stuart Goodall.

“This will be welcomed across the sector as the removal of an unnecessary burden that was damaging jobs and the sustainable management of our forests.

“I have written to Forestry Minister Lord Taylor and the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Jim Paice, who made the announcement, to thank them for responding to our concerns and acting on them. Businesses will be delighted at this decision.”

Confor has lobbied politicians across the UK and raised awareness of the damage of Gangmaster licensing — and urged the Government to follow through on promises to slash unnecessary red tape.

One business had described the GLA as an example of “the ultimate sledgehammer to crack a nut” and said it had used “draconian powers”.

John Wheelan of M1 Forestry Services in West Yorkshire, who works all over the UK, described his experience with the GLA as “hellish”.

He said yesterday: “This is great news — we are delighted that the Confor campaign has paid off, as this lifts a heavy and unnecessary burden from our shoulders and will allow us to press ahead with developing our business.”

The problem had arisen, not with regular workers but with contracted labour brought in for tasks such as planting and fencing.

Initially the GLA were only interested in workers involved in manual tasks but then began to include machinery operators.

“The GLA were moving ever outwards from unskilled labour into other areas but at the same time no-one could find evidence of exploitative behaviour,” said Mr Goodall.

“There has been very strong resistance from some quarters to removing forestry from the scope of GLA licensing, and it has required repeated efforts to keep up the momentum and deal with new barriers that have been thrown in the way.”