An group of Indonesian workers have reported problems with finances following their time on the UK farm came to an end early due to not meeting objectives. They had travelled into in the United Kingdom under the seasonal worker program, which permits foreigners to get 6-month work visas to do agricultural work. Abdul”Abdul,” a pseudonym used by one of the workers described his story of accruing about $4,000 in loans to get his job in Haygrove, which was a farm in Hereford. Although he was expected to earn an average of $65 per day Abdul as well as a few others were dismissed within days for not meeting the minimum 20 kg of fruits per hour rate.

Abdul The difficulty of reaching targets due to the fact that he was assigned to areas that are less productive within the plantation. Despite their efforts, Abdul and four others Indonesian employees were fired following three warnings in writing. Haygrove issued an announcement, justified dismissals based on the result of fair disciplinary procedures which focused on the poor performance of employees, highlighting their commitment to fair practices in employment. In a press release, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) is conducting an investigation into the hiring procedures following accusations of unlawful fee for recruiting.

In the wake of their dismissal Abdul discovered a different job at another farm, but is now facing the end of his visa. PT Mardel, one of the Indonesian hiring agencies that were involved in the case, has cited costs of up to 33 million Indonesian rupiah ($2,123) to potential employees and claimed that all employees were happy about their job within the UK. But, a number of candidates and workers have complained of massive debts they have incurred as preparation to work in the UK as well as some such as Ali waiting for their departure and battling financially due to the delay.

It is reported that the Indonesian Embassy London has acknowledged the issue by expressing its appreciation for the Indonesian government’s efforts to ensure proper location of migrants as well as appointing an investigator to investigate the processes for recruitment. Rights activist Andy Hall highlighted the systemic challenges in the hiring of workers from abroad after Brexit, pointing out the need that workers will pay for expenses for their employment and the importance of supermarkets in decreasing the cost of produce and exacerbates the issues facing migrant workers.

Source: Al Jazeera