FEATURE Migrant workers/New reps
n By Hajera Blagg
‘WE ALL LOOK AFTER EACH OTHER’
Brazilian-born Gabriela is proud to be a Unite rep
Gabriela Cunha (pictured below) has come a long way from her home in Brazil to the East Midlands, where she lives now. Previously a primary school teacher in her home country, Gabriela now works at the 2 Sisters poultry plant in Wolverhampton.
She’s employed as a ‘general operative’. It’s perhaps a deliberately vague job title that obscures the incredibly difficult work she and her colleagues do each and every day. Gabriela works in ‘deboning’ which entails removing leg and thigh bones from chickens. Shifts are long – in some cases as long as 12 hours – and the work itself requires high levels of precision.
Still, Gabriela manages to find the positives in an otherwise gruelling job.
“My favourite part of the job is working with my colleagues,” she said. “They’re all such kind people – we all look after each other.”
Gabriela has lived in the UK for nearly four years, three of which she’s worked at 2 Sisters. She joined Unite early on, because, she said, “I realised the level of support the union can deliver for us.”
Gabriela experienced this personally when she had a problem at work. It all started when she wanted to attend a Portuguese-language church service in Birmingham. Although Gabriela’s faith has always been big part of her identity, it became doubly important to her after emigrating to the UK, where she felt lonely because English is not her first language.
“None of my colleagues speak Portuguese as a first language, so church was the only place I could truly express myself,” she explained.
The church service – the only Portuguese-language one anywhere in the area – is held on Saturday afternoons, which conflicted with her shift. Gabriela saw that many
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Don’t be afraid to put yourself forward. You’ll learn from others who have lots of experience, and you’ll get all the training and support you need
Gabriela Cunha,
Unite rep, 2 Sisters, Wolverhampton
of her colleagues from other faiths were permitted time to pray, and all she wanted was some similar flexibility from her employer. Although management at first refused, after Unite got involved, Gabriela can now attend church.
It was this experience that made Gabriela want to become a rep.
“When I had that support, I realised how important it is to help others,” she explained. “I was told I’d be a good rep because I don’t get easily stressed – I can keep my cool under pressure. When I asked our convenor Iulian what being a rep involves, he told me I could do it, so I did.”
Gabriela has been a rep for just over a year now, and she says she’s really enjoying it. She’s proud of the work she’s done so far being a voice for other workers. She urges others to consider becoming a rep.
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself forward. You’ll learn from others who have lots of experience, and you’ll get all the training and support you need.”
• See pages 22-23, 36-37 48 uniteLANDWORKER Summer 2026
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Mark Thomas
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