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pasteuriser, so it’s incredibly hot, and it’s an old building.
Mosley – who has a photo of herself holding a temperature probe during a night shift that says 43.6˚C – has worked with Greencore’s health and safety department to trial an air flow system in the hottest part of the factory.
Another growing issue for Mosley is the communication difficulties between her employer to her colleagues. “When the bulk of the workforce was Polish, I only had to explain things to one or two people. But now that we get lots of different nationalities and not many speak English, when things need to be briefed to them, like safety information, there’s no way for them to understand,” she says.
“I worry that people are being left out. I’ve picked out union members who can translate, and use them regularly.” The other issue with this language barrier is that employees aren’t aware of their legal rights.
“A lot of people don’t know they’re legally entitled to a break every 4.5 hours. People don’t always get told
their rights because it’s not beneficial to the employer,” she says.
But Mosley has been instrumental in securing improvements for her colleagues, and is currently negotiating the terms of providing English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes.
“A lot of things are fairly easy to achieve if you focus, and I’ve got a lot of Unite members behind me I can call for support,” says Mosley, who has also secured a multifaith prayer room onsite.
“It’s hot, it’s loud, and the shifts are long – but that doesn’t mean it has to be a nasty place to work,” she says.
But without political intervention, Mosley’s hard work will continue to make incremental victories against economic forces, says Clarkson. “Political intervention is the only way things will change, because supermarkets are so powerful,” she says.
“I don’t think we’ll get it from this government, because a lot of shareholders are also members of
19 uniteLANDWORKER Autumn 2023
A lot of people don’t know they’re legally entitled to a break every 4.5 hours. People don’t always get told their rights because it’s not beneficial to the employer
Monique Mosley Unite rep, Greencore
”
the Conservative Party, so we need a change of government for things to change.”
Industry and politics have enjoyed a long, close relationship – and supermarket chains are no exception. Earlier this year, Lord John Sainsbury, former chair of the supermarket chain, left £10m to the Conservatives in his will.
But Clarkson has had numerous discussions with Daniel Zeichner, shadow farming minister, who she says has agreed with her argument regarding the unbridled power of supermarket chains over prices, wages and working conditions for migrant workers.
“I’d like to think that if and when we get a Labour government, he will pick this up,” she adds. “This supermarket stranglehold has to end.”
find out more
See reports at Landworkers Alliance and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Alamy
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