UK potatoes

Under the Gangmasters Licensing Act (2004) it is illegal to operate as, or employ the services of, an unlicensed gangmaster

A labour supplier to several Scottish vegetable farms has been given 180 hours of unpaid community work after paying workers below the minimum wage.

Rimantas Sulcas, from the Angus region in Scotland, was asked if he knew anyone who could assist with the potato grading process, while working at Sootywells Farm, in Laurencekirk, in 2010.

He supplied up to 16 workers despite not having a GLA licence, and paid employees less than the legal minimum wage in cash. He did not attempt to register as an employer with HMRC in order to pay tax and national insurance on behalf of his workers.

Under the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act, it is a legal requirement that anyone who provides workers for agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering or any associated processing or packaging requires a licence.

Sulcas also supplied workers to Mains of Logie Farm in Montrose, and Dendoldrum Farm and Jacobsens-gfm, in Inverbervie.

He pleaded guilty to the offence of acting as a gangmaster without a licence at a hearing at Stonehaven Sheriff Court.

He was given a community labour sentence for 180 hours to be completed within a nine months period, or faces being brought back to court and re-sentenced.