Waitrose is taking steps to protect the rights of migrant workers entering the UK fishing industry. The move follows reports of sector-wide issues, including overworking and illegal recruitment fees.
In what we believe to be a first for any UK supermarket, we’ve released a series of videos that educate workers – particularly migrant workers – on what to expect when entering the sector.
Featuring fishermen from countries including India, Latvia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Ghana, the clips share worker’s real experiences, and the things they wish they’d known when starting work in the UK.
The videos clearly explain workers’ legal rights – including ensuring adequate rest, entitlements to pay for all hours worked, safety training and the provision of free personal protective equipment – with the aim of improving welfare standards across the industry.
They also cover practical advice, like making sure fishers pack warm clothing when heading to the UK, or how getting international phone credit makes it easier to stay in touch with loved ones abroad.
Globally, the fishing industry has been linked to poor working practices and human rights violations, so we recognise the sector as a high risk area for poor working conditions.
The four videos were created after Waitrose commissioned an independent human rights consultancy, Impactt, to speak to ‘off-duty’ crew at two major Scottish ports.
Over forty interviews were conducted and, to ensure an accurate representation of people’s experiences of the industry, interviewees were selected at random rather than from Waitrose’s own suppliers.
The research found that many migrant crew were neither prepared for the harsh realities of life at sea, nor aware of their rights.
Sam Ludlow-Taylor, a senior human rights programme manager for Waitrose, explained: “The UK fishing industry relies on international workers, but too many join the sector without fully understanding their rights or what to expect.
“While we’ve long championed sustainable fishing, we know there’s more to do in our supply chain, and particularly across the wider sector. That’s why we’re making the videos public, to help drive real change across the industry.”
Over three quarters of the people we spoke to – from randomly selected vessels, rather than those from our own supply chain – worked up to 20 hours per day continually across three to four weeks, without proper rest breaks.
Similar findings were also uncovered in a much wider study, published in 2022 by the University of Nottingham Rights Lab. This found that 60% of crew reported working a minimum of 16 hours per shift, while a third reported working more than 20.
Regardless of the size of the vessel, if at sea for more than three days, workers must be given at least 10 hours rest every day, rising to 77 hours across any seven-day period.
The payment of illicit recruitment fees was also highlighted as a key issue, both in our own research and that of the University of Nottingham. Our researchers interviewed someone who had paid over £2,300 to get a job in the UK.
Workers are often unaware that such fees should never be paid by job seekers. Instead, as the new videos make clear, the vessel owner must cover recruiters’ costs, so workers aren’t left out of pocket.
Whilst our research uncovered significant areas for improvement, it also highlighted positive practices, from good pay, especially relative to that in workers’ home countries, to good food whilst at sea.
Many of the workers highlighted strong relationships with their crew and skipper, while others praised the on-board wifi for helping them stay connected with loved ones abroad, even while at sea.
Funded by Waitrose, the videos were produced alongside independent maritime welfare charities – The Seafarers’ Charity and Stella Maris – and The International Transport Workers Federation.
Tina Barnes, impact director at The Seafarers’ Charity added: “There’s lots to celebrate about the UK fishing sector; it can provide comfortable salaries – significantly higher than migrant workers may earn in their home countries.
“Likewise, as this research shows, crews can forge incredible bonds. Of course, there’s still work to do and these videos will make a tangible difference to the lives of fishermen – both from the UK and abroad.”
Just a few minutes in length, the videos are designed to be rewatched, shared, and easy to digest. They’ve also been dubbed in nine different languages.
Other areas of advice given in the films include for fishers to request a duplicate copy of their contract in their preferred language, how they must expect more than minimum wage, and what taxes to expect.
Another clip sets out what is acceptable behaviour from skippers and crewmates, and includes links to charities, which can provide support and advice.
The clips have been made available on the John Lewis Partnership YouTube channel, and are being shared internationally by our partner charities.
They’re also being promoted at industry events – such as the Seafood Ethics Common Language Group – which bring together people from across the sector to discuss ethical sourcing, labour and worker welfare.
Outside of the videos, we are working to make sure that all UK vessels supplying Waitrose meet the voluntary Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS). Launched in 2020, this is a voluntary programme certifying high standards of vessel management and safety. Our aim is for all UK vessels supplying Waitrose to be RFVS certified.
We also fund a regional outreach manager to visit fleets in South West England and North East Scotland and establish awareness levels of and interest in the RFVS programme. By offering guidance and advice on surmounting these barriers, the Outreach Manager has encouraged several skippers and vessel owners to consider applying for certification.
