A Scottish Berry farmer has been forced by the courts to pay two of workers over £25,000 in compensation for the treatment they endured.
David Leslie, was found guily of race discrimination, unlawfully docking of their wages and unfair dismissal. After the employment tribunal, Poles Tomasz Kowal and Michal Obieglo told of their relief. Tomasz said: "Leslie was a bully and a crook who took advantage of every worker he had".
The two had filmed meetings they had with Leslie, as well as taking photographs of the accommodation they were forced to live in, converted metal containers, with no running water, where 200 workers shared just 12 showers.
In the written judgement after the hearing in Dundee, employment judge Nicol Hosie said: "There is no doubt that the discrimination in this case was serious."
"They were treated appallingly, without any common decency or respect, and left frightened and humiliated."
It was described by Richard Pitts of the Central Scotland Racial Equality Council as 'modern day slavery'. |
