{"id":3354,"date":"2025-08-06T08:35:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T08:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sntnetwork.org.uk\/DV\/?page_id=3354"},"modified":"2026-10-12T12:55:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T12:55:06","slug":"fruit-pickers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sntnetwork.org.uk\/DV\/fruit-pickers\/","title":{"rendered":"Fruit Pickers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Supporting Fruit Pickers and Seasonal Agricultural Workers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Seasonal farm work, including fruit and vegetable picking, is essential\u2014but too often, the people doing it are underpaid, overworked, and unprotected.<\/b><\/p>

Whether you\u2019re a migrant worker, student, or British national, you have the right to be treated fairly, paid properly, and kept safe at work. At <\/span>Rosa Women\u2019s Lives Matters<\/span><\/i>, we offer advice, support, and advocacy to agricultural workers facing poor treatment, abuse, or exploitation.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Who Are Fruit Pickers?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Fruit pickers and seasonal farm workers are employed\u2014usually short-term or on zero-hour contracts\u2014to harvest crops across the UK. Many are migrants recruited through seasonal worker schemes or agencies.<\/span><\/p>

Jobs often include:<\/span><\/p>

  • Picking, sorting, and packing fruit and vegetables<\/span><\/li>
  • Working long hours outdoors, sometimes in extreme weather<\/span><\/li>
  • Living in employer-provided accommodation<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Common Issues Faced by Farm Workers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Despite doing vital work, many agricultural workers experience:<\/span><\/p>

    • Low or unpaid wages<\/b><\/li>
    • Excessive working hours<\/b> with no breaks or overtime pay<\/span><\/li>
    • Unsafe or overcrowded accommodation<\/b><\/li>
    • Withheld passports or documents<\/b><\/li>
    • Verbal or physical abuse<\/b><\/li>
    • Sexual harassment<\/b><\/li>
    • Threats of deportation<\/b><\/li>
    • Lack of written contracts or payslips<\/b><\/li><\/ul>

      Many are unsure of their rights\u2014or too afraid to speak out.<\/span><\/p>

      \u201cWe worked 14-hour days with no breaks. When we asked for a day off, they said we\u2019d lose our place to sleep.\u201d<\/span>
      <\/span>\u2014 <\/span>Anonymous fruit picker, Kent<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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      Exploitation and Modern Slavery<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Some workers, especially those recruited from abroad, may be victims of <\/span>labour exploitation or modern slavery<\/b>. If someone is:<\/span><\/p>

      • Controlling your documents or money<\/span><\/li>
      • Forcing you to work without rest<\/span><\/li>
      • Threatening you or your family<\/span><\/li>
      • Isolating you from help<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

        \u2026you may be experiencing modern slavery. This is a crime, and you have the right to support\u2014<\/span>no matter your immigration status<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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        Your Rights as a Worker in the UK<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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        All workers, including migrants, have legal rights:<\/span><\/p>

        • Minimum wage<\/b>: \u00a311.44\/hour (from April 2024) for over 21s<\/span>
          <\/span><\/li>
        • Safe working conditions<\/b>
          <\/span><\/b><\/li>
        • Written contract<\/b> in a language you understand<\/span>
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        • Payslips showing your earnings and deductions<\/b>
          <\/span><\/b><\/li>
        • Freedom to leave your job<\/b>
          <\/span><\/b><\/li>
        • Protection from discrimination and abuse<\/b>
          <\/span><\/b><\/li>
        • Sick pay and rest breaks<\/b><\/li><\/ul>

          If your employer breaks these rules, they are in violation of the law.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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          How We Can Help<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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          At <\/span>Rosa Women\u2019s Lives Matters<\/span><\/i>, we can:<\/span><\/p>

          • Advise you on your rights<\/b><\/li>
          • Help you report abuse confidentially<\/b><\/li>
          • Connect you with legal or immigration support<\/b><\/li>
          • Support you if you are at risk of modern slavery<\/b><\/li>
          • Refer you to shelters or emergency housing<\/b><\/li>
          • Provide interpreters and translated resources<\/b><\/li>
          • Help you access medical care and counselling<\/b><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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            Get Help<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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            You do not have to face this alone.<\/span><\/p>

            • Modern Slavery Helpline (24\/7):<\/b> 08000 121 700<\/span><\/li>
            • Citizens Advice (free legal and employment advice):<\/b> 0800 144 8848<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

              All advice is <\/span>free, confidential, and available in many languages<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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              Know Your Worth<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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              You deserve dignity, fair pay, and safety\u2014regardless of where you come from or what kind of job you do.<\/span><\/p>

              If you\u2019re unsure about your rights, worried about a friend, or facing abuse at work, <\/span>reach out.<\/b> We\u2019re here to listen and to act.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Supporting Fruit Pickers and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Seasonal farm work, including fruit and vegetable picking, is essential\u2014but too often, the people doing it are underpaid, overworked, and unprotected. Whether you\u2019re a migrant worker, student, or British national, you have the right to be treated fairly, paid properly, and kept safe at work. At Rosa Women\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3354","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sntnetwork.org.uk\/DV\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sntnetwork.org.uk\/DV\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sntnetwork.org.uk\/DV\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sntnetwork.org.uk\/DV\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sntnetwork.org.uk\/DV\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sntnetwork.org.uk\/DV\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3354\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sntnetwork.org.uk\/DV\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}