The cut flower industry
Flower workers in developing countries like Kenya and Colombia risk their health for unsafe, insecure jobs supplying UK supermarkets. In our new report Growing Pains War on Want investigates the human cost of cut flowers in British supermarkets.
Supermarkets sell 70% of all the flowers bought in the UK - the highest proportion in Europe. But the workers in Colombia and Kenya supplying those flowers to the supermarkets face low wages, health problems such as repetitive strain injuries and miscarriages through exposure to pesticides. Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury's all source from one or both of these countries, and have enormous influence over flower producers and ultimately the health and safety of workers.
Many UK businesses have adopted voluntary standards for their suppliers, but these are still failing to protect the health and safety of workers. War on Want is therefore calling on the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Lord Mandelson, to urge the government to introduce binding legislation to enforce corporate accountability. This must give overseas workers the right of redress in the UK, i.e. the ability to seek compensation for damage to their health and loss of earnings as the result of actions of UK companies or their suppliers.
Flower workers depend on their jobs as vital sources of income. Help us ensure that workers supplying the UK have safe and secure jobs. Take action now for a supermarket watchdog to ensure workers in overseas supply chains are free from exploitation.
