The unions weren't interested and they aren't now. They were there, they had their representatives but the knew the score and did nothing to help us. The only thing we ever got from them was a policy where once you worked there for 5 years you got an extra days holiday and then after 10 another and for every 10 after that another. All they did when the Brits were being kicked out was promote themselves like crazy with posters and flyers in Portuguese, Polish and Russian.
The whole industry is the same and if the unions really wanted a battle they could tackle it but they aren't bothered. illegal compulsory overtime is still in place and agency workers know they have to do what is asked or they won't get the hours. It is illegal to discriminate by advertising 'Polish workers only' but it still goes on and when they get caught out they just say it was a mistake and get away with it. Agencies are not allowed to only take on migrants and not British but they do and get away with it.
These laws have been in place for over a decade. The Equality and diversity Ethics comittee do their annual report every year detailing that it is still going on yet nothing is done. The Unions will make a stand every now and again for something small like a 1% payrise just to make out they are worthy of their place. It isn't newsworthy like doctors and nurses so they don't bother.
Greencore opened a new factory in Northampton last year and then went to Hungary to get employees. When questioned they stated that locals and Brits were not willing to do the work. This was weeks after a different sandwich maker had closed in the area. This article is a mirror of when I worked in the factories with the bullying, disciplining for nothing and agency workers not saying anything for fear of losing work.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/supermarket-sandwich-company-snubbed-brits-4635564
Next's big distribution centre in South Elmsall in West Yorkshire. Again they state they can't get British workers and hire through an agency in Poland that buses the workers to the UK. They also say that Brits won't travel to the factory however the Poles are bused in from miles away. When it was asked why it doesn't advertise in the UK they said they did but they advertised in Poland first because it takes more time to take on workers from abroad.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...orkers-staff-warehouse-area-200-000-dole.html
These 2 are from 2014 and 2015. I last worked in the factories in 2005. Nothing has changed in a decade.
This article addresses how small towns and villages are overloaded by migrants who are exploited by agencies and gangmasters. This is from last year. My wife of 10 years originally cam over in this way sharing a room with 8 people living in a 3 bed house for £60 a year. This problem is getting worse as it was slum living back then but these days can get very nasty and violent. She had one of those 'alpha males' in her house who was basically the one that was the spokesman for the workers if any authorities came knocking.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-workers-exploited-gangmasters-eastern-europe
The unions are not interested in doing anything about this. They are just interested in getting more migrant members.