Illegal working conditions for casual foreign workers VB and notes
a gang – group noun – a group which often but not always has negative connotations
Eg 1) a group of young people, especially young men, who spend time together, often fighting with other groups and behaving badly.
2) a group of criminals who work together
A gang can also simply be an informal group:
3) a group of friends at school or at work
4) a group of workers (or prisoners) who work together
a gangmaster is a person in charge of a gang used in connection with the meanings above
a rogue can be a) a mischievous but likeable person; it also means b) a dishonest or unprincipled person as here
a rogue gangmaster has a dishonest, menacing, maybe illegal, perhaps even criminal association
a rogues’ gallery – informal is a collection of photographs of known criminals used by police to identify suspects.
to harvest potatoes = to pick potatoes when they are ready to be eaten
berth – a fixed place to sleep – eg a bunk – on a ship, on a train or in a caravan
a 4-berth compartment would be designed for four people to sleep in
a cot – a young child’s bed
scavenge – verb – to search for and collect (anything usable) from discarded waste. It is a verb which is also usedof animals, so has a connotation of poverty and desperation when used of humans.
malpractice – noun – improper, illegal or negligent professional activity or treatment
to sub-contract – verb – to employ a firm or person outside one’s own company to carry out work; to do work for a company as part of a larger project
to contract sth out – phrasal verb – to formally arrange for other people to do a particular job
to audit – specialised verb – to inspect officially, usually for financial, but also for social or legal reasons
a supply chain – a series of stages whereby goods or services are supplied or delivered
The Gangmaster Licensing Act sets out the legal terms of employment, pay and conditions in the UK.
to come to light – to be revealed
to tip someone off – informal verb – to give someone a piece of confidential information, sometimes in order to prevent or stop sth happening.
a tip-off – noun – informal – a piece of confidential information
to alert – to warn of something which may be illegal or dangerous
The Gangmaster Licensing Agency is the official body responsible for enforcing the Gangmaster Licensing Act
a great deal – a lot
"Come on guys!" – a phrase signalling encouragement, impatience, doubt, scepticism, or some disbelief, a sense that the supermarkets need to do better than this
abuse – noun – improper use or practice of sth
to catch someone out – to detect that someone has done something wrong
to be caught out– to be noticed doing or having done sth wrong
endemic – adjective – found regularly in a certain area or field, often of sth negative
to allege – to claim someone has done something wrong, typically without proof
an allegation – a statement or claim that someone has done something wrong or illegal which has not been proven to be true.(You make an allegation of + noun)
to revoke – formal verb – to say officially that an agreement, permission, a law, etc. is no longer in effect
to trade – to buy and sell goods and services
to cease trading – formal for to stop buying and selling one’s goods / services
grievous – adj formal – having very serious effects