Conduct & regulation
What is a GLAA licence?
A GLAA licence is required to supply workers into agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering and associated processing and packaging. Operating in those sectors unlicensed is a criminal offence.
It is sector-specific rather than general. An agency operating across several sectors needs it only for the regulated ones, but it needs it for all supply into them including through sub-contractors.
The licensing standards go well beyond compliance paperwork into pay, accommodation, transport and treatment of workers, reflecting the sectors' history of exploitation.
Using an unlicensed labour provider is also an offence for the user, which makes checking a sub-supplier's licence a legal requirement rather than diligence.
What goes wrong in practice
- Supply into a regulated sector through a sub-contractor without checking their licence.
- Assuming a licence covers activity it does not.
- Licensing standards treated as a paperwork exercise rather than as operational requirements.