Bredskov I/S, a market gardener producing cucumbers on the island of Funen, has now made an additional payment of kr. 432,000 to seven Polish workers for non-payment of wages for overtime and public holiday allowances. 432,000 kroner for Polish workers At a market garden on the island of Funen seven workers from Eastern Europe have been working themselves to the bone 52 hours a week without any overtime payment. After 3F took up their case they have now received their full wages. By Peter Keiding, 3F’s Journal, peter.keiding@3f.dk Bredskov I/S, a market gardener on the island of Funen, has now made an additional payment of kr. 432,000 to seven Polish workers for non-payment of wages for overtime and public holiday allowances. This is a result of a settlement between the market gardener and 3F Odense GOPS (Union of Workers in Forestry, Horticulture & the Public and Private Sector). Underpayment took place from July to December last year when the Poles were working 52 hours a week, but were only paid for 37 hours. In accordance with the collective agreement they should have been paid kr. 105.41 per hour + overtime rates and public holiday allowances. Collective agreements must be adhered to Along with approx. 1,400 other companies Bredskov I/S had received advance approval from the Danish Immigration Service for the hiring of labour from Eastern Europe. To-day it is very easy to obtain advance approval for the hiring of labour from Eastern Europe. According to the Agreement on Workers from Eastern Europe collective agreements must be adhered to when permission has been granted to employ persons in this way. Unfortunately we often see that this agreement is being undermined, says Anna Lise Vindeløv, full-time officer in Odense GOPS. Cucumber grower rejects fraud Kent Bredskov, cucumber grower, is of the opinion that he has had no intention of cheating the Polish workers out of the wages they are entitled to. According to Kent Bredskov the dispute has solely been about when the Polish workers should have the remaining portion of their wages paid. From the start we had agreed that they should have all their wages paid at the end of the year. I can well understand that they have chosen to go to the union, he says. Meetings on Sundays However, the Polish workers had great difficulty contacting 3F because they were working so many hours a week. It meant that 3F GOPS in Odense was closed when they were free. As a consequence of this most of the meetings were held on Sundays when Anna Lise Vindeløv went out to speak to them. The Poles have now returned home, but they are intent on returning to work in Denmark. They are still members of 3F.