A warning against the mistreatment of migrant workers in the mushroom industry has been issued by the Minister of State for horticulture Brendan Smith.
His warning followed a series of allegations at the weekend by migrant workers at a meeting in Monaghan where there were complaints of underpayment, poor living conditions and intimidation of workers, mainly women from eastern Europe.
Mr Smith officially opened the Commercial Mushroom Producers Co-operative Society's new marketing facility in Monaghan.
He said that like many other industries, the mushroom sector was now dependent on migrant labour. "Over recent times there has been much media attention drawn to the alleged mistreatment of workers in the sector.
"Any such mistreatment, which may have happened, only serves to tarnish an industry which has been built on a standard of excellence and sheer hard work," said Mr Smith, who is responsible for food and the horticulture sector. "Worker mistreatment should never be condoned in any civilised society and it certainly will not be condoned by the Government."
He said that apart from the role of the labour inspectorate to ensure compliance with labour law, his department has made it a condition of grant aid for all applicants under the NDP horticulture producers programme.
The industry had a farmgate value of €120 million. Mushrooms were produced almost totally from indigenous raw materials and more than 80 per cent was exported.
The Migrant Rights Centre Mushroom Workers Support Group claimed on Sunday that workers were being paid as little as €2.50 an hour, some were working 16-hour days with no holiday pay or overtime and many lived in bad housing.