Watchdog looks into 'Polish speaking' jobs

Forza AW, which supplies Asda, reportedly emailed out an advertisement for factory work on its East Anglia production line via employment agency OSR Recruitment which read: “Applicants must speak Polish. Please call asap!!!!!!”

The advertisement was later blamed, in part, on “chaos” following fire at a company plant in Cleck heaton, West Yorkshire.

One British job seeker who called OSR to inquire about work was reported to have been asked if he was Polish and then told: “Actually, you have to be fluent because the health and safety training is all done in Polish.”

Neil Kinghan, director general of the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: “Any refusal to register an applicant because of their nationality is unlawful under the Race Relations Act.

“The commission will be writing to Forza AW this week to ask it to respond to the allegations made against the company.”

At the weekend the EHRC published an official inquiry showing how agency and migrant workers employed by meat and poultry firms suffer “mistreatment and exploitation”.

Forza AW director Max Hilliard was reported to have said he was unaware of the “must speak Polish” clause and the advert was a mistake due to a breakdown in communications between his firm and OSR Recruitment.

He said “chaos” following a fire where the factory is normally based in Cleckheaton meant the advertisement was not properly vetted.

He added: “We employ many English workers as well as Poles and Lithuanians.”