Job advert ‘discriminated against British workers’.

A supermarket meat supplier has been accused of discrimination against British workers after posting an advert stating applicants "must speak Polish".

The government’s equality watchdog is investigating allegations that Forza AW, which supplies cooked meats to Asda, discriminated against British job seekers.

An advert for ongoing factory work at the supplier’s East Anglia production line was posted via employment agency OSR Recruitment and read: "Applicants must speak Polish. Please call asap!"

A British job seeker who phoned OSR to ask about work was asked if he was Polish and then told: "You have to be fluent in the language because the health and safety training is all done in Polish," the Mail on Sunday reported.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is writing to Forza AW about the allegations.

Neil Kinghan, director-general of the EHRC, 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 and to confirm that it will comply with the Race Relations Act and not discriminate against British or any other workers on the grounds of their nationality."

The news comes after the EHRC published an official inquiry into the "mistreatment and exploitation" of agency and migrant workers employed by meat and poultry firms.

An EHRC spokesman said: "The commission is concerned that current recruitment practices may be discriminatory in that they indirectly block British workers from getting jobs in the industry. The commission will review action taken over the next 12 months by supermarkets, processing firms and recruitment agencies, and will consider taking enforcement action if necessary."

Forza AW director Max Hilliard told the Mail on Sunday he was unaware of the "must speak Polish" clause. He said the advert was a mistake because of a breakdown in communications between his firm and OSR Recruitment.

He said a fire where the factory is usually based in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, had cause disruption meaning the advert was not properly vetted.

He added: "We employ many English workers as well as Poles and Lithuanians, though I can't give you exact figures, and I assure you categorically that all our training and health and safety briefings are conducted in English, Polish or whatever the employee speaks. We would never turn down an English person for a job on the basis that they didn't speak Polish or any other language."