15 June 2011

The National Farmers’ Union has expressed ‘disappointment’ at the outcome of this year’s Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) negotiations. The union claimed persecution and said its members were facing too many financial constraints from rising raw materials costs and, in many cases, lower yields due to drought to increase workers’ wages by more than the legal minimum.  image expired

The AWB imposed a settlement of 2.9 per cent on grades two and above, and 2.5 per cent increase on grade one, which puts it two pence above the National Minimum Wage.

Although the AWB secured a settlement above the average minimum wage currently being agreed in the wider economy, and marginally higher than the recent agreement for agricultural workers in Scotland, the settlement still puts wage increases below inflation.

The NFU’s lead negotiator, Bob Fiddaman, bemoaned the settlement, “The industry is already struggling to manage higher costs for a range of inputs. On top of that, many farmers are experiencing difficult crop conditions following the drought which will create further financial uncertainty as we look to the settlement period.”

“The National Minimum Wage increase applicable to other sectors would have been fairer overall, and particularly in view of the difficult growing conditions in the Eastern counties. We will continue to question why farming should be singled out as a sector by the presence of a unique and separate legislative structure that underpins wage bargaining and employment terms.”

Displaying stoicism and grace at the outcome of the negotiations, Fiddaman concluded, “We look forward to confirmation of the timeframe regarding the abolition of the AWB.”

Agriculture was revealed to have the worst safety record of any industry, in figures from the department of work and pensions. The sector accounted for up to 20% of all work-related fatalities every year, despite the fact that farming involves only 1.4% of the workforce. When the figures were released on Monday (13th June), work and pensions minister, Lord Freud, admitted, ““The industry’s health and safety performance has been and continues to be poor.”

***