Pontypridd AM Mick Antoniw has been named 'Campaigner of the Year' at the Welsh Politician of the Year Awards 2014. The judging panel noted Antoniw's "pioneering campaign" to maintain wages and working conditions for Wales' agricultural workers.

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Antoniw's campaign resulted in the Welsh Assembly supporting the Agricultural Sector (Wages) Bill, which would provide some wage protection for workers. The Bill was challenged in the Supreme Court by the UK Government, but the Court ruled in favour of the Welsh Government.

NFU and government ministers argued that the wage board was an anachronism, which stood in the way of free market ideals, whilst unions (and many major Welsh farming industry groups) argued that its abolition would impoverish some of the country's lowest-paid workers, cut hard won allowances that workers previously enjoyed and make agriculture a minimum wage industry, which would do nothing to solve the problems of attracting new entrants to the sector.

Speaking after the awards, Mick Antoniw said, "I am of course delighted to receive this award on behalf of myself and all those who supported the campaign including many colleagues in the Trades Unions, Farmer's Union of Wales and the Young Farmer's Clubs. I entered politics to help change people's lives for the better and the introduction of the Agricultural Advisory Panel in Wales will do just that for more than 12,000 people in Wales who are amongst the lowest paid in our society.

"The Supreme Court's judgement not only ensures that agricultural workers can now enjoy the same sort of rights that most of us take for granted, but it also further clarified the extent of the Assembly's law-making powers. This legislation is devolution in action and I hope we will see a great deal more Welsh legislation to meet Welsh needs in the future."

Since the court ruling, Wales' Deputy Minister for Food and Farming Rebecca Evans has confirmed that agricultural workers will be granted an interim pay award in early 2015, ahead of the Agricultural Advisory Panel's formation.  

Antoniw said this was "An important step forward in an on-going campaign to end low-pay across all industries and the eventual establishment of a Living Wage."