Unite gathers cross-party and community support to keep Northern Ireland wages board

 

“We remain hopeful that we can defeat this latest attack on the Agricultural Wages Board. The Ulster Farmers’ Union and its cheerleaders in the Democratic Unionist Party (PUP) are not finding their plans to scrap the AWB plain sailing. The majority of respondents to the Department of Agriculture’s public consultation opposed abolition of the AWB.”

Donal O’Cofaigh, Unite Campaigns, Communications & Press (NI)

In January 2021, the Northern Ireland (NI) Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Edward Poots of the Democratic Unionist Party announced his intention to end the Northern Ireland (NI) AWB that covers over 11,000 agricultural sector employees. Poots is a member of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) which champions the interests of big ranchers and the agri-food bosses.

Unite immediately opposed the proposal with regional officer Sean McKeever stating: “there is a particular need for a collective bargaining body covering agricultural field workers………the sector receives a huge amount of public funds ..it is one which is inherently difficult to organise given the scattered distribution of workers and the prevalence of part-time working……..

“The AWB is of vital importance in countering exploitation, which all too often includes the practice of trafficking and modern-day slavery  – especially as many are migrant workers with little other protection.” The AWB is the final NI collective bargaining mechanism in with a responsibility for private sector workers.

Success

Unite has sought with considerable success to get organisations to respond to the subsequent Department of Agriculture public consultation and the majority who did so want to see the NI AWB retained.

This included the entire trade union movement, the official rural community network of Northern Ireland, rural councils including Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, and even small farmer organisations like ‘Family Farmers for Action.’

Unite’s submission highlighted the vital role the AWB has, amongst many other things, played in:

·         securing incomes for workers above the bare minimum under the national minimum wage;

 

·         providing protection to vulnerable workers e.g., through setting minimums and enforcement standards for piece rates;

 

·         guaranteeing overtime pay at 1.5 times the standard rate of pay;

 

·         providing enhanced levels of Sick and Holiday Pay and entitlements;

 

·         providing protection for section 75 groups;

 

·         maintaining a mechanism for collective bargaining in the agricultural sector.

 

If the AWB was to be abolished then workers would only by covered by the considerably weaker National Minimum Wage.

Britain and Ireland’s largest union stressed how the abolition of the AWB would place agricultural workers at a disadvantage when compared with current pay, terms and conditions with particular impacts on young, migrant and male workers.

Small farmers link arms with Unite as they seek a guaranteed price structure to pay decent wages

Family Farmers for Action UK (FFA) agreed to back retaining the AWB after they were approached by Unite. According to organiser William Taylor: “FFA has discovered the corporate influence in government. The countryside has become nothing more than slavery and which is why FFA, Belfast Hills Farmers, Farmers For Action UK, Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association and Northern Ireland Livestock Auctioneers Association are promoting a NI Welfare Bill that is with the agriculture committee for scrutiny. “

If the Bill was to get through the assembly then farmers would be paid a Fair Farm Gate Prices Index. This will specify the lowest price to be paid for best-quality produce, across the entire gamut of agricultural commodities produced in Northern Ireland.

This would mean, said Taylor:  “that instead of the major supermarkets setting down what farmers would get it would be the other way round. By obtaining a guaranteed price then the farmer would always have the money to pay his staff properly and to build proper facilities such as toilets and showers. We would have no problems with the AWB addressing the issues that staff have on farms. The plans would also create 10-20,000 new jobs. “

Taylor believes the decision by the UFU to open up membership to corporate companies such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s means the body does not properly represent farmers. He argues that in England the major supermarkets would, if faced with a similar proposed piece of legislation, simply tell Boris Johnson it is not allowed to progress. “That is not happening here. I am confident we can win the battle. If we do then it will influence prices elsewhere across the rest of Britain and Ireland. Farmers everywhere will want similar guarantees and if we can get it then we can raise the 25 per cent of UK farmers who live below poverty level up to a decent income. “

The Rural Community Network (RCN) is a voluntary organisation supporting rural communities across Northern Ireland. Spokesperson Aidan Campbell said it wished to retain the AWB rate for many reasons including as  “an important incentive for young people… entering the industry… to remain within agriculture and seek formal qualifications and skills………progression opportunities for young people in rural communities can contribute to the sustainability of rural areas…. The AWB helps ensure agricultural workers have reasonable terms and conditions.. including holiday entitlement, holiday pay and a level of sick which is additional to statutory sick pay.” The RCN has criticised the Department of Agriculture for failing to engage and obtain the views of agricultural workers who will be directly affected if the AWB is abolished.

The strength of opposition means that according to Donal O’Cofaigh: “For the decision to abolish the AWB to proceed, DUP Minister Edwin Poots will need to secure cross-party support within the NI Executive. Unite is actively calling on all Executive parties to use their vote to save the AWB. Already Sinn Fein and the SDLP have indicated their opposition to abolition as have smaller parties in the Assembly including Greens and People before Profit. We have to keep the pressure on to ensure that these promises turn into a veto.”

Bring back the AWB in England

O’Cofaigh also believes:  “if we can retain the AWB in Northern Ireland, that leaves England as the only part of the UK without a collective bargaining structure in place for agricultural workers. If we are successful it might reopen the way to raise the demand for the re-establishment of the AWB in England  - and indeed in the Republic of Ireland - to protect all agricultural field and farm workers across these islands.” The stakes therefore are high.

 

 

 

The below may be useful if you want to remind readers of the current impact of the loss of the AWB on young English workers.

 

Young English workers lose out 

Whereas young workers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are covered under their respective AWB’s those in England are only covered by the National Minimum Wage.

As such a 20-year-old agricultural worker in Scotland is thus guaranteed £356.40 for a 40-hour working week, in Northern Ireland it is £299.60 and in Wales the figure is £313.60. The sum in England is £262.40, considerably less than elsewhere. The differences for a young person in England aged 18 or under is even greater. It is hardly surprising that young workers in England are not considering entering the agricultural sector.

AWBs also cover pay for workers or all ages in lieu of wages, sick pay, holiday pay, piece rates, overtime rates at 1.5 times the standard rate and it limits deductions for accommodation to a flat rate and which in Northern Ireland is £45 weekly.