GREAT RESULT FOR THE NORTHERN IRELAND AWB

 

GREAT RESULT FOR THE NORTHERN IRELAND AWB

UNITE shows an above inflation pay rise can be achieved *

For the second time in two decades, Unite has led a successful defence of the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) in Northern Ireland. (NI) In doing so it has also proved possible to negotiate a 5% pay increase for thousands of agricultural workers.

Plans to scrap the AWB were announced last year to the Northern Ireland Assembly by Rural Affairs Minister, Edwin Poots. They were immediately opposed by the union pointing out the need for a collective bargaining body to cover agricultural workers working in the private sector from being badly exploited.

The NI AWB secures workers’ pay under the national minimum wage; sets enforcement standards for piece rates; provides enhanced levels of sick and holiday pay; guarantees overtime pay at 1.5 times the standard rate and provides protection for section 75 groups by requiring public authorities to have due regard for the need to promote equality of opportunity.

Many of the 11,000 agricultural sector employees covered by the NI AWB are migrant workers with little other protection.

Unite’s campaign to retain the NIAWB won the backing of the entire trade union movement, the official rural community network of NI, rural councils and small farmer organisations such as Family Farmers for Action. Whilst the Ulster Farmers’ Union that represents larger farmers backed scrapping the AWB, the majority of respondents to the Department of Agriculture’s public consultation wished to retain the AWB, which will be 75 years old this year.

Poots required Assembly cross-party backing within the NI Executive to proceed with his plans and was struggling badly to achieve sufficient support. Then in February, Paul Givan, the first minister of NI, resigned as part of the Democratic Unionist Party’s opposition to the NI Protocol. This automatically meant Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, of Sinn Féin, lost her position.

Whilst other ministers remained in place to run their respective departments the move prevented the Northern Ireland Executive from functioning properly. A new assembly will be elected on 5 May. Poots is seeking re-election but on his last day in office it was confirmed by his department that ‘there was insufficient time and capacity for the AWB proposal to be progressed. The matter will therefore remain on hold, subject to consideration by an incoming executive and Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister.’ 

The decision to put ‘on hold’ plans to scrap the AWB was welcomed” by Unite’s Donal O’Cofaigh, who is also a Fermanagh and Omagh Council District Councillor for the Cross Community Labour Alternative Party. “The widespread support we gathered means it is certainly not a given that abolition will be adopted by the next Executive and it will meet greater opposition next time. Without Unite’s campaign the AWB would have been lost and it is the second time in two decades that the union has led a successful defence of the NIAWB.”

The AWB reprieve meant that pay negotiations were able to proceed this year.

The employers had begun by offering no increase at all but were forced “to concede an increase of 5% from 1 April,” states Joanne McWilliams, Unite regional officer with lead responsibility for AWB workers.

“We also raised demands for extended bereavement leave rights – which go way beyond what is available under Stormont law for other workers – but vitally important to migrant agricultural workers – and there is a meeting due when the employers will respond to that. If we secure this additional right it will confirm the AWB delivers results outside general legislation. These results show the continued relevance of the AWB.”

O’Cofaigh hopes that the Unite success in NI “will help re-invigorate the campaign of our comrades in England to re-establish the AWB there to the benefit of their agricultural workforce.”

Following the scrapping of the AWB by the 20101-15 Tory-Lib Democratic Coalition Government, agricultural workers in England are the only part of the UK not covered by a collective bargaining structure. Young workers in particular in England have lost out badly.

 

 

Northern Ireland AWB pay rates from 1 April 2022

Grade 1 - Minimum rate

Applicable for the first 40 weeks cumulative employment - £6.95 per hour

Grade 2 - Standard worker

£7.49 per hour

Grade 3 - Lead worker

£9.36 per hour

Grade 4 - Craft Grade

£10.06 per hour

Grade 5 - Supervisory Grade

£10.59 per hour

Grade 6 - Farm Management Grade

£11.50 per hour

Should the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage, as applicable, become higher than the hourly rates set out above then the hourly or other minimum rate will default to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, whichever applies.

For more information contact the Unite Belfast office on 02890 232381

·         At the time of the negotiation, January 2022 inflation was below 5 per cent.