Labour MSP attacks call to abolish wages board

This week’s call by Angus Tory MP Kirstene Hair for the abolition of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) has been condemned by Labour’s rural spokesperson at Holyrood.

Rhoda Grant MSP said the SAWB wasn’t perfect but it had kept the wolf from the door of Scotland’s farming and food production workers for the last 60 years.

“This year, the board has set a wage of £7.50 per hour for workers and only £4.44 for apprentices. That’s well under the real living wage of £8.45,” she added.

“Low wages led NFU Scotland chief executive Scott Walker, when giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s rural affairs committee, to warn that, although food is cheaper than it has ever been, people working to produce it may not always be able to buy it for their family.

“But it does keep wages above the national minimum irrespective of age and duties, and to ensure that agricultural workers are entitled to overtime pay, extra money for qualifications gained, and even for taking care of working animals in their care.”

Ms Grant went on: “It’s no surprise that they (the Conservatives) want rid.

“Kirstene Hair has tried to dress up the reasons why, saying that removing the board will allow young farmers to be paid more, but this is ignoring the basic fact that where minimum wage levels are removed it is always the lowest paid that are paid still less and only the rich that profit in the end.

“A minimum wage is a safety net which does not cap pay rises but protects against pay cuts.”

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant.