Wages board retention will reduce competitiveness - union
IN A move criticised by farming leaders, the Scottish Government has decided to retain the Agricultural Wages Board.
The decision follows a government review and public consultation on the future of the body, which has the power to set minimum pay rates, holiday entitlement and certain other conditions of service for agricultural workers in Scotland.
Analysis of industry earnings for the Scottish Government found that scrapping the board would drive down wages, particularly for young apprentices and migrant workers. A government statement also stated that there was no evidence that abolishing the board would help create more jobs in farming.
The rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead said: ‘Workers must be paid a fair wage for the job that they do. As well as being the right thing to do it is important in attracting people into the industry, which is vital for the future of Scottish agriculture.
‘The evidence in favour of retaining the Scottish Agriculture Wages Board is compelling. It continues to perform an important role in protecting the rights of farm workers - many of whom are paid low wages - which in turn underpins the rural economy.’
NFU Scotland chief executive Scott Walker said: ‘The Scottish Government’s decision to retain the Agricultural Wages Board without any change to it functions or remit risks crop production moving out of Scotland.
‘For labour intensive crops such as hand-picked fruit and vegetables this decision will have a huge impact on an industry that operates in a very competitive environment.
‘With a national minimum wage, a new national living wage and rules governing working time, why the Scottish Government has decided to retain the board when we have all these other rules in place simply cannot be understood by growers.
‘Retailers and consumers simply won’t pay for these additional costs, and instead of creating jobs the risk is that there will be fewer farms and fewer farm workers in Scotland in the years to come.’