Fairness call on agricultural pay

Unite has warned the Scottish Government that thousands of agricultural workers are set to swell the ranks of the working poor.

Wage rates for 2015/16 were determined at the annual meeting of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board and from October workers with less than 26 weeks continuous employment will be paid the national minimum wage rate of ÂŁ6.70 per hour.

Those with more than 26 weeks continuous employment will receive £7.24 per hour – 61 pence less than the Scottish living wage rate of £7.85 per hour.

Unite’s efforts to press the case for lifting agricultural workers out of the low-pay trap by calling for the implementation of living wage rates were rejected by the majority membership of the National Farmers Union – which recently called for the abolition of the SAWB – and independent representatives.

Serious blow

Unite Regional Officer Scott Foley said, “the Scottish Government’s anti-austerity credentials have suffered a serious blow following the consolidation of the NFU ‘race to the bottom’ agenda for our agricultural sector.

“The Cabinet Secretary, Richard Lochhead’s, recent review of the SAWB – a model of employment relations best practice – opened the door again for NFU calls to scrap the board, while subsequently handing over leverage to keep wages supressed for the next year.”

Unite Scottish Chair Scot Walker added, “It now looks clear that the Cabinet Secretary’s strategy for the employment rights of agricultural workers is contrary to the memorandum of understanding agreed by the First Minister and the STUC in supporting the economy and tackling inequality.

 

Working poor

“We are now in a position where instead of lifting more of our agricultural workers out of low-pay and precarious employment, we are consigning them to the growing ranks of the working poor.”