Agricultural wage negotiations 2004

The Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales met on 28 July 2004 to consider representations made in relation to its previous proposals to introduce a new Wages Order that would come into force on Friday 1 October 2004.

Some 410 representations were received by the Board of which 273 supported the Board's original proposals or suggested minimum rates should be increased further in view of the relatively low pay rates across the industry. Some 140 opposed the original proposals, primarily on the grounds that the overall increase in labour costs which the proposals could impose on the industry would be unsustainable or lead to job losses.

In the light of the representations made the Board has decided to make revised proposals with a view to reducing the overall cost of the proposed award.

These revised proposals will leave annual holiday entitlements unchanged (the Board had previously proposed increasing total holiday entitlements by 1 day). They also leave the maximum period to which the Manual Harvest Worker rates apply unchanged at 30 weeks in any Manual Harvest Work Period (the Board had previously proposed a reduction in this period to 26 weeks).

The Board agreed these revised proposals by 9 votes to 6 with the Independent Members voting with the NFU representatives.

Full details of the Board's revised proposals can be obtained from the AWB Secretariat, Tel 020 7238 6523. Representations or other comments on the proposals must be lodged with the Secretary to the Board by Friday 27 August.