Agricultural wage negotiations 2005

The Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales met on 5 September 2005 to consider the representations made in response to its further proposals (made on 27 July 2005) for a new Wages Order to come into effect on 1 October 2005.

The Board carefully considered the representations received and as a result decided to confirm its proposals for a new six-tier grading structure as follows:

Grade Description Hourly pay rate

Grade 1 Basic Trainee £5.05*

Grade 2 Standard Worker £5.58

Grade 3 Lead Worker £5.91

Grade 4 Craft Worker £6.58

Grade 5 Supervisory Grade £6.98

Grade 6 Farm Management Grade £7.53

*Adult rate

Entry to the higher grades would be determined by reference to responsibility, qualifications and competences.

The present categories of Young Trainee and Apprentice will be retained. The Manual Harvest Worker category will be abolished.

It also confirmed that:

* Minimum rates and allowances will be increased by about 3.3%. This increases the rate for an adult standard worker (new Grade 2) from £5.40 per hour to £5.58 per hour.

* The new Grade 1 rate will be set at £5.05 per hour (the same as the new National Minimum Wage; from October 2005).

* With the exception of the new Basic Trainee grade and the Young Trainee and Apprentice grades, age-related pay differentials will be abolished.

* The maximum "Other Accommodation" offset will increase to £3.90 per day.

* The Agricultural Wages Sick Pay section of the Order has been clarified to ensure that only those workers who qualify for AWSP will be eligible for and are required to repay AWSP received from damages or compensation recovered when a worker's injury or sickness is caused by a third party.

The Board also reaffirmed its commitment to the introduction of pension arrangements for agricultural workers and work on this will continue over the next twelve months.