Joseph Magee appointed to the agricultural wages board

Joseph Magee is the new independent member of the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) for England and Wales. His appointment by Defra Secretary of State Margaret Beckett and the Welsh Assembly Government will run until 21 May 2007.

The AWB is an independent body whose statutory remit is to fix minimum wages for workers employed in agriculture in England and Wales. The Board has discretionary powers to fix holiday entitlement and pay, sick pay and other terms and conditions of employment.

Joseph Magee has wide experience of the public sector. He is currently a member of the ACAS Panel of Arbitrators for unfair dismissal and flexible working hours cases and a member of the ACAS Panel of Independent Experts on Equal Pay. He runs an employment and transport consultancy and is an adviser on air traffic issues.

Mr Magee is also a Labour councillor for Sutton. In this role he is the lead spokesperson on finance, the environment, and leisure and community partnerships.