The Farmers' Union of Wales today welcomed deputy minister Alun Davies' personal assurance that the Welsh Government will continue to explore all options to ensure the functions of the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) are maintained in Wales.
Mr Davies delivered his promise during a National Assembly debate - called by Pontypridd Labour Co-op AM Mick Antoniw - on the future of the AWB for England and Wales. The Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly have already decided to retain the board in their regions.
During the debate Mr Antoniw referred to a joint press conference and briefing he had just attended with the FUW's agricultural education and training committee chairman Alun Edwards and policy officer Andrew Gurney plus representatives of the UNITE trade union who all expressed their strong opposition to the long-threatened abolition of the AWB.
"The FUW spoke very strongly in support of the board’s retention,” said Mr Antoniw. “It says that the majority of its members still consider the Agricultural Wages Board to be the most effective body to determine pay and conditions of service that reflect the unique requirements of the agricultural industry in Wales.
"The FUW went on to say that because many farms in Wales are run with relatively few staff, the AWB is considered to be an important means of avoiding potential conflict and lengthy negotiations with individual staff.
“Therefore, is it not ironic that the UK Government wants to abolish the AWB in the name of deregulation, but will actually increase the burden on many farmers?
"I believe that it is possible to retain a wages board or the functions of the AWB in some form in Wales at minimal cost. Let us not forget that the cost last year of running the entire Agriculture Wages Board in England and Wales was £57,000.
"In Northern Ireland, it was £30,000. It also provides a very considerable benefit to farm workers, farmers and the agricultural sector as a whole.
"Therefore, we have an opportunity in Wales to do something different, not for the sake of difference but because, as I strongly believe, it is the right thing to do in Wales for the agricultural sector and for agricultural workers themselves."
Summing up the debate, Mr Davies revealed he will be taking up the issue in talks next week with the new Defra minister. "I am hopeful that we will be able to find a workable and agreeable solution that will ensure that the working conditions of agricultural workers in Wales will remain protected.
"I am to meet David Heath, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, on 15 October, and the AWB will be a key agenda item. This will be the sixth UK Minister that I have met in the past 18 months to discuss this issue.
"It is clear that the UK Government does not have a clear idea of where it is going or what it wants to achieve. I would appeal to the current Ministers and their departments to work together with the Welsh Government to ensure that we have a positive outcome on this matter.
"Even if our continued negotiations with the UK Government fail to result in an amicable agreement, I want to make it absolutely clear this afternoon that the Welsh Government will continue to explore all available options to ensure that the functions of the Agricultural Wages Board are maintained in Wales."
Mr Edwards said today: “The FUW has always supported the AWB and remains concerned that unless there are systems in place to protect payments to agricultural workers, the industry will not attract the highly skilled individuals it needs to thrive.
"We have made regular representations to the Governments in Cardiff and Westminster highlighting that the AWB is still the most effective body to determine the pay and conditions of workers in a way which reflects the unique requirements of the agricultural industry in Wales.
As many farms in Wales run with relatively few staff, the AWB is considered an important means of avoiding potential conflict and lengthy negotiations with individual staff.
"The union strongly believes the AWB’s role in setting minimum rates of pay can reflect the need for agricultural workers to be flexible in their working arrangements to cover busy periods, fine weather, and unsocial hours, not covered by general employment law.
"The economic climate within the agricultural industry has made it a less attractive option for young people and rewarding skills, qualifications and levels of responsibility is a vital means of persuading high calibre people to remain or enter into the industry.
"Reliance on a single national minimum wage will inevitably result in an erosion of talent and skills from farming as more lucrative and physically less challenging professions are taken up.
“The FUW believes there needs to be proper arrangements to deal with enhanced terms and conditions which reflect the dedication of agricultural workers."