Simplified guidelines on a range of employment issues facing agricultural employers are to be produced.
The Agricultural Wages Board (AWB), which oversees pay and working conditions for farming workers, will produce the guides, called the Agricultural Wages Order, in a user-friendly format, making it easier for workers and employers to understand their rights and obligations.
The AWB was originally set up to protect an isolated and scattered workforce, who had little scope for collective bargaining. These conditions still exist today for many workers, as well as new problems arising from the use of seasonal migrant labour.
The Agricultural Wages Order applies to all workers employed in agriculture in England and Wales.
Environment secretary Hilary Benn said: “While the vast majority of employers in agriculture provide good terms and conditions for their workers, we know that agricultural workers can sometimes be vulnerable to low pay and poor conditions, and it is important that the AWB continues its work to provide for minimum rates and standards.”
