Agricultural Wages Board is axed

Abolition of the Agricultural Wage Board for England and Wales (AWB) has finally gone through despite many objections, bringing an end to 60 years of pay protection.

However, the Unite general union said its abolition on 1 October could prompt a challenge to the European Court of Human Rights. The union has also set up a “wages watch” unit to monitor any assaults on the pay and conditions of its members in the coming months.

There was union fury over the fact that a House of Commons debate on Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill was cut short (guillotined) so that MPs could not debate the amendment abolishing the AWB.

In a submission to the parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, Unite has argued that abolition “without replacement by an alternative collective bargaining body” would be in breach of the UK’s international obligations.

The agricultural wages boards for Scotland and Northern Ireland are unaffected by the legislation.