n By Mark Metcalf
rise for NI agri
Northern Ireland’s Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) has agreed a 6 per cent increase for all grades of agricultural workers for 2024-25. This was successfully negotiated by the Unite team of six board members and follows an award of 8.5 per cent award in 2023-24. The increase will affect the 11,300 plus workers covered by the AWB.
Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) negotiators shocked the meeting when in response to a submission led by Keith Reynolds, Unite’s senior rep, for a cost-of-living increase of 11.7 per cent they proposed nothing for an award that begins on April 1. And no, they weren’t joking!
“They always plead they have no money. You’d think they farmed just for something to do,” commented Keith, who before asking the independent chair to join the negotiations highlighted that the Total Income from Farming in Northern Ireland increased by a
significant 17.4 per cent in 2022.
Direct farm subsidies had increased by 5.8 per cent to £304.3m. Across the EU there are plans to link these subsidies to compliance with labour rights and farm workers working conditions. Unite believes the same principle should apply across the UK.
As Keith explained to the chairperson a 4 per cent offer was proposed by the UFU, many of whose members in a tightening labour market that is brought on by low pay are spending thousands of pounds advertising for staff, which could, of course, be used to boost wages.
The offer restarted the meeting with Unite looking to negotiate a 9.7 per cent increase, equal to that awarded by the UK government for the National Minimum Wage. The UFU then proposed a ‘take it or leave it’ rise of 5 per cent, contending that the rise in 2022-23 had been viewed by their members as over-generous. The AWB
7 uniteLANDWORKER Spring 2024
chair was again forced to intervene and imposed a 6 per cent deal.
“The increase will aid all farmworkers who undertake arduous manual work looking after cattle, picking fruit and harvesting crops,” explains Keith “Many are migrant workers, know little about their rights, work in remote locations, face a language barrier and thus struggle to be able to stand up to their employers.
“We’d hoped for better and we will be seeking to start clearing the differential between wage increases and inflation in the next few years. Before then we are confident of winning an improved agreement on bereavement similar to that established by Unite in Scotland. This will allow migrant workers to get home following the sudden death of a close relative.
“The AWB is essential as it forces the employers into increasing wages annually. It holds farmers to account publicly.”
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