agricutural wages

I have written before about the process of ensuring people are fairly remunerated as an alternative “push” factor to the negative process of cutting benefits as a “pull” factor in relation to increasing economic participation.

This article draws attention to the controversy in terms of a possible dampening effect on wages of closing the agricultural wages board. It tells us:

Abolishing the Agricultural Wages Board will result in the “under-cutting” of British labourers by foreign workers, Labour has warned.

In a Commons debate, ministers said the quango, which sets rates of pay for labourers and managers, was obsolete and wasteful.

But Labour argued that getting rid of it would lead to a “race to the bottom” over wages.

The board sets pay levels for 153,000 workers in England and Wales.

Established in 1948, it ensures that employers provide a bed and drinking water, as well as holiday pay.

It will be abolished if the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill gains Royal Assent in its present form.

Labour brought a debate on the issue, with shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh saying: “We don’t want to see either a race to the bottom on wages or a great increase in the amount employers charge workers for their tied accommodation, for their hot bed in a caravan, which would mean they would end up effectively working for below national minimum wage and under-cutting British workers out of the market.”