UK: Government told ‘This is about dismantling agricultural workers’ rights’

The IUF has protested to the UK Government about its plans to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) which sets minimum wages and conditions for agriculture.

In a letter to key Government ministers, IUF General Secretary Ron Oswald said, “the AWB stands for much more than its specific legal remit. It is an indication to workers in agriculture that there is a system in place to help them exercise their rights and address power imbalances between rural workers and employers. Abolishing the AWB can only be interpreted as a dismantling of agricultural workers’ rights”.

Over the coming weeks, IUF will be working closely with Unite to increase pressure on the Government in the run up to the vote in the House of Commons. The House of Lords has already voted for the abolition.

The letter was hand-delivered to the UK Government representative on the ILO Governing Body.