Unite welcomes retention of Scottish Agricultural Wages Board
3rd September 2009
Unite, Scotland’s largest trade union, has welcomed this
afternoon’s (Thursday) announcement by the Scottish secretary for
rural affairs and the environment to retain the Scottish
Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB).
The Scottish government had originally proposed scrapping the
board as part of its ‘More Effective Government’ Strategy - or the
‘bonfire of the quangos’ as it became known - but Unite argued
strongly that the board was a model of best practice in
agricultural industrial relations by setting terms and conditions
above the statutory minimum.
After a prolonged campaign, including several evidence
submissions to the Scottish parliament petitions committee and
parliamentary questions, Unite has forced the Scottish government
to step back. The decision was confirmed in response to a
parliamentary question by John Park MSP by the secretary for rural
affairs, Richard Lochhead MSP.
Unite Scottish secretary, John Quigley, said: “Today’s
announcement is tremendous news for Scotland’s agriculture
workers.
“Scotland’s agriculture industry is world class but behind that
success are thousands of rural workers. They work long hours in
hazardous conditions, often on low wages. Without the board,
thousands of workers would be trying to survive on poverty wages
and may well leave the industry altogether.
“Scrapping the board would have left the industry more
vulnerable to abusive gangmasters and damage the fine reputation it
has acquired off the back of its workers. So while it has been a
long time coming, the Scottish government has finally recognised
the wisdom of allowing the board to continue with its valuable
work.”
ENDS
For further information please contact Peter Welsh on 07810
157931 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420
8914 or 07980 224761
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