In 2010 the UK government published proposals to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) covering workers in England and Wales through its powers under the Public Bodies Act. But in an effort to avoid consultation and consent from the Welsh government, it changed tack last month and is now pressing ahead with abolition through amending the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill.
Unite national officer for agriculture Julia Long said: “It is refreshing to see that one government – the Welsh government – is standing up for agricultural workers. We applaud the actions of those members of the Welsh Assembly who voted against consent to abolish the AWB. There is still time to stop the abolition of the AWB and for the UK government and parliament to do the right thing and save the AWB in England and Wales.”
The Welsh Assembly voted to reject the Legislative Consent Motion and the Welsh agricultural minister has now written to DEFRA to ask that Wales be excluded from the legislation.*
Source: Unite
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