Wage negotiations to continue

THE AGRICULTURAL Wages Board has been forced to extend its negotiations over this year‘s wages settlement.

Board members met in London in Jun 22/23 to thrash out a deal, but in the end they failed to reach an outcome.

This means the group will be forced to reconvene on Monday, Jun 28.

Bob Fiddaman, one of the NFU‘s representatives on the board, said there was still a gap between what employers wanted and what farm workers wanted.

But he added: “There is no reason to believe that this won’t all be sorted out by Monday afternoon.”

Farm workers have put in a claim for a 20% pay rise and for their employers to agree to pay their Council Tax bills.

The Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) has told the AWB it wants the standard rate of pay to be raised from £5.15 to £6.15/hr from Oct 1.