Wage rise of 5% proposed from 1 April for NI farmworkers

Minimum wage rates for farm workers in Northern Ireland could increase by 5% from 1 April, taking pay for staff at the highest grade level to £11.50 an hour.

The Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) for Northern Ireland wants to increase minimum rates for agricultural workers in grades 3-6 jobs.

If these take effect, the minimum rate for a lead worker would rise to £9.36 an hour and to £10.06 an hour for a craft grade employee.

See also: More farm staff management advice 

Workers at the supervisory grade would be paid £10.59 an hour and at the farm management grade employers would need to pay £11.50 an hour.

But if either the national minimum wage or the national living wage rises higher than the hourly levels the board is proposing, those would overide the proposed rates.

At present, the minimum wage applicable for the first 40 weeks’ cumulative employment at the basic level is £6.95 an hour in Northern Ireland and £7.49 for a standard worker.

The AWB is also proposing to increase the accommodation offset by 5%, to £47.25 a week.

There is an opportunity to object to this set of proposals by writing to AWB Secretariat, 1st Floor, Ballykelly House, 111 Ballykelly Road, Limavady, BT49 9HO, or by emailing CorporateSponsorBranch@daera-ni.gov.uk. The deadline is 11 March.

The AWB plans to meet again on 16 March to consider any objections, but if the changes go ahead the new rates will take effect on 1 April.