Direct farm labour opens new doors for Ringlink
Direct farm labour opens new doors for Ringlink
Serving nearly the whole
of north-east Scotland, the
UKs largest machinery ring
– Ringlink (Scotland) Ltd –
is taking on a rapidly
expanding role as supplier
of direct farm labour. Andy
Moore discovers how such
a service is helping
producers in tough times
SUPPLYING direct farm labour is offering considerable appeal for machinery rings as producers look at cutting fixed costs by switching farm workers from a full to a temporary employment basis.
Ringlink (Scotland), based at Laurencekirk, near Montrose in north-east Scotland, has been enjoying continued success in this area by supplying up to 100 farm workers a week.
Ringlinks ability to supply a high number of workers has been made mainly possible through the merger of two smaller rings 18 months ago – Mearns and Angus Machinery Ring and North East Machinery Ring.
Serving a 150 mile distance from Nairn in the north, to Dundee in the southern region, Ringlink has 1012 members.
"Operating over such a wide area has given the group an enormous capacity to pool and supply a large amount of machinery and labour," says Ringlink managing director Graham Bruce. "Supplying direct labour is our largest growth area, and at peak periods during harvest, we have found work for up to 135 workers a day – double the figure a year ago."
Handled separately by Mearns and Angus Services, labour accounts for one-third of Ringlinks £6.75m turnover and encompasses three categories of workers. The first comprises 100 self-employed workers who are required to take out membership with Ringlink, which in return acts as a database to fix them up with work.
Working on the same principle, the second category of workers relates to spare farm labour, such as member workers, who in the main, can only be financially justified on their employers farm throughout busier periods of year.
"A growing number of produc
Serving nearly the whole
of north-east Scotland, the
UKs largest machinery ring
– Ringlink (Scotland) Ltd –
is taking on a rapidly
expanding role as supplier
of direct farm labour. Andy
Moore discovers how such
a service is helping
producers in tough times
SUPPLYING direct farm labour is offering considerable appeal for machinery rings as producers look at cutting fixed costs by switching farm workers from a full to a temporary employment basis.
Ringlink (Scotland), based at Laurencekirk, near Montrose in north-east Scotland, has been enjoying continued success in this area by supplying up to 100 farm workers a week.
Ringlinks ability to supply a high number of workers has been made mainly possible through the merger of two smaller rings 18 months ago – Mearns and Angus Machinery Ring and North East Machinery Ring.
Serving a 150 mile distance from Nairn in the north, to Dundee in the southern region, Ringlink has 1012 members.
"Operating over such a wide area has given the group an enormous capacity to pool and supply a large amount of machinery and labour," says Ringlink managing director Graham Bruce. "Supplying direct labour is our largest growth area, and at peak periods during harvest, we have found work for up to 135 workers a day – double the figure a year ago."
Handled separately by Mearns and Angus Services, labour accounts for one-third of Ringlinks £6.75m turnover and encompasses three categories of workers. The first comprises 100 self-employed workers who are required to take out membership with Ringlink, which in return acts as a database to fix them up with work.
Working on the same principle, the second category of workers relates to spare farm labour, such as member workers, who in the main, can only be financially justified on their employers farm throughout busier periods of year.
"A growing number of producers cannot even afford to pay themselves a full yearly salary, let alone an extra worker or two. As a result, they are either letting workers go completely, or re-employing them at different times of the year according to varying workload," says Mr Bruce. "Due to our large operating scale and membership, we are able to pool and re-employ a high number of workers who become regularly available throughout the region."
On average, M&A Services claims to find work for about 70 workers a week on farms, rising higher at peak times during harvest or at busy times of the year when labour demand is stronger. Employment duration is claimed to vary from a one-off day a week, up to a whole year contract.
In terms of operation, the labour service works similarly to the machinery side of the business, except that workers are officially registered on the business books. For example if a farm (demander) seeks a temporary worker, it will get in touch with the ring which in turn provides the nearest and most suitable worker from a computer database.
The latter role is carried out by three field managers who not only have to provide the most appropriate worker, but also ensure he turns up to the farm and carries out the job. Likewise, if a farm intends to lay off a worker for a temporary period, it will let M&A Services know in advance so that he can be entered on the database in readiness for request.
"Operating scale, again, plays a huge part in the availability of workers. For example, drilling or combining finishing dates vary greatly over the region, so farms which are far ahead are able to lay off workers so they can move on to other units which might be behind," adds Mr Bruce. "Multi-skilled operators of large machinery such as combines or potato harvesters are a very valuable source of labour."
In terms of labour rates, M&A Services sets its own charges, which start from £5.50/hr but rise according to the level of skill. Ringlink demands an industry standard 2% commission from each party and members have to stick to the standard labour charge rates.
In addition to finding temporary work for employees, the last 18 months has seen M&A Services invest in five fully-trained workers which are employed by the business and paid a full salary.
Kept busy all year round, these workers are employed as experienced multi-skilled operators which continually move from one farm to another.
Other recent developments on the labour side include participation in the Rural Challenge Scheme – a programme which includes retraining existing workers to a multi-skilled level and the introduction of a youth training scheme. *
RINGLINK(SCOTLAND)LTD
Managing director: Graham Bruce, 10 High Street, Laurencekirk (01561-377790).
Operating area: Nairn to Dundee – 150 miles.
Farming: All arable units from north to south and upland hill farms.
Members: 1012.
Fees: £100 annual subscription for labour and machinery or £50 for labour only.
Commission: 2% commission from demander and supplier.
Turnover: £6.75m.
Most popular service: Labour.
Managing director of Ringlink (Scotland), Graham Bruce (left) and Peter Wood, sales marketing manager, are able to supply up to 100 farm workers a week throughout a 150 mile region from Nairn to Dundee in north-east Scotland.