Trade union Unite has filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg accusing the UK government of breaching the human rights of agricultural workers by abolishing the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB).
The AWB set minimum wage rates and made other provisions related to terms and conditions and tied accommodation for approximately 150,000 agricultural workers in England and Wales.
It was set up by the Trade Boards Act 1909, and the legislation was originally championed by Winston Churchill to overcome the inequality of bargaining power in “sweated” industries.
But the AWB for England was abolished by the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act with effect from 30 September, 2013. The position in Wales is still under discussion, while Scotland and Northern Ireland retain their boards.
Unite believes that the abolition of the AWB breaches the United Kingdom’s obligations under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of association, and numerous other international legal instruments including the Conventions of the ILO (International Labour Organisation), an agency of the United Nations.
The union is hoping that the ECHR case will demonstrate the extent of the government’s obligation to promote and protect collective bargaining under international labour standards.
Unite assistant general secretary, Diana Holland, said: 'The abolition of the AWB by the government is a stain on democracy, and we believe that it is also a breach of basic human rights.
'There wasn't even a debate or a vote in parliament on the proposal to abolish the AWB. The board was a vital mechanism for maintaining adequate living standards for agricultural workers. Our members in low paid rural industries are facing a serious assault from a multi-million pound food industry backed by the government.
'Unite is determined to fight for the rights of individual working men and women to come together and bargain collectively in order to improve living standards.”
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