Wales to get Wages Board July 17, 2014 12:00 am The Welsh farming industry looks set to retain an Agricultural Wages Board following a ruling by the Supreme Court. The Agricultural Wages Board that covered England and Wales was formally abolished on 1st October 2013. However, the Welsh Government rushed through emergency legislation in July 2013 to continue to apply the existing Wages Order and to set up a new body to set future rates. As written in our Bulletin of last August, this legislation was referred to the Supreme Court, as the Attorney General believed it was beyond the powers of the Welsh Assembly. The Supreme Court has now ruled that the Assembly does have competence in this area. The 2012 Wages Order will continue to apply in Wales until a new ‘Agricultural Advisory Panel’ that will fix new rates is set up and begins work. A consultation on the panel is likely in the autumn.
