Welsh Agricultural Wages

Welsh Government plans to maintain an Agricultural Wages Board in the Principality have hit a problem.  We wrote in May that the Cardiff administration was consulting on whether to retain a formal Wages Board, or merely have an Advisory board to issue guidance.  It was decided to continue with the statutory approach and the Agriculture Sector (Wales) Bill was passed under the little-used emergency procedures on 17^th July.  In the short-term this rolls-over the provisions of the 2012 Wages Order so they continue to apply in Wales after the 1^st October 2013.  Longer term, it gives Welsh Ministers the power to make future Orders for Wales, and to set up an Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales to carry out similar functions to the current AWB.  However, the UK Attorney General has now referred the Bill to the Supreme Court.  It is argued that the matter is not within the Welsh Assembly’s competence because it refers to employment law rather than agricultural matters.  It is likely that the current Wages Order will continue to operate in Wales (even after the 1^st October) pending a decision from the Supreme Court. 

–over the provisions of the 2012 Wages Order a Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales to carry out similar but more modified functions of the Agricultural Wages Board