On November 16th the biggest rally in London of agricultural workers since the 1930's took place; yet this demonstration was almost ignored by the socialist press. Nearly two thousand agricultural workers from all over England and Wales took part in this colourful demonstration, bringing with them their banners and placards. This demonstration is only part of an intensive campaign by the National Union of Agricultural and Allied workers for their demand of £16* basic wage and a 40 hour week. Even this minimal demand is £2 less than the average male industrial worker earns. With overtime, which is essential for him to make ends meet, the farm worker averages a 49 hour week and earns £15.5.0; whereas the industrial worker averages 3 hours less and earns over [illegible] as thus farm workers are earning almost 50% less.
Added to this is the fact that agricultural workers are leaving the land at a rate of 20,000 a year, the vast majority not through redundancy but because of lousy wages and conditions. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to get school leavers to take up agricultural work, there now being half the number of farmworkers under 20 that there were in 1959. In fact the total full time work force has declined from [illegible]00,000 to 250,000 in the last nine years, yet wages as a proportion of the employers costs have declined in 20 years from 12% to 19%!
In monetary terms agriculture is Britain's biggest industry, yet it employs only 1% of the total working population, this being the lowest percentage in the world. About a quarter of our import bill is accounted for by food products amounting to £1,600 million and it is estimated that by 1972 increased agricultural production will have led to a further £220 million saving. What, however, does the farm worker get out of this? The answer is very little indeed; he still works in uncomfortable conditions for long hours and lousy wages while his boss reaps the benefit of [illegible] increased profits.
Let us examine the position of the bosses. They have recently turned down the latest demands of the N.U.A.A.W. as they say they cannot afford such increases. They try to justify their position by saying that their workers have "free" cottages (in fact only 50% do) and free milk and eggs, etc. Many of the cottages are hardly fit for human habitation, as so many were built in the 19th century they lack such amenities as bathrooms and indoor lavatories, in fact some even don't have piped water supply! As for the other "perks", they hardly amount to a few coppers a week and cannot be used as an excuse to justify low wages. The majority of farmers are comfortably well off, most can run two cars and can send their children to private schools, yet they can't pay a living wage to their employees.
The N.U.A.A.W. faces considerable difficulties in organising a highly dispersed membership, half of whom live in tied cottages and most of whom have an undue regard for their employers - moreover, though the union is organised in more than 3,000 branches many have no more than eight to ten members. Although 2,000 workers were on the march the speakers at their rally in Trafalgar Square were hardly inspiring; the N.U.A.A.W. General Secretary, Lord Collinson, a noted right winger and Cyril Plant, the General Secretary of the Inland Staff Association. Typically they have had no support whatever from the rest of the trade union movement. When the union's modest claim went before the T.U.C.'s Incomes Policy committee in July it made no objection to the claim going forward to the Agricultural Wages Board but it did not officially endorse it.
With no recent tradition of militant industrial action the agricultural workers need all the support and encouragement the left and other unions can give; so far there has been none. We feel it is the duty of all unionists to give what practical support they can by sending messages of solidarity and support to the N.U.A.A.W.
* As this article was being written it was announced that a 17/- increase in the basic wage had been granted bringing it up to £12.8.0 per week from February, but the working week still remains at [illegible] hours.