The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland has welcomed the announcement of the appointment of Grace Nesbitt OBE as the new chairperson of the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB).
The announcement was made today (Monday, January 29) by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris.
The Secretary of State also announced the appointment of two new independent board members – Gerard Laverty and Kevin McCabe.
The appointments will be for a period of three years from the date of appointment, with the possibility of further reappointment to a second term.
Agricultural Wages Board
The Agricultural Wages Board for Northern Ireland is a statutory body which meets three times a year, to determine the minimum gross wages payable to agricultural workers.
It also sets some conditions for holiday and sick pay entitlement.
The board is made up of one chairperson, two independent members, six members from trade union, Unit, to represent employees and six members from the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) to represent employers.
The chair and two independent members are appointed by the DAERA minister. In the absence of ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive, these appointments were made under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022.
These independent members can be appointed for a maximum of two terms, with each term lasting for a three-year period.
The UFU and Unite appoint their own representatives to the board.
Rates of pay
| Grade | Definition | Rate/hr |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minimum rate applicable for the first 40 wks cumulative employment | £7.54 |
| 2 | Standard worker | £8.13 |
| 3 | Lead worker | £10.16 |
| 4 | Craft grade | £10.92 |
| 5 | Supervisory grade | £11.49 |
| 6 | Farm management grade | £12.48 |
The table above indicates the minimum hourly rates before tax and national insurance deductions.
