Minutes:
The Council had before it a Notice of Motion set out in the agenda papers standing in the names of Cllr Matt Jenkins, Cllr Beverley Nielsen, Cllr Natalie McVey, Cllr Martin Allen, and Cllr Tom Wells.
The motion was moved by Cllr Beverley Nielsen and seconded by Cllr Matt Jenkins who both spoke in favour of it, and Council agreed to deal with it on the day.
The following amendment was moved by Cllr Marc Bayliss and seconded by Cllr Adam Kent:
“Worcestershire County Council recognises the need to continue to support the horticultural industry, which is core to our county and reputation. It is suffering for its third year running under the allocations of the pilot Seasonal Workers Scheme, which has not been made permanent as a piece of legislation, making it challenging for these businesses to plan ahead for the next year. These businesses pay good salaries, National Living Wage as a minimum, offer good conditions and the sector is world renowned for innovation, investing around 5% annually in R&D – more than twice the government’s national R&D target.
With the black pear as the symbol of our county and our fruit growers continuing to face challenges, we urge active engagement by our Cabinet with this vital sector on behalf of our county.
This Notice of Motion:
1. Calls on Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for Economy & Skills to continue to have regular discussions with local farmer and fruit grower representatives from the NFU in our county; and
2. Consider what more the County Council, working in partnership with district councils, can do to support this important sector of our economy.”
In the ensuing debate, the following points were made:
· Horticulture was a key sector in the local economy with good wages and high levels of innovation. Recruitment had been an issue in the sector which had led to a huge wastage of crops. The Seasonal Workers Scheme was falling short of the number of workers required in the industry and its timing left farmers with very little opportunity to implement their plans for 2020/21. Attempts to recruit local workers had failed to produce the numbers required. An emergency response to the shortage of seasonal workers was requested from the Cabinet Member
· Produce was rotting in fields and farmers had stopped plans for planting next year due to the shortage of labour. Following Brexit, it had become harder to recruit workers from abroad. The attempts to recruit local workers had proved to be unsuccessful. There was a reduction in the country’s food security at the same time as an increase in the travelling distance of food. Pressure should be placed on the Government to make the Seasonal Workers Scheme permanent and to increase the minimum worker target up to 80k
· The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Skills acknowledged the important role that the horticulture and agriculture sector played in the local economy as well as its culture, history and heritage. He accepted that the sector faced challenges but did not accept that it was in crisis. The County Council played an important role in supporting this sector and he, the Leader and other Cabinet Members had regular meetings with representatives of the NFU. The important role of district councils and partner organisations also needed to be recognised. Agritech was a key LEP priority and the Council had been pushing the importance of the increased use of technology in this sector
· The shortage in seasonal workers could partly be attributed to the raising of educational standards in the country. There needed to be a change in the perception of farm work so that it was seen more as a career. The Council needed to look at what it could do to raise awareness of employment opportunities in the sector and increase wages and the use of technology and innovation
· It was disputed that work in horticulture was well-paid albeit was a skilled job. The abolition of the Wages Council in farming had had a negative impact on wages and terms and conditions and consideration should be given to its reintroduction
· The Council should look into the possibility of liaising with other trade unions involved in the horticultural sector as well as the Co-operative movement as part of the partnership working arrangements
· There was a degree of market adjustment taking place in the horticultural sector as a reaction to the changing circumstances, although the soft fruit producers had yet to find appropriate technological solutions
· It was requested that the issue of animal welfare be included in the regular discussions with representatives from the NFU
· Although the amendment was accepted, it was disappointing that the words emergency and crisis had been removed from the original motion, given the thousands of tonnes of crops left to rot in fields. The Council should make representations to local MPs about the deficiencies in the Seasonal Workers Scheme. In the drive to develop new technology, the present plight of the sector should not be ignored and jobs protected. There was a danger of increasing wages in the sector to the extent that it opened the market to foreign produce with the associated food mileage
· The ability to travel to jobs in the horticultural sector was a real issue for local workers and therefore local transportation needs should be incorporated in the ongoing discussions.
On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried and put as the substantive motion which was agreed unanimously.
RESOLVED: Worcestershire County Council recognises the need to continue to support the horticultural industry, which is core to our county and reputation. It is suffering for its third year running under the allocations of the pilot Seasonal Workers Scheme, which has not been made permanent as a piece of legislation, making it challenging for these businesses to plan ahead for the next year. These businesses pay good salaries, National Living Wage as a minimum, offer good conditions and the sector is world renowned for innovation, investing around 5% annually in R&D – more than twice the government’s national R&D target.
With the black pear as the symbol of our county and our fruit growers continuing to face challenges, we urge active engagement by our Cabinet with this vital sector on behalf of our county.
This Notice of Motion:
1. Calls on Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for Economy & Skills to continue to have regular discussions with local farmer and fruit grower representatives from the NFU in our county; and
2. Consider what more the County Council, working in partnership with district councils, can do to support this important sector of our economy.”