landworker october/november 2012

LandworkerOctober/November 2012

V O I C E O F T H E R U R A L W O R K E R

unite

Abolishing the Agricultural WagesBoard (AWB) in England and Waleswill be an attack on some of the mostvulnerable workers in the country,Unite warned in October.

Unite said it would be stronglymaking the case for the retention of the AWB in response to thegovernment consultationannounced on October 16.

Unite represents thousands ofagricultural workers across the UKand said the devolved governmentsin Scotland and Northern Irelandwere keeping their AWBs and therewas a commitment in Wales toretain its AWB.

Unite assistant general secretary,Diana Holland said, “TheAgricultural Wages Board is not abureaucracy; it provides essentialsupport to rural communities.Driving down wages does notcreate jobs, it makes workers andfamilies more vulnerable.

“If the abolition is allowed to happen,

highly skilled workers will see theirpay threatened, overtime rates willdisappear, holidays reduced and sickpay will be a thing of the past.Protection in their tied homes willbe reduced and rents increased.

“The AWB, whose origins date backto the First World War, ensures thatthere are legal set wages for farmworkers, which have, in turn, theeffect of pumping millions of poundsinto rural economies.

“We need a fairly paid agriculturalworkforce, and the AWB provides atried and tested way for workers,their employers and independentspecialists to jointly discuss this.”

The Welsh Assembly governmenthas been clear in its opposition to theabolition of the Agricultural WagesBoard, a position which has beenwelcomed and supported by Unite,the Farmers’ Union of Wales andWales Young Farmers.

It has argued abolition should not goahead without its agreement as

agriculture is devolved, but the UKgovernment now looks to be tryingabolition through the back door byseeking to exploit employment law –as it remains the responsibility ofWestminster.

Unite’s Welsh regional secretary,Andy Richards said, “Theannouncement on the abolition ofthe Agricultural Wages Board inEngland and Wales has once againdemonstrated the coalitiongovernment’s disrespect fordevolution and disregard for Welsh workers.

“It is completely contemptible thatUK government ministers appear tobe playing politics with the well-being of workers.

“We will continue to oppose theplans to abolish the AgriculturalWages Board for England andWales and will work with theWelsh government to ensureagricultural workers in Wales areproperly protected and representedin the future.”

Although the government decidedthat it wanted to abolish the AWBs in England and Wales in July 2010, itlaunched a consultation October 16on the bodies’ future. Theconsultation closes on November 12.

FIGHT THE ABOLITIONStop this attack on the pay and rightsof agricultural and horticulturalworkers today.

Send your consultation responses toDermot McInerney, DEFRA, Area8E, 9 Millbank, C/o 17 Smith square,London, SW1P 3JR; or [email protected]

Write to your MP or assemblymember and contact your regionaloffice to find out more about theUnite Save the AWB lobby at the

Houses of Parliament on

November 12. For more

information visit

www.unitetheunion.org

MAKE YOUR VOICE COUNT –

SAVE THE BOARD

Unite to fight to keep Board

Steam storyHow the railwaychanged rural lifesee page 10

BurstonUnite fight for AWBsee page 3

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By Amanda Campbell

After considerable campaigning andhard work, Unite Ireland regioncelebrated the retention of theNorthern Ireland agricultural wagesboard, which had been put out toconsultation by the assembly.

The union delegation, headed up byregional official Gareth Scott

commented, “The retention of theboard is significant and shows whatcan be done by hard work andarguing the trade union case forretention. Everybody involved shouldbe proud of their contribution.”

Working closely with the regionaleducation and research department,the submission for retention was atthe end of 2011. Unite argued in itssubmission that abolition of theboard would leave up to 80,000 ruralworkers with little or no protectionas well as breaking internationalconvention under ILO regulations.

It also pointed out that as well asunemployment running in northernIreland at 8.2 per cent, furtherderegulation of employment lawswould in no way assist the need tobring about economic growth.

Agriculture minister Michelle

O’Neill MLA said, “I firmly believethe AWB structure is a valuableforum for wage negotiations andimportantly used as a benchmark forthe wider agri-food industry.

“The AWB guarantees fair pay andconditions for agricultural workers. It will now continue to protect therights of low paid agriculturalworkers, including migrant workers,here by ensuring enforceableemployment conditions which Ibelieve can only have a positiveimpact on the sustainability of therural economy.

“As we try to grow the economicpotential of the agri-food sector inthese difficult times, it’s essentialworkers in this industry are bothprotected and have the skills, notonly to help the sector flourish but toencourage others to consider acareer within it.”

Joy at NIAWB resultBy Greg Sachno

AWB CONSULTATION STARTS

Unite still fighting to save AWB– from the February 2011 lobby

LandworkerAugust/September 2008

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October/November 2012

As we go to press Unite is taking the case for bold

policies to renew the British economy to this year's

Labour party conference in Manchester.

Central to the review is the call for a National

Investment Bank (NIB), charged with funnelling

resources to major, much needed infrastructure

and housing projects, but working in conjunction

with the crucial social policies that will get the

nation off the path to poverty set by the coalition

government.

And nowhere is there a greater need for this than

in rural Britain, abandoned by the coalition, our

members and their families really need this boost

such a bank would bring.

We’re already seeing impossible housing costs and

waiting lists, cuts to healthcare, public transport,

and education provision in rural areas. And what is

being done about it? The Tory-led government’s

plan for a business investment bank is all noise and

no action. The Chancellor gives more than £300bn

of our money to the banks to stop their panic, yet

Vince Cable is given a miserly £1bn to rebuild our

battered economy.

We told Labour it must be bolder. It must bring

the remainder of RBS and Lloyds into public

ownership, to build a British Bank of Hope for jobs

and growth.

We’re the only large economy without a national

investment bank – and our rural jobs, skills and

communities are paying dearly for this lack. But

backed by £40bn this new bank would have teeth

and harness the hopes of the nation to get Britain

back on its feet, spreading wealth fairly across our

communities.

The shame of this government is that the only

banks that are growing and giving are food banks,

the sorry hallmark of a nation set on a path to

poverty.

But a national investment bank would be the

servant of the people. It would inspire a massive

building programme to end the housing crisis and

invest in skills and apprenticeships to tackle the

growing ranks of a lost generation of young

workers.

This is what our rural communities, families, people

need from our politicians. They are crying out for

the same hope and bravery leaders showed when

they had to rebuild this nation in 1945, when the

finances too were bleak and social need great.

This is the spirit we need now. People need hope –

and they need banks that work for, not against,

them. So we come on Labour – we urge you, we

need you to be radical. We’re banking on it – if we

are to give our nation the future it truly deserves.

Banking onradical action

Len McCluskeyUnite general secretary

The weather may have been bad and thecrops subsequently poor, but at leastwe’ve had some rather good news thanksto the Labour government in Wales. TheWelsh government has decided not to giveits necessary permission for the abolitionof the England and Wales AgriculturalWages Board to go through. Should foulplay persist – as indeed we have to beprepared for from this government – andthe board disappears, then the Walesgovernment will introduce wageprotection for agricultural and ruralworkers in Wales.

And there was brilliant news in NorthernIreland, with our dedicated andhardworking Unite negotiating teamsecuring the future of the Northern

Ireland Agricultural Wages Board. Welldone to everyone involved.

Apparently those working in ourprofessions are the happiest workers inthe UK – and according to prime ministerDavid Cameron, it’s happiness – notwages that really counts. Nice philosophyfor those rich enough not to have toworry about having a job, paying rent,buying food – all the things we ‘happy’workers have to do.

But there’s certainly not a lot of happinessaround at the moment, what with cuts tothe NHS and essential services beginningto bite. When these services are cut itsrural workers and our communities thatfeel the pinch the most – with buses cut,

library services smashed and schools andhealth care all affected.

There’s no one to speak up for ruralcommunities, like the abolished ruraladvocate used to. So it’s up to us in Uniteto stand up and defend our jobs, familiesand communities. Which is why I’m urginganyone who is able to, to join Unite at theTUC’s march for a future that works, inLondon, on Saturday October 20. Yourregional office and our website,www.unitetheunion.org have details of theunion transport available and how you canhelp, get involved or simply join us in thefight against austerity.

Speaking out for rural workers

The callous execution of a Colombian trade unionist, Aldemar

Pinto Barrios of the Association of Peasant Workers of Caloto, in early August re-affirms the South American state is the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist.

Over 2,500 unionists have been murdered in the past 20 years. Thisis more than the rest of the world combined and yet there is nowthe prospect of things getting even worse.

Just days later Juan Carlos Pinzon, the Colombian defence minister,accused the Patriotic march social movement, whose membershipincludes Colombian trade unions, of being funded by theRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas.

The last organisation to be similarly accused was the Patriotic Unionin the 1980s and paramilitary death squads then assassinated over3,000 people. Despite providing no proof to substantiate his allega-tions the fear now is that Pinzon’s statement will see the destruc-tion of a movement that is campaigning peacefully to resolve theconflict in Colombia.

Unite will not allow Colombian trade unionists to be left undefend-ed. General secretary Len McCluskey noted that five of the 16trade unionists murdered in 2012 were from the FENSUAGROagricultural workers’ union. Promises of government protection hadproved worthless and fuel to protection units has even been cut.

Justice for Colombia (JFC) is the TUC-backed coalition of 40 nation-al trade unions including Unite, providing support to the Colombian

people and union movement.

In an attempt to end anti-trade union violence in Colombia, JFC isasking Unite members to send protest messages to the Colombianambassador in London. Help is needed to stop UK military aid toColombia and for persuading MPs to back an early day motion calling on the British government to encourage the Colombian government and FARC into seeking a negotiated settlement. Formore visit www.justiceforcolumbia.org 020 7324 2490

Colombia – help needed

Landworkerunite

Ivan MoncktonUnite RAAW vice chair and EC member

Published by Unite the union 128 Theobalds Road, Holborn, London, WC1X 8TN

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Ruminate with a viewThese cute calves consider life at the Washaway dairy, Cornwall


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Resistance by the Welsh government to the abolition of the England and Wales AgriculturalBoard was applauded at the Burston strike school rally in September. “One thing in our favouris that to abolish it, the coalition government needs the permission of the Wales government –which is Labour and refusing to give permission,” said Cath Speight, Unite rural andagricultural workers national officer, addressing the rally.

“All power to the Wales Labour government for refusing to abolish it,” she declared to hugeapplause. Cath also revealed, “The minister for agriculture in the Wales government has toldme that if the board disappears they will introduce wage protection for agricultural and ruralworkers in Wales.”

But for the moment, she continued, the focus was on persuading politicians not to abolish theboard, when they vote in the Houses of Commons and Lords. Although abolition was in theConservative manifesto, she said, it was not in the Liberal Democrat one, nor the coalitiongovernment agreement.

“Official figures show that if the board is abolished and wages cut it will take £9m a year out of

the rural economy. We must make sure politicians understand what that will mean to therural economy.”

It was the big pack houses in East Anglia and elsewhere who wanted to drive wages down tothe national minimum wage, not most farmers, she stated. When the consultation processtakes place, Unite, which is already organising a petition, will step up lobbying and otheractions. “But if this cabinet of millionaires get away with abolishing the board we need tocampaign for the next Labour government to reintroduce it,” she concluded.

Bob Crow, general secretary of rail union RMT, said it was not enough for Labour MPs toattack the coalition, “they should also tell us what they will do, including repealing every anti-trade union law and reversing the attacks on working men and women.”

He criticised Labour MPs for “saying nothing” about plans to weaken further laws againstunfair dismissal, and doing nothing to strengthen them during their 13 years in government.Calling for a better world to give young people hope, he said, “If we can find billions of poundsfor weapons of mass destruction we can find it for constructing a civilised society.”

All power to Wales! By Mike Pentelow

Good news at this year’s Burston rally

Unite forestry workers’ committee chairperson, Robert

Beaney believes the independent panel on forestry’s finalreport makes an excellent advertisement for the work of theforestry commission (FC). But this does not extend to all itsrecommendations – and Robert Beaney is warning – the fightto “protect our forests is far from over.”

The panel was set up by a government running scared ofmassive public opposition to its plans to dispose of the publicforest estate (PFE) in England. The panel, headed by the RightReverend Bishop James Jones, confirms this provides‘tremendous value for money.’ Especially, as for an annual costof just 38 pence per person, there is harvest timber fordomestic industry, the regeneration of Brownfield sites, accessto some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes and theprovision of outdoor recreational, educational and welfarefacilities. And, as the report highlighted, there is also a hugespin-off for rural businesses from tourism.

Beaney believes the panel correctly identified, ‘the publicbenefits delivered by PFE outweigh the costs to the taxpayerby a factor of at least six times.’ He estimates “that £400m isrecouped from the £20m spent by the taxpayer.”

What concerns him is that despite the report noting how‘woefully under-resourced the Forest Service is’, there is nocomment on how the 400 job cuts currently being imposedwill inevitably impact on the facilities the public can expect.Beaney fears access to forests may become restricted.

He says, “The report also fails to set out what mighthappen with forest research, where job cuts havecompromised its effectiveness and threaten itssustainability. It could be much more difficult to managepests, weeds and disease in the future.” Beaney is alsoanxious that the Welsh Assembly’s inclusion of forestry intheir new environmental body for 2013 may reduce cross-border research.

The panel wants ‘sufficient funding available to avoid thesale of woods to balance the books.’ Beaney though hasnoted that ex-environment minister Caroline Spelman

refused to rule out returning to plans to sell off 400,000hectares, announced after the government reported itspanel proposals, when she said, “while considering ourresponse we will continue with the general suspension ofestate land sales.”

The panel has also proposed the government considersadopting a new FC structure. Under the proposals forestenterprises could become a public body, whose work is partof the process of government but which is not a governmentdepartment. Forest Services could become, like BritishWaterways, a trust.

Beaney believes this is unnecessary adding, “The currentstructure has delivered all the benefits highlighted in thepanel’s report. If something isn’t broke, why try and fix it?Unite members feel the proposed changes would take awaythe direct democratic connection to government and meanthey would no longer be civil servants.”

Why a new structure has been proposed is unclear. Butsome of the report’s language would suggest the panel hasnot forgotten the government is packed with free-marketfanatics who are using the crisis to destroy much of Britain’spublic sector.

With Defra now consulting online with the public about thepanel’s proposals it will be later this year before we knowwhat the government intends doing next.

Forestry fight “far from over” By Mark Metcalf

The victims named in the box below are 21per cent of the total number of 173 fatalitiesin the UK at work. Yet agriculture accountsfor just 1.4 per cent of people working,making it by far the most dangerous industryin the land.

Helping keep the country fed really doescost some people their lives. If the rate ofagricultural killings were mirrored across theUK then the overall number of deaths wouldbe 2,642 people.

Of the 37 who lost their lives 20 were self-employed, 11 were employees and six weremembers of the public. Nine fatalities werethe result of contact with motor vehicles;five from falling objects and three were theresult of falls from heights.

There were three deaths from asphyxiation.Two occurred in July 2011 when CraigWhipps, 27, and one of his attemptedrescuer’s, Paul Gray, 48, died in an outsideslurry pit at Albyns Farm in StaplefordTawney, Essex. Two other men, includingRobert Torrance, the son of farmer JohnTorrance, who leases the farm from theCrown Estate, were also taken to hospitalsuffering from methane inhalation.

Slurry perilA slurry pit is used to convert, over alengthy time period, animal waste intofertilizer. The bacterial decomposition canthough create a toxic mix and hydrogensulphide in particular can causeunconsciousness after just a single breath at high concentration.

Although a coroner has yet to rule on theexact cause of Mr Whipps death, it isbelieved he drowned after being overcome

by toxic fumes caused by a large volume of liquid slurry escaping under pressure. Mr Whipps was married and had a daughter.His wife, Vicky, was pregnant and hassubsequently given birth to a son, JamesCraig Whipps. Craig Whipps’ family is nowtrying to alert others to the dangers ofslurry.

With an inquest date due to be announcedshortly the HSE continues to investigate andis currently reviewing the existing ‘Managingconfined spaces on farms’ information sheetthat is issued to agricultural establishments.An HSE spokesperson said there remained a need to tackle ‘risk taking culture andbehaviours’ within the agricultural industry.

Landworker extends its condolences to thefamilies and friends of the following 37 people killed in the agricultural sector in 2011/12:

Jason Reynolds 38, William Wilson Boow67, Paulo Almeida De Silva 47, NormanRobertson 67, Geraldine Grace 67,Alexander Banks 64, Konrad Miskiewicz24, Paul Gray 48, Craig Whipps 27, ColinEllwood 38, James Steel 32, OdediyahEastwood 57, Ieuan Evans 75, MarilynDuffy 61, Luke Yardy 17, Ashley Yardy 22,Wallace Hale 88, Lee Woodhouse 30,Jeffrey Lee Jameson 32, Violet Crisp 83,Edward Arthur Davies 70, Angela Turnbull55, Alexander Hamilton 68, William Laird82, John Reid 84, Hugh Edward Percy Jones18, John Mackinnon 65, Harold JohnHitchcock 64, Ewen McGregor 59, FrancisAlwyn Grassby 62, Phillip Egerton 60,Andrew Davis 39, Paul Davidson 33, LindaKeens 58, Terry Bailey 67, RoderickMacLean 33, Alistair Hislop 67.


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Still killing us in the fields

By Mark Metcalf

Sadly agriculture still remains at top spot in the UK dangerous work killing league

The charity arm of the Countryside Allianceappears intent on miseducating young peopleby perpetuating a historical myth that thecountryside largely runs itself.

The Countryside Alliance Foundation frontpage states, “Many children and young peopleknow little about the countryside and ruralway of life. Our programme of educationalinitiatives will introduce them.”

Fortunately they stay clear of showing somedefenceless fox being chased for miles beforebeing ripped apart in the name of ‘sport.’Instead of which there is the Countryside

investigators website. The Foundation hopesthe young will ‘find it an exciting andinformative learning resource in and outsideof the classroom.’

Visitors to the site can find out how a farm,village, woodland and countryside estate areoperated and run. Down on the farm it’sabout ‘producing our food.’ Apparently thisinvolves only the farmer, farm vet andgamekeeper.

It appears its best not to let children andyoung people know about the skilledworkforce who drive the tractors, harvestand pick the crops and herd the cattle. Farbetter also to ignore completely theemployees who are killed on Britain’s farmsannually, creating a level of killing greater thanany other industry in the country.

Of course, this removal of the rural laboureris not unique in the history of the ruling classin the countryside.

Even 18th century landscape painter,Gainsborough said, “Damn gentleman, thereis no such set of enemies to a real artist in theworld as they are!” His favourite painting wasThe woodman, an old labourer standing besidea bundle of faggots. Such paintings didn’t sellor obtain the patronage of the aristocracy andhis heavy debts meant he would have found itunwise to ‘stray from the happy peasant’scottage door to its wet and squalid interior.’*

Gainsborough stuck to the rich and theirhabitats, all suitably bathed in light. This, at atime when over half of the population ofEngland lived in the countryside, and fromwhich the wealth of the nation was ultimatelyfounded. In the Netherlands, Van Goghshowed the faces of these people – the yokels,clod-hoppers and bumpkins – but not in

England, as to do so would have threatened toreveal the naked weapon of class rule in thecountryside.

“Today not a single monument remains of thepoor,” commented the Reverend RichardCobbold, the then rector of Wortham, in1860.

More than 150 years later try searching in thenational portrait gallery archive of 175,000portraits from the 16th century to thepresent day and you won’t find one of anagricultural labourer!

*From ‘The long affray’ by Harry Hopkins

No yokels, clod-hoppers or bumpkins in UK rural art? Afraid not, squire

Wot, no workers? By Mark Metcalf

Come home safe


unite


Unite is stepping up its work with Banana Link, the cam-paigning organisation working for a fair deal for plantationworkers in South America and Africa who are fighting for aliving wage and to develop their trade unions.

Unite is urging all branches and regions to affiliate to BananaLink to help support that organisation, while informationabout Banana Link’s union to union work is being distributedthroughout the union via uniteWORKS.

“We’re also providing educational material for Banana Linkto send to trade unions in Cameroon and elsewhere wherethey are working,” said rural and agricultural national officerCath Speight.

“Their trade unions are in their infancy and don’t yet havethe wherewithal to train activists and stewards so we havesent these materials, which they can adapt to their own circumstances to help them get up to speed.

“Unite is an international union and we are proud of ourinternationalist credentials. We are more than happy todo whatever we can to support Banana Link in its excel-lent work.”

Banana Link national coordinator Jacqui Mackay has welcomed the union’s increased involvement. “Unite is theunion which represents rural and agricultural workers in theUK and for us it is the key partner in our work to build solidarity between the tropical fruit workers in the South and workers and trade unions in Britain.”

Unite’s main partners are the Cameroon agricultural work-ers union FAWA and Peru’s SITAG union. It will also be sup-porting the World Banana Forum which was established in2009 and is part of the United Nations’ food and agricultureorganisation (FAO).

This initiative brings together plantation workers, unions,growers, retailers, scientists and producers’ and consumers’governments to work towards creating a sustainable bananatrade which respects workers’ rights and pays them a livingwage, and improves environmental factors by reducingdependency on pesticides.

“The forum is working for a way forward, and the great thingabout it is it was set up thanks to the efforts of workers andsmall producers,” Jacqui Mackay points out. “Its creation wasdriven by those with the least power and the concerns ofthe workers are at the forefront of the forum. Every one isworking together to ensure a living wage is paid.

“One of the big challenges is how value is distributed alongthe chain. There’s not enough cash at the beginning of thesupply chain for the workers to earn a living.

“The only way these workers can survive is to keep borrow-ing because of the gap between the wages they are paid andtheir living costs in the Cameroon.”

While the workers on the plantations typically earn only 4per cent of a banana’s value, once it is sold in the UK, thegrowers get 20 per cent, the ripener/distributor 12 per centand the retailer 29 per cent. (The remaining 35 per cent ofthe value is accounted for by transporting the fruit to the UK(23 per cent) and the EU tariff (12 per cent).

Bananas are the single biggest profit-making item sold on UKsupermarket shelves and are often used in price warsbetween retailers. As a consequence prices have been forceddown to very low levels and are now two-thirds less thanthey were 10 years ago.

Retired Unite official Peter Medhurst, chair of Banana Link,has been involved with the Norwich-based not-for-profitcooperative since it was founded in 1996.

He says, “A key factor for me, as an active trade unionist forall my working life, is not just about fair trade but about whathappens on the ground to the workers. This support canonly be delivered by trade unions.

“It is important for trade unionists to support Banana Link asit has a different agenda on global trade. We are assistingworkers form sustainable unions in Latin America and areoffering a helping hand until they can stand on their own feet.“Small producers are very vulnerable to the actions of thelarge multinationals. The recent situation with milk producersin the UK is a classic example of how supermarkets work.

“If there is a banana price war between the supermarketsthen the people on the ground are squeezed more andmore, whereas they ought to receive a fair price for the fruitthey produce.

“This is very much a trade union issue. Without the support of the trade union movement banana Link cannotdo what it has set out to do. I believe that supportingbanana link is as good as anything we can do to help shiftthe balance globally.”

• For more information visit www.bananalink.org.uk

It’s no joke being anexploited bananaworker

Unite goes Banana Link

By Mark Metcalf

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Power link – Unite’s Peter

Medhurst steps into banana

workers’ justice fight

UNITE’S UNION TO UNION PARTNERS

SITAG – PeruSITAG represents over 4,000 workers involved in producingand exporting organic and Fairtrade bananas, mainly fromsmall farms The union also has members in the mango,sugar cane, grape and avocado industries. Peru is one of thepoorest countries in South America and has the longestworking hours – half the workforce work an average ofmore than 48 hours a week.

Banana worker Viuera Sanchez Santos Jeuola says,“Workers are persecuted to such an extent that they areafraid to voice their complaints. My female friends as a consequence don’t say anything. They are constantly afraidof being fired for their actions. I do speak out. I speak outfor my colleagues and myself.”

FAWU – CameroonThe Falko agricultural workers union organises plantationworkers in the south west province of Cameroon. Thebanana industry in the country employs 15,000 workers,most of whom work for the Cameroon development corporation, the largest private employer in the country,which sells its produce through the multinational giant DelMonte in Europe, including the UK.

The problems faced by workers include• wages that don’t meet basic household needs• poor housing• poor sanitation and lack of safe drinking water • long hours• exposure to toxic agrichemicals


unite


Pay your way!

Many people may not be aware, but thisNovember the ballot boxes will be out for youto elect local police and crime commissioners(PCC). While much of the media focus is onurban areas, people living in rural areas faceincreasing crime so a good PCC with anunderstanding of rural issues is vital.

People living in Wiltshire have struck luckyas their Labour candidate in the elections isUnite regional officer, Clare Moody.Clare’s sector is food and farming and shehas a great understanding of rural issues, andwell as spending her days ensuring justice forlocal workers.

Clare sees protecting neighbourhoodpolicing, stamping out hidden crime andboosting the democratic face of the police askey priorities.

“One of the most commented-upon parts ofpeople’s experiences of crime in Wiltshire isanti-social behaviour,” she said. “The mosteffective way to deal with this is byprotecting those front-line neighbourhoodpolice teams because they deal with anti-social behaviour and have a public presence,which is an important reassurance.

“In rural areas, where people can feelisolated and cut off at times, it’s vitallyimportant the public feel confident thepolice are there to protect them. Responsetimes in rural areas are also a huge issue andcuts to services will lead to increasedresponse times leaving communities in ruralareas feeling increasingly vulnerable.”

Wiltshire is a large county and its policehave a long history, being formed in 1839and the oldest force in the country. Clarehas lived in Wiltshire for 15 years andunderstands the diversity of the county andthe issues facing residents. As well as antisocial behaviour there can be high levels ofdomestic violence and she sees supportingthe community and local organisations thathelp residents as a vital part of the job.

“Overall, I see it as my role to meet,communicate with, and involve communityand victim support groups in the setting ofthe police strategy. There are manyvoluntary services suffering badly as aresult of government cuts, such asdomestic violence groups, and I intend tochampion these groups and ensure thatthere is due recognition of the sensitiveand supportive policing that is necessary inthese areas.”

Supporting people at work is somethingclose to Clare’s heart, and she hopes tomake a difference to working people’sexperience of the police. “All too frequentlypeople face crime in their workplace, andwhen this workplace is remote, this can beunder reported. This needs to be recognisedand effectively policed.”

She is also vehemently opposed to cuts andprivatisation local police forces face and feelsher first task if elected, would be “to doeverything in my power to protect Wiltshirepolice force from the government’s cuts topolicing and to prevent parts of the police

service from being outsourced to G4S or asimilar company. There has been very littlepublicity about this role, so people are not

aware they are going to have a chance tovote on November 15. I would urge peopleto get involved and vote.”

Unite’s rural crime fighter Country crime central to Unite police candidate, Clare Moody

Posh schools are living it up at rural state schools’ expense

Get out and vote – Unite’s Clare Moody

By Keith Hatch

Rural taxpayers are subsidising private schools. It’s all becausethese elite educational establishments are classified as charities,allowing them to enjoy an 80 per cent rebate on their non-domestic rates bills.

The Grammar School at Leeds traces its heritage back to 1552.The 100-acre leafy site is at the very outer edge of Yorkshire’sfirst city, the school boundaries making way for local farms andthen to the north, the rural villages. Whereas state schools takein all pupils in their catchment area, Leeds Grammar draws itspupils from a 25 mile radius.

Annual fees at the school cost £7,723 for a nursery place, risingto £8,421 and £11,282 for places in the junior and secondaryschool respectively. Class sizes of 18-20 are, at least, a thirdsmaller than in a state secondary school. Classrooms arenaturally lit, all enabled for state of the art information andcommunications technology.

In Calderdale, 20 miles away the costs for sending childrento Rishworth School are similar, with pupils in years nine to13 costing their parents £10,740 a year. If they board at theschool there is an additional £20,730 to pay. The schoolextends over 130 acres and had its sports club opened byPrincess Anne in 2007.

Unsurprisingly, both West Yorkshire schools have outstanding

academic records. Both are also registered charities, which isthe case for all the UK’s independent/private schools. Whatmay surprise readers though is the knowledge that as a resultthey enjoy substantial benefits. Firstly it means they are notclassed as businesses, thus avoiding paying corporation andincome tax. Secondly, they are only required to pay 20 per centof their non-domestic rates (NDR) bill, the funds for which helppay for local services.

NDR is nationally set and was 43.3p in every £1 in 2011/12.Leeds Grammar has a rateable value of £1,410,000 andRishworth £286,616. If they were state schools this would havemeant, after transitional relief following a national revaluation,payments by each of £534,978.50 and £124,971.12. Instead ofwhich, the two private schools paid just £106,995.70 and£24,994.22 each.

No one has calculated how much additional money might beavailable to fund services in rural areas if private schools basedthere paid 80 per cent more – but it must be a substantial sumof money.

Unite’s Cath Speight said, “It’s shocking that schoolsestablished to serve the privileged are able to enjoy tax breaksby registering as charities while state schools have to payconsiderably more. These private schools should be made topay their way.”

By Mark Metcalf

Raking it in – Public schools doing well at

cost of rural state schools

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There is a major skills shortage looming over the countryside,with rural workers and farmers both agreeing more needs to bedone to promote the industry to young people deciding on acareer. One option is apprenticeship schemes, but there isconcern over the quality of various schemes and that therearen’t enough places available to provide all the skilled workersneeded in the future.

Unite has been promoting good quality schemes in workplacesacross manufacturing and industry. The union is now turning itseye towards the food and farming sector.

John Burbage is the branch chair of the Tolpuddle and districtbranch in Dorset. As a relief dairyman he has seen the problemfirst hand.

“There’s a lack of young people in farming. The age profile offarmers is getting older all the time, while a lot of young peopleare leaving the industry and not being replaced. Farmers arenow coming to understand we need to have a new generationof highly skilled and trained workers on the land, and there is arealisation that mechanisation has gone as far as it can.

“On today’s farms a whole new set of skills are needed, andproper training schemes, such as apprenticeships, are vital.”

Recent farming figures back John’s call and show an economicallyimportant sector that needs increased focus on new skills. Some476,000 people work in the farming industry, and from field toplate, the agri-food sector contributes £85bn to the Britisheconomy and employs 3.5m people.

But the average age of a British farmer is 58 and though Britain isstill 60 per cent self-sufficient in food this represents a drop of15 per cent over the past 20 years. Farms are leading on newgreen skills and around a third of them across England andWales are involved in renewable energy generation, as well asbeing responsible for managing about 75 per cent of Britain’ssurface area.

Defra has recognised this problem and recently carried out afarm business survey which highlighted a number of issuesfacing the industry. It points to the fact that agriculturalworkers are often highly skilled but lack formal qualifications;and that technical skills levels are high in the farming industry,though often not formally recognised. It adds that over thenext 10 years the sector will need 60,000 new entrants, withthese new workers likely to require higher skills levels thanthose they are replacing.

Education providers in rural areas now offer a wide range ofdifferent opportunities for potential apprentices, from arable todairy farms and including training in skills such as preparing andcultivating sites for planting crops, operating tractors, harvestingand storing crops, maintaining equipment and machines as welllooking after livestock, maintaining the health and welfare ofanimals and managing habitats.

Defra also believes skills development is led by the industry itself,but that “historically the farming industry has not paid enoughattention to skills”. This lack of attention has resulted in a lack ofimportant skills, along with patchy recording and recognition ofexisting skills levels. It adds training provision was plentiful, butfragmented and un-coordinated and not always able to meetfarmers’ needs.

The report suggests, “because of the lack of clarity overskills development, career prospects and professionalism,too many potential new recruits do not see agriculture as acareer of choice.”

This is something that John agrees with. “One of the farmers Iwork for has managed to secure two apprentices – but there arefar fewer candidates than there are places in local agriculturalcolleges. Agricultural and horticulture isn’t promoted in schoolsany more and is totally undervalued as a profession.”

John is calling on more schools to highlight the sort ofagricultural jobs out there and the benefits of working in the

countryside. He feels we need to get to grips with this soon.

“A wider understanding of food production is needed. Land ismassively underused in this country and there is hugepotential for jobs that are not all dependent on big employers,but also on small groups and co-ops. To do this we needmore people to take up the training opportunities out there.”

One way to encourage young people into apprentice schemesis to ensure apprenticeship schemes are of high quality anddon’t see young people exploited for cheap labour.

Unions are vital in supporting apprentices throughmentoring schemes with members and in keeping an eye onthe training being delivered. Members of the UniteTolpuddle and district branch are approaching local collegeswith a view to talking to new apprentices about why tradeunions are important, both while they are training and whenthey are working on the land.

Brett Sparkes is a Unite learning organsier covering Dorsetand Wiltshire and explained, “As a way into work, a qualityapprenticeship is second to none. It gives you, not only thetechnical skills required, but also the social skills to progressand develop as person. There are many difficulties andobstacles our young face, especially within a rural community.The cost of a university education is rising and is now out ofreach of most families, a good apprenticeship scheme, runlocally, not only opens the door to employment it can offeranother route to higher education. Additionally it means thatour communities retain the skills to attract employers.

“This is core trade union business, we want our members tobe in full time secure employment, and that means they havethe skills industry needs. We also need to make sure thatunscrupulous employers do not exploit these vulnerableworkers or remove full time work for an apprentice on£2.60 a hour. Overall quality apprenticeships are win-win forall involved.”

Wanted – young,skilled, rural workersRural apprentices – your countryside needs you

Rural taxpayers are subsidising private schools. It’s all becausethese elite educational establishments are classified as charities,allowing them to enjoy an 80 per cent rebate on their non-domestic rates bills.

The Grammar School at Leeds traces its heritage back to 1552.The 100-acre leafy site is at the very outer edge of Yorkshire’sfirst city, the school boundaries making way for local farms andthen to the north, the rural villages. Whereas state schools takein all pupils in their catchment area, Leeds Grammar draws itspupils from a 25 mile radius.

Annual fees at the school cost £7,723 for a nursery place, risingto £8,421 and £11,282 for places in the junior and secondaryschool respectively. Class sizes of 18-20 are, at least, a thirdsmaller than in a state secondary school. Classrooms arenaturally lit, all enabled for state of the art information andcommunications technology.

In Calderdale, 20 miles away the costs for sending childrento Rishworth School are similar, with pupils in years nine to13 costing their parents £10,740 a year. If they board at theschool there is an additional £20,730 to pay. The schoolextends over 130 acres and had its sports club opened byPrincess Anne in 2007.

Unsurprisingly, both West Yorkshire schools have outstanding

academic records. Both are also registered charities, which isthe case for all the UK’s independent/private schools. Whatmay surprise readers though is the knowledge that as a resultthey enjoy substantial benefits. Firstly it means they are notclassed as businesses, thus avoiding paying corporation andincome tax. Secondly, they are only required to pay 20 per centof their non-domestic rates (NDR) bill, the funds for which helppay for local services.

NDR is nationally set and was 43.3p in every £1 in 2011/12.Leeds Grammar has a rateable value of £1,410,000 andRishworth £286,616. If they were state schools this would havemeant, after transitional relief following a national revaluation,payments by each of £534,978.50 and £124,971.12. Instead ofwhich, the two private schools paid just £106,995.70 and£24,994.22 each.

No one has calculated how much additional money might beavailable to fund services in rural areas if private schools basedthere paid 80 per cent more – but it must be a substantial sumof money.

Unite’s Cath Speight said, “It’s shocking that schoolsestablished to serve the privileged are able to enjoy tax breaksby registering as charities while state schools have to payconsiderably more. These private schools should be made topay their way.”

By Keith Hatch

Quality schemes - good rural skills apprenticeships are needed

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The wettest summer since 1912 has not only left Britishbeaches deserted, but also battered the UK apple harvest andflower crops. A late frost followed by the high rainfall has leftapple trees bare, farmers down on income and some ruralworkers with little work. Recent reports suggest the badweather has had a huge impact on the rural economy withover a billion pounds lost in total.

Constant rain resulted in April, May and June being thewettest since modern rainfall records began in 1910. This isa critical time for fruit production as it is when the blossomon fruit trees is pollinated by insects like bees. This yearpollination was affected by spring downpours as bees areless active in the rain, those young fruits that were producedthen found themselves knocked out by late frosts, heavy rainand hail.

Apple growers from across the UK are reporting very badcrops this year, the trade body English Apples & Pears (EAP)

estimates that nationally, production of two of the biggestfavorites, Cox and Braeburn, will be between 25 and 30 percent down from last year’s harvest. But many farmers aretalking of a 50 per cent drop, with some even higher, andorchards from Somerset to Sussex mentioning a 90 per centloss. With less apples there is less need for apple pickers.

William Jackson from Elwell Fruit Farm in Dorset hasnever seen it this bad and said, “We employ a lot of seasonalworkers at this time of year, both local people and migrantworkers, but staff numbers are down and we are employing alot less people this year as the crop is so much lighter.

“A lot for us will depend on the price the supermarkets payus for the harvest. It was very low last year and if it’s the samenow it will be disastrous for us.”

This is a problem that affects a lot of seasonal workers asShaun Jeffery explains. Shaun is a horticultural worker and

vice-chair of Unite’s Waveney branch. “Fruit crops have beenvery poor this year with limited quantity and small fruit.

“Pickers are primarily migrant labour, but also a lot of localstudents, and the work on the harvest is just not there. Thereare also concerns about the future, the demand for the cropis still there, but it’s whether the fruit farms can shoulder theloss this year and keep going as the margins aren’t particularlygreat even in good times.

“The wider horticultural impact has been obvious as well.Some big growers have shut down, resulting in job losses. Lastmonth one of the biggest heather growers in country closedand some other big plant growers are on the brink.”

The industry is now looking for a good 2013, but if concernsover climate change, and the increasing unpredictability ofthe weather prove true, then the rural economy is in for arocky ride.

BAD APPLE CROP Wettest summer ever threatens rural jobs

Thanks to registration we now have a better ideaA voluntary land ownership registration scheme introduced bythe Labour government 10 years ago has proved a majorsuccess with most land now on the books of the land registry.

The Land registration act 2002 was introduced when mostland in England and Wales was not registered, with coveragelevels below 50 per cent in Lincolnshire, Lancashire,Somerset, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Things have now changed dramatically. As of August 1, 2012Lancashire registration levels have risen to 83 per cent. Therehave been large jumps in North Yorkshire (up to 81 per cent),Norfolk (up to 81 per cent) and Gwynedd (up to 72 per cent).

Although registration is not complete, with around a fifth ofland in England and Wales still unrecorded, these latestfigures are closing the gap on the question as to who ownsBritain. Back in 1874 the compilation by local governmentboards of The return of the owners of land report proved

an embarrassment to the handful of landowners who ownedmost of the country.

No similar study was undertaken until Kevin Cahill’s 2001book Who owns Britain? completed a lifetime’s work andrevealed that 189,000 people owned 88 per cent of the land.The Duke of Westminster at Eaton Hall near Chester is alarge landowner with over 130,000 acres. As some of theholdings are in central London then according to the Sunday

Times Rich List for 2011 he is worth £7.35bn and is therichest person in Britain.

While over the last decade the issue of land reform has beenhigh on the political agenda in Scotland that has not been thecase in England and Wales. Now, Caroline Lucas, GreenParty MP for Brighton Pavilion, has tabled a private member’sbill seeking Parliamentary support for research into, “the meritsof replacing the council tax and non-domestic rates in Englandwith an annual levy on the unimproved value of all land.”

The Henry George (an American economist) Foundationsince 1879 has promoted a land value tax (LVT). It has beenintroduced in a number of countries including Russia andEstonia. Ireland appears to be currently wavering on itscommitment to introduce LVT next year, while in the UKthe Liberal Democrats have a long-standing attachment.

Supporters believe LVT can prevent investment inunproductive property and in her speech to MPs Lucas said,“LVT encourages efficient and sustainable use of land, asowners of derelict land or properties that they havedeliberately allowed to become run down pay the same asthose who take care of their properties.”

The Brighton MP said the valuation office agency should beable to assess the value of all land. With most land nowregistered such a task would now be considerably easierthan a decade ago. Lucas’s bill is due a second reading inNovember.

Revealing who owns BritainBy Mark Metcalf

By Keith Hatch

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Under threat - fruit businesses on the brink


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On a bright February day in 1952 Ernie

Chaffey and Hilda Thorner tied the knot,this year they celebrated their 60thanniversary. The diamond couple haveworked on farms across Dorset, Somersetand Wiltshire, nearly always living in tiedhousing, before retiring and settling into oneof the Martyrs Memorial Cottages inTolpuddle.

Ernie said, “We met in the farmhouse atBere Down Farm during the war. I wasworking on the farm, driving tractorsmainly, and Hilda was part of the land armythat came to help out.”

Hilda was 15 when she started, her fatherworked in farming and the family moved notlong after they met, meaning Ernie had longjourneys across Dorset for the six years theywere courting. By this time Hilda was workingin the net making factories in Bridport.

The public transport was good in thecountryside then as Ernie explained. “I used toget the bus to Dorchester, then the train toNettlecombe, where Hilda lived. Hilda alsoused to get the train to Bridport to work. Youwouldn’t be able to do that now as the localtrain lines were all cut and there aren’t asmany buses today. People now rely on theircars, but not when we were courting – whichwas lucky as I doubt if I could have affordedone at the time.”

The decline in public transport is just one ofthe changes that Ernie and Hilda have seenover their six decades together, and duringthat entire time Ernie has always been amember of the union.

Ernie said, “I started work on the farm at 14and joined the union when I could at 16. I wasin the Winterbourne Abbas branch and wasbranch secretary for the 10 years before Iretired. The branch doesn’t exist anymore asthere’s less members on the land.

“Though I’ve done a few other jobs in mytime, working on a building site, driving abread round in Yeovil and even selling fireextinguishers at one point, I’ve spent most ofmy life working on the land. I came back tofarm working because the job comes with ahouse. The job’s a lot easier now, we did a lotof heavy work and now there’s machinery todo the job, but I don’t think they can cut downon labour much more, a lot people work ontheir own.

“I worked on the Ashley Chase Estate and welived in a tied cottage in Kingstone Russell for26 years. At the time they had 3,000 acres,with eight of their own dairies, I used to drivearound those dairies collecting the milk. Bythe time I’d retired a lot of their land had gone.

“When you retire they want your house aswell, but luckily a cottage was going atTolpuddle, we’ve been here 19 years thisNovember. Lots of people went to thefarms to get a house, but today’s differentand all the tied cottages at Kingstone Russellare private now.”

All in all Ernie and Hilda have had a hardworking but fulfilling 60 years together, andwhen asked about the secret of theirsuccess Ernie said, “It’s about workingtogether and not arguing too much.” Bit like the union really.

Unite’s diamondcouple! Tolpuddle farm workers residents

celebrate 60th anniversary By Keith Hatch

Diamond duo – 60 years on

and still smiling


unite


“The railway built Sheringham – when it came in 1887 itliterally arrived in a field,” says Dave King, curator of theNorth Norfolk Railway’s museum at Holt, five miles west atwhat is today the end of the volunteer-run line.

Present-day Sheringham was then just a few fishermen’sshacks along the shoreline. In the middle ages their ancestorshad moved down from the main village of Sheringham, todayknown as Upper Sheringham, a mile and a half inland. There half a dozen local farms were worked and little hadchanged in this remote community on the North Sea sincethe village was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086.

The railway changed all that forever. Today the noise, smells,vibration and sheer presence of a monster breathing steamand smoke as it comes trundling into an immaculately-restored station, set sometime between the 1930s and 1950s,is the headline attraction of any steam railway.

But take a look around and you can discover some fascinatingsocial history, sometimes revealed by a tiny artefact like aluggage label or a fading poster.

Trains arrived late in north Norfolk. By 1875 every town ofany importance in the county was already connected, or “on-line” – for this was a communication revolution perhaps moreprofound than even our own experience of the internet andmobile phone.

Everyone just had to have a railway as local landowners-turned- entrepreneurs competed for usually elusive profits.Even a moderately-sized market town such as Aylsham hadtwo stations, while Norwich boasted three.

When the original company running the line went bankrupt,the Midland & Great Northern – known popularly as theMuddle and Get Nowhere – took it over in 1893.

“They had this great idea – a line running east-west withLeicester at one end and Great Yarmouth at the other,”explains Dave King. “So miners from Nottinghamshire, whowere just getting paid holidays at this time, could travel toNorfolk on excursion trains.”

As well holidaymakers from the industrial Midlands, therailway also imported raw materials and coal to fuel theregion’s expanding agricultural machinery industry – which inturn reduced the demand for labour on the land and led ruralworkers to seek jobs elsewhere.

“Railways brought wealth and trade and they needed peopleto work them,” explains Dave. “Many agricultural labourerswent to the railways which paid better than working on theland – and the hours were set.

“Melton Constable was a minute collection of houses – where200 people lived – but when the line’s railway works was builtthat became 1,200. Most of them were railway workers andtheir families, many of whom came from surrounding villages.”

Once it was linked to the Midlands and London the M&GNopened up new markets for East Anglian produce, includingpotatoes, wheat and vegetables.

It also enabled the sugar beet industry to develop – beetswere transported to mills at Ely, Cantley near Norwich andWissingham near Downham Market and the sugar thendistributed throughout the country.

Cromer crabs and bait, and fish landed at Lowestoft, becameavailable in London and the Midlands, while by the end of thecentury Sheringham’s once tiny fishing fleet boasted 150boats bringing in cod, skate and whiting, as well as lobstersand crabs.

Nationwide, it was the railway that led to fish and chipsdisplacing pigs’ trotters as the working man’s dish of choice.Until then, fresh cod or skate was simply unavailable morethan a day’s cart ride from the coast.

“Before the line came from Holt to Sheringham, localfarmers and landowners relied entirely on local seedmerchants, blacksmiths and so on for goods and services,”Dave points out.

“But now they could send away for anything. Suddenly youcould telegraph London and get your goods delivered the

next day. Until then your horizon had been your street andyour village but all of a sudden the whole country opened up.”

Dave points to some of the museum’s documents andartefacts which reveal part of this story of social change.There are the internal memos from 1888 –“the emails of theday,” as he describes them – querying whether two or threesacks of bolts were on their way to a baker’s in Holt. Thereare the fish and perishable goods labels for York, Bradford,Hastings and London’s Bishopsgate.

Also on site is a restored railway cottage, a fine example ofthe wooden Victorian carriages taken out of service after theFirst World War and often converted into homes.

These conversions were not only holiday homes butpermanent “hutments” sought by unemployed ex-soldierswho set up as smallholders growing produce and raising pigs,goats and chickens on adjacent land.

This particular cottage revealed a tiny piece of Labour historywhen it was being stripped for restoration – a ticket for aNorth Woolwich Women’s Co-operative Guild social anddance in October 1926 to raise money for the miners’ relieffund in the aftermath of the General Strike.

Last but not least is the railway’s beautifully restored ex-LNERteak pigeon van than runs as part of the line’s set of woodenvintage coaches.

“Inside the van we have a collection of cardboard boxes,” saysDave. “That might not seem much, but they tell a story –margarine and butter from the West Country, egg boxeswhich we sent all over the place, as well as milk churns – allmilk went by rail.

“These vans were built for the racing pigeons trade – wholepigeon trains used to run on Friday nights. There was bigmoney involved. It was the working man’s way out – a bit liketoday’s lottery.”

• For more information about the North Norfolk

Railway visit http://www.nnrailway.co.uk

By Mitch Howard

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North Norfolk railway museum tells the tale

The railway comes to town


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“If you put in a bit of effort it is reflected in the end product.”That’s the philosophy of Les Jarrett, whose Suffolk ShawsgateVineyard has won over 40 local and international awards overthe last 20 years.

The vineyard was started in 1973 and when Les bought it in2003 he was the fourth owner. “I came into it blind with noprevious experience of winemaking but I was fortunate that avineyard down the road was closing and I gained someexcellent staff, including my winemaker and vineyard managerRob Capp.

“I wanted to control the whole process from plough to plate,or soil to sale if you like. It’s no good producing a crop if theoutcome is not good quality.”

Les is a seed specialist, who trained at the NIAB (nationalinstitute of agricultural botany) in Cambridge and also runs aseed business and markets his own blends of teas.

He believes that this background has played a big part in thesuccess of the vineyard. Shawsgate is one of 450 vineyards inEngland and Wales – but they only account for less than half aper cent of the wine the British drink, so it is a niche market.

Yet the quality of the wine is improving all the time as growersgain more experience. “English sparkling wine is now regularlybeating French champagne in blind tasting competitions,” Lespoints out.

Shawsgate usually produces around 36,000 bottles a yearalthough it will be less in 2012 because of the bad weather.“This year we have lost about 15,000 bottles. We had 37tonnes of grapes last year but it will be about 22 this year.”

Harvesting usually starts in first week of October, buteverything is seven to 10 days late this year late this year, andlasts for more than two weeks as different varieties come tofruition.

Vineyard manager Rob Capp adds, “We’ve got a reasonablecrop and trying to make the most of it. The varieties we grow

deliver a good natural sugar level but this year we will have toadd a little more. Most of our wines are positioned at about10.8 per cent strength.”

Once the harvest is in, it’s down to pruning from Decemberthrough to March with six pruners working through 17,000vines.

“This is a mammoth task which requires training andexperience to select the right amount of spurs and just threefruiting canes on each vine for next year’s harvest,” says Les.

“A late frost in May can damage the developing shoots whilerain in July, which is a critical stage in the year when the flowersare pollenating, can cause them to wither and die. That’s whathappened this year.”

During the summer months the vigorous growth is tucked intothe wires and the crops are sprayed to combat mildew andbotrytis.

“Downy mildew can actually be caused by thunderstorms,” saysRob. “It spreads in a matter of days and destroys the leaves andcauses what the Germans call ‘leather berry’.

“But husbandry is more important than spraying. If you canmanage the plants well so that sunlight gets in and breezes passthrough them disease problems are much less.”

Through July and August excess leaves are cut back and then,when the grapes have ripened, it’s harvest time again with 20to 25 people snipping the grapes by hand. Les stresses theimportance of the right kind windbreaks which shelter the vinesbut allow airflow between them. Shawsgate is divided into sixsections separated by windbreaking hedges of alder or mixedbirch and beech.

“A solid high hedge causes a wind which makes the vines yieldless. Italian alder is the tree of choice as it keeps its leaves wellinto autumn. The idea is to create smaller areas ofmicroclimates which help the plants mature. Air movement isimportant. When you’re walking down the rows the

temperature rises by five degrees – it’s like a walled garden.”

The vineyard has about 13 acres under cultivation, with sevendifferent varieties of vine including five whites and, unusually foran English vineyard, two reds. The oldest vines – MullerThurgau and Seyval Blanc – were planted in 1972. Apart fromthe French Seyval Blanc, the other varieties are all of Germanor Swiss origin, because of the climate.

“We’re on more or less the same latitude as Germany so thoseare the varieties that flourish best around here,” explains Les.

Shawsgate offers four styles of white, including the dry whiteBacchus, which is very popular with local fish restaurants,through to a sweet white. It also produces a rosé and a red, aswell as a sparkling rose and a sparkling white.

Unlike many vineyards, Shawsgate has its own winery wherethe grapes are pressed and fermentation takes place and theresulting wine bottled, which allows it to make wine forother vineyards.

Visitors are welcome to roam the vineyards free of charge andare given descriptive notes and a map – and usually takeadvantage of the opportunity to buy a case or two at the shop.Over 15,000 come every year.

Shawsgate also offers group experience days of over four hoursincluding a conducted tour, lunch and wine tasting, which cost£80 for two people.

Most of the wine is sold through the vineyard’s own shop andonline but it is also to be found in some top restaurants and onthe shelves of the East of England Co-op which is promotinglocal produce.

“You may pay £30 or more for a bottle of our wine at a toprestaurant but that’s alright because if people like it they comeover here and buy a case at £10 a bottle.”

To find out more visit www.shawsgate.co.uk

IT’S A VINE LIFEBy Mitch HowardA Suffolk vineyard enjoys the fruits of its labour

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From soil to sale – Shawsgate owner

Les Jarrett does it all


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STAY SAFEwith Ian Beeby

hea l t h & s a f e t y

Recently I was given a book to review called Safety and

health in agriculture. This book was produced by the ILOafter one of its ‘expert’ meetings in Geneva in 2009, adoptedby a meeting in October 2010 and endorsed by its governingbody at its 310th session in March 2011. So you can see ittakes a fair while from the first meeting to it being finallyapproved. So who is the ILO? or to give its full title theinternational labour office.

The ILO is a section of the United Nations the same as theUNHCR or the UN security council. During the year theyhold meetings which could lead to conventions, like onhuman rights, the rights of the child or more famousconventions like the treatment of prisoners of war.

Unfortunately not all treaties or conventions are ratified bygovernments and unless several governments ratify thesetreaties they don’t become law. If after signing a treaty orconvention a government then breaks the terms of a treatythe ILO does not hold powers to bring that government tobook, except in rare circumstances like war crimes, but willhold a governing body meeting to hear the case and willdecide on whether the convention has been broken andthen pass judgement.

The only teeth it has though is hoping the outcome will bebrought to the notice of its people who will then takeaction. The book is dedicated to the farmworkers andfarmers who feed the world in expectation that it willimprove safety and health in agriculture.

Now for this book, our own Susan Murray was one of theexperts at the meeting bringing her vast wealth ofknowledge to the discussions. Also helping was Sue Longleywho was the editor of Landworker several years ago.

Conventions on employment matters are held on tripartitebasis with governments, employers and workers repsinvolved. They can come from anywhere in the world. Thiscode is a subsection of convention 184. This book is a codeof practice which means it isn’t a law in itself but if youfollow it then you remain within the law and it could be usedagainst you if things go wrong.

These codes of practice are only the minimum standardsand if national laws have higher standards then they prevail.Our most famous code of practice is the highway code soalthough some things are law like maximum weights andminimum age limits other parts are only guidance like driveon the left.

One of the interesting items is on the back where it statesthat agriculture employs 1,000 million workers worldwide –a third of the entire work force, the largest section of femaleworkers in many countries, and to its shame 70 per cent ofchild workers.

As we already know agriculture is one of the most hazardousindustries. The common objectives are• to raise awareness of hazards and risks and to control them• prevent accidents and disease and improve working

conditions

• encourage employees , employers and governments tocooperate to prevent accidents and disease, (I hope ourgovernment and employers read this part)

• raise awareness of occupational health issues• promote positive attitudes and behaviour to occupational

safety and health matters• make sure good health and safety applies to all workers.

The code like the convention has covered all areas of workapplicable to agriculture including, chemicals, animals, noise,dusts, competence, education and training, PPE and RPE,machinery, zoonoses, vibration, work places, welfare,transport of people and equipment, weather, wellnessprogrammes and outreach.

Under outreach this basically says that roving safety reps areone of the ways to prevent injury and health problems as wellas getting the safety message over using conferences, showsand the media in general like newspapers, the internet andtelly. Of course most of the work is based on doing a properrisk assessment and involve workers in that process.

The book runs to over 320 pages so that there is a lot todigest but the format is much the same for each section, inthat you find out what the risks are and then you dosomething about them and gives good guidance on how toachieve that or tips that you might consider.

I found the book interesting but you have to be devoted tothe subject but it is also a good reference book, best readwith glass in hand in sections and not as a reading book.

All here in blackand white

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Safety and health – it’s all in the ILO book

If you would like anything covered or have and

idea for an article, please phone 01223 833 860

or email [email protected].


unite


On July 18, 1936 the Spanish Count of Alba yYeltes, a grand landowner in the north of thecountry, assembled his estate workers andproceeded to shoot six of them dead. Itwould, he said, be a lesson to the others.

The Spanish military had just announced acoup d’etat to overthrow the progressivegovernment in Madrid and the Count’sbrutal executions were a warning to hisworkers not to resist the regime change.

But across Spain other workers did fightback. The quick coup envisaged by thegenerals (led by General Franco andsupported by Hitler and Mussolini) wasfrustrated by popular resistance. For nearlythree years (1936-39) the country wasplunged into a bloody civil war. Thatresistance was boosted by the InternationalBrigades – thousands of leftist volunteerswho made their way to Spain to help defendthe Republican government and the fledglingdemocracy.

Amongst the 2,500 or so British brigadierswas a young lad from Merseyside, Jack

Jones. Jack, of course, went on to becomethe long-time general secretary of theTGWU and it is a source of real pride toUnite members that their union remains soclosely associated with a man who put his lifeon the line for values which remain thebedrock of the Labour movement:democracy, social justice and internationalsolidarity.

The Spanish civil war had consequences forthe whole of Europe and was a dark warningof the bigger conflict to come – World WarII. A key episode of the war was the siege ofMadrid by General Franco’s army inNovember 1936. It was here that thecitizens of Madrid – with the help of theInternational Brigades – dug in to defendtheir city and their government. The slogancoined then in the Spanish capital ‘No

Pasarán’ (they will not pass) has beenadopted by anti-fascists ever since.

Despite the importance of the siege there isvirtually no information about it on offer inthe Madrid today and the right wingadministration which has controlled the cityfor decades would like to forget that it everhappened. But many visitors (and localSpaniards) do want to know more and a newweb site – Spanish sites.org – fills in some ofthe details. It offers visitors a real or virtualtour to explain why the conflict took place,who took part and where to find theremains – trenches, bunkers and gunemplacements – off the beaten track aroundthe city today.

The web site is of particular interest toagricultural workers because it was theywho were at they behind the push for radicalchange in Spain in the 1930s. Many of thelandowning class shared the reactionaryattitudes of the Count of Alba y Yeltes. Even

if they were not prepared to shoot theirown workers, many landowners demandedthat the day labourers toil in the mostmiserable conditions – back breaking longhours in the summer and autumn, no workin winter and subsistence rates of pay.

Professor Paul Preston, a leadingauthority on the civil war at the LondonSchool of Economics has no doubt that the“intransigence of the employer class when itcame to getting any improvement in theawful situation of farm labourers” was toblame for resulting division and bitterness.

Preston cites a union official in the early1930s from Andalucia who said “they (theemployers) had power, influence and money.We had only two or three thousand daylabourers behind us and we constantly hadto hold them back since the desperation ofbeing unable to feed their children turns meninto wild animals.”

When a republic was declared in Spain in1931 with a new progressive governmentthere were high hopes for change. Landreform was announced which legislated foran eight hour day – but it was simply ignoredby many landowners in the south and westwho demanded hours of unpaid overtime.Those not prepared to toil from sun-up tosunset would simply not get work.

The laws passed in Madrid were neverenforced in some of the poorest agriculturalregions and the landless workers had noredress. The same union official quoted byProfessor Preston said that he tried to raiseissues about working conditions but “theonly issue on the table was wages; there wasno question of negotiating food or workinghours”. As a consequence day labourers,without any enforceable rights whatsoever,were forced to work “until your back broke,from sun up to sundown”…or until it wastoo dark to see a thing.

Worse still the young republic’s experimentwith democracy came at a time of globalrecession. Unemployment soared and unlikeother countries in northern Europe, Spainhad no social welfare system at all. Thepoverty and near starvation were mostkeenly felt in rural areas.

When the British volunteers of theInternational Brigades arrived in Spain tohelp fight for the Republic in 1936 manywere shocked by the rural poverty. Onerecalled that that the unemployed of hisnative Nottingham were ‘affluent bycomparison’ to the landless day labourers ofthe Spanish countryside. And this,remember, was the middle of the greatdepression of the 1930s.

The resistance of the landed class to makeconcessions, and the frustration of theworkers to see any real change, ledincreasing political instability in Spain. The

generals and reactionaries promised to bring‘order’ with a coup but the left knew that afascist regime would snuff out any remaininghope of improvement or progress. That iswhy they fought back despite the brutality ofthe powerful, like the Count of Alba y Yeltes.The resistance of the left in the Spanish civilwas a focal point for the left in the 1930s. Itremains an inspiration to us today andSpanish Sites aims to tell that story.

Dr David Mathieson is the founder ofSpanish Sites, a project which organisestours of the Spanish civil war battlefield sitesaround Madrid. David was special adviser tothe late Robin Cook and is currently chair ofLabour International, the consitituency partyfor the 800 Labour Party members who liveoutside the UK.

For more visit www.spanishsites.org

The workers’ warInternational landworker

By David Mathieson

Freedom fighter – the legendary Jack Jones

before the battle of Ebro, July 1938

Bunker – Republican bunker, Canada Real, outside Madrid


unite


The government’s case to abolish the agricultural

wages board is certainly not an economic one to

deny farm workers the right to the current wages

board provisions. Nor is it a moral one.

The August/September Landworker informs us that whenMike Ward asked Tory MP George Freeman, at theRoyal Norfolk Show, why the government should wish toabolish the Board, he was told the AWB history shows itwas hidebound. Agriculture could not move forward withthat remaining hung around its neck.

This can only mean the Tory MP regards himself as engag-ing in a political and perhaps a possible moral crusade tofree up even more money for farmers by the demise ofthe AWB in the overall interests of agriculture. This canonly be the cost of lowering living standards for farmworkers.

To be consistent, he must consider the national minimumwage is further hidebound legislation around farming’sneck. And for what? Farmers are able to move forward,free to pay for the skill and dedication for the labour thatproduced the farmers’ 25 per cent increase in income in2011, the lowest wages possible within a market of mil-lions who are employed and looking for jobs.

That can only bring us back to the Tolpuddle Martyrs’days of totally unjust wages, and of every succeeding gen-eration of farm workers since, before the setting up of theWages Board in 1924. This is not a moral crusade inwhich such an MP us engaged, having regarded the mon-strous justice it entails. It is a moral outrage.

The AWB history is one of a truly moral crusade. Oncethe Wages Board was established, throughout the 20thcentury, countless rank and file members of the farmworkers’ trade union maintained thousands of branchesthroughout England and Wales. For the most part theyare now in their graves. But it would be a political andmoral crime if the very first order for any ruling authorityto trample underfoot the hard-won legacy so many dedi-cated and hard pressed rural trade unionists have left toour farm workers of today and tomorrow.

Moraloutrage

SOAPBOX

Turbulent tales ofradical revolts

By Keith Hatch

By George Curtis

West Country Rebels (by Nigel C ostley)

Seen by many as the peaceful, quiet corner of Britainwhere people visit for holidays or spend theirretirement, the West Country has in fact had aturbulent and radical past. It is a place where workingpeople have fought for their rights and rebellions havesprung up against the establishment.

Most people will have heard of the Tolpuddle Martyrsand many will also know about the Swing Riots, but fewwould read stories about the 1913 China Clay Strikewhere Cornish clay workers first organised themselves;or the Grovelly Wood Rebels who fought from 1820 tostop their rights of access to the woods being takenaway from them by the local lord, their fight continueduntil 1987!

South West TUC regional secretary Nigel Costley

felt that the stories of ordinary people across the WestCountry needed to be told and has collected hundredsof accounts to produce West Country Rebels. The bookis well written and beautifully put together, somethingyou’d expect from a former compositor and father ofchapel.

West Country Rebels looks at riots, revolts, wreckers,rebellions, smugglers, mutinies, strikers and radicals,not subjects normally associated with the South West,but as Nigel points out in the books introduction: “formuch of its past, the West Country has been in turmoil.The story of the South West includes many charactersthat have taken great risks and made huge sacrifices to

defend their families and communities or to pursue acause in which they passionately believed... This book isabout such people and about solidarity.”

The book covers a wide timeframe, from the CornishRebellion in 1497 to recent riots in Bristol against asupermarket opening and tells stories of free miners inthe Forest of Dean, farmworkers in Dorset, textileworkers in Wiltshire and women “Bel Maidens” inCornwall. As well as the mass uprisings andmovements, the book also looks at the stories ofpeople behind them, such as union leader Ben Tillet

and social reformer Josephine Butler.

It doesn’t go into great detail on each episode, coveringso much ground that would be impossible, but insteadoffers snap shots of the area history that build to showa picture of a region whose people stood up forthemselves, fought oppression from landlords andemployers through organisation and continue to do sotoday.

By drawing together all these stories from the regionspast Nigel has shown what working people can dowhen they organise themselves, and that the stories ofbattles in the past are not only interesting points ofhistory but lessons that can be used when facing todayschallenges.

As Tony Benn comments in the books forward“Giving people hope is the most important thing, andthat’s what this book does. It is a very remarkablebook.”

On the shelf BOOK REVIEWS

Protest – Unite AWB fight

Clif

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unite


The mellow feel of autumn makesthis season magical and althoughthere is work to be done it’s at amore leisurely pace than thosefrantic days of spring and earlysummer. Weather will, as ever, bedictating what we do so beprepared for frequent autumnwinds and gales.

Planting of trees, shrubs , roses andhedging should take priority if youare planning these. The soil is stillwarm and plants will root easilynow but leave more tender itemstill the spring. Remember to waterwell afterwards and stake firmly ifnecessary.

Consider incorporating a productcontaining mycorrhizal fungi andwater retentive gel as it helpsestablishment and subsequentgrowth; many brand nameproducts are available.

This autumn think of makingeconomies, we gardeners can be acanny lot when it comes to makingthe pounds go further. Sharing andexchanging plants and other gardenitems is a good way to economise;now is the time to do this withplants such as herbaceousperennials being split and divided.

Mulching in all its forms really is abenefit in the garden both time andmoneywise; do this as muchpossible now it’s very worthwhile.

Use plants in the garden that have adouble role ie. herbs in the flowerborder that are very attractive anduseful too such as sage, rosemary,thyme, fennel .

Economising on tools really is afalse way of saving, we all know theagony of using a poor quality tool.

Choose well designed functional

garden tools, they make the job fareasier. I’ve sometimes found oldersecondhand ones superior to theirmodern equivalents so lookaround before buying.

Here is a site you can spend hourslooking at on those days when it’sdifficult to work outsidewww.realgardeners.co.ukHappy gardening.

Mellow magic

Secret stories of popular pubs No.43

By Phil Saunders

By Mitch Howard

At the Holly Bush in Headley, on November 23, 1830 localfarmers agreed to raise agricultural wages to 12 shillings(60p) a week.

Down the road, a crowd, including over 1,000 who hadmarched from nearby Selbourne, gathered on the villagegreen waving flags and sticks.

The villagers of Selbourne had already won an increase (seelast issue of Landworker) and had set off at 6 am for Headley,gathering support and getting farmers to sign the agreementon the way.

They passed the Headley workhouse, which the crowdwanted to sack, but their leader, Robert Holdaway, managedto restrain them.

When they reached Headley, the rector – who had alreadyagreed to cut his tithes by half – invited Holdaway to walkwith him to the farmers’ meeting at the Holly Bush.

The farmers agreed the new rate and had a whip-roundwhich raised £7 for the labourers. All seemed to be well, butwhen Holdaway emerged from the pub his supporters haddisappeared.

They had gone back to sack the Headley workhouse. WhenHoldaway and some Headley farmers arrived they found theplaced wrecked and a crowd of men and women enjoyingthe 30 gallons of wine from the cellar.

Although not one person had been injured during two daysof rioting, Holdaway was fearful of his likely fate. He told aHeadley farmer, “It is too bad. It will hang me.”

Holdaway managed to move them and they started back toSelbourne. But on the way in the village of Kingsley theyfound one of the new threshing machines which threatenedtheir livelihoods.

A Headley farmer had moved it there, thinking it safe, but thecrowd smashed it. Although the events coincided with theCaptain Swing unrest that swept southern England, this wasthe only instance of machine breaking during two days’upheaval.

The villagers then went home but the next day the militiabegan to make their arrests. That Christmas over 300Hampshire men were put on trial at Winchester. Meanwhile,the tithes went back up and the labourers’ wages back down.

Of the 22 from Selbourne and Headley who were tried, eightreceived prison terms from six months to two years’ hardlabour, and nine sentenced to transportation for offencesincluding riotous assembly, extorting agreements by threatand destroying the two villages’ workhouses.

Robert Holdaway was sentenced to death but following apublic outcry this commuted to transportation. The ninesailed from Portsmouth in February 1831, leaving their wivesand families behind them. But they have not been forgotten.Local historian John Owen Smith has written a play and abook about the unrest and his websitewww.johnowensmith. co.uk/riot – gives a detailedaccount of the events and the trials.

Thanks to his research, in 1994 four descendants planted acutting from the old Selbourne yew in the grounds ofHeadley Grange (the former workhouse where, incidentally,some 140 years later Led Zeppelin were to write andrecord Stairway to Heaven) to mark the unjusttransportations.

Battle of the oppressed continuesThe Holly BushHeadley, Hampshire

Gardenwise

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Farmers, forestry workers and fishermen are happier workers –according to a new study from the office for national statistics,ONS. But the survey clearly hasn’t addressed issues facing thosewho work and live in rural areas, or how the abolition of therural advocate has silenced these voices.

Results from the government’s first ever survey of national wellbeing, published by the ONS, are likely to show that people whowork in farming, forestry and fishing are happier than others. The ONS – more used to weighing up public sector finances orcrime statistics – was given the rather subjective task of askinghow happy Britons are by David Cameron in 2010.

Ministers want to use the information to allow young people tomake informed choices about their jobs – asking whether theywill be happy, rather than whether they will earn a lot of money. The prime mover behind the ‘happiness index’ has been MrCameron who said when he became Conservative leader in2005 that gauging people’s wellbeing was among the “centralpolitical issues of our time.”

The study found that at the top of the satisfaction list werepeople who work in “agriculture, forestry and fishing”. That wasfollowed in the top third of the satisfaction index by “peopleworking in mining, quarrying, “real estate activities”, electricityand gas supply and “water supply, sewerage and waste”.

Even people who are paid to cheer us up did not appear to be avery happy with their lot, with those working in “arts,entertainment and recreation” ranked below bankers andinsurers for job satisfaction.

The study covered the quality of life of people in the UK,environmental and sustainability issues, as well as the economicperformance of the country.

The ONS wants the new well-being survey to “provide a morecoherent measure of ‘how the country is doing’ than standalonemeasures such as GDP”.

The news came amid fears that voice of Britain’s countryside ingovernment is being silenced after the 100-year-old post of theindependent rural advocate was abolished.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh, said, “People inrural areas still need this independent champion, as their Toryand Lib Dem MPs are silent on rural problems, neutered byambition, government propaganda or quiet despair.”

Stuart Burgess, who was rural advocate between 2004 and2010 said, “I am personally concerned about the loss of theindependent rural champion who can give voice into the veryheart of government.

“The voice is going to be lost. The rural unit has been set up inDefra – but that does not provide that independent voice thatLloyd George in 1909 that was so important to have.

“The strength in the independent rural voice is the ability to goaround the country, to gather evidence and to listen ruralcommunities – and getting those messages into the heart ofgovernment.”

UK’s happy workers –apparently

White grains of snow rolled by an east

wind; windscreens still frosted at noon;

a blackbird scuffling in dry leaves for

the seed or nut it cannot find.

And a twitched curtain

where she looks out,

wondering how far

compassion goes

in the populous

universe of

garden

birds.

Cold By Nicholas Murray

The good,the bad andthe llamas

By Amanda Campbell

Mar

k T

hom

as

Milking it!

Animal rustling is on the rise. And farmers are takingunusual steps to combat the problem – includingemploying the exotic alternative of llamas as securityguards.

A recent survey of farm crime shows a six per cent risein thefts in 2011. But are llamas the ultimate in farmcrime prevention? Liz Butler of the British LlamaSociety said, “We do sell a number of llamas as ‘guardllamas’ and they do protect livestock, not from humanbeings but from predators such as dogs and foxes.”

In fact Tim Crowfoot, British Llama Society chair, haswatched a llama chase and kill a fox. Help certainly isneeded to fight the rise in rustling. Last year the cost oflivestock rustling increased by 170 per cent. Thievesstole everything from 1,500 lambs in Lincolnshire to145 pigs in Norfolk.

Police suspect that stolen animals enter the food chain,either through unofficial abattoirs or forgeddocumentation, because the livestock is never seenagain. “It's very difficult to get convictions where theevidence has been eaten,” says Tim Price, who ranthe crime study.

If llamas aren’t quite the rustler-busters we’d hopedfor what can we do? According to Tim Price the bestcrime prevention is community. Old networks need tobe recreated, through formal and informal farm andneighbourhood watch schemes are the surest way tobeat the burglars.

Crime fighter – the Llama-nator

Beating crime, country style

Some cows will do anything to

get into Landworker! This

lovely lady takes a break from

milking at the Washaway Dairy,

Cornwall. A true star indeed.

John H

arri

s/w

ww

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ital

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Dar

ren B

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landworker october/november 2012

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