Denunciation Of Ilo Conventions

EDM number 1555 in 1993-94, proposed by Martyn Jones on 19/07/1994.

That this House deplores the Government's decision to denounce conventions 99 and 101 of the International Labour Organisation, which entail the existence of the agricultural wages boards to set minimum wages and paid holidays for agricultural workers, as announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in her reply of 14th July to the honourable Member for Ealing North, Official Report, column 715; takes note of the fact that these conventions have been signed by countries right across the globe, from Belize to Belgium to Brazil; believes it to be a terrible indictment of the United Kingdom's low-wage, high-exploitation economy that the Government refuse to meet the same standards as countries like Colombia, Malawi and Papua New Guinea; is reminded that in response to the Government's recent consultation on the future of the agriculture wages boards there were 3,628 submissions received, of which just 15 were in favour of abolishing the boards; is further reminded that farmers' unions and rural communities alike oppose any weakening of the powers the Agriculture Wages Board; condemns the Government's insistence that minimum wages cause unemployment, when Government-funded research concluded that the minimum wages have not reduced agricultural employment; recognises that agricultural workers are now among the most highly skilled workers in the land, yet their hourly wages are 30 per cent. below the industrial average; and calls upon the Government to reconsider its decision to denounce International Labour Organisation conventions 99 and 101, and to recognise the need to retain the agricultural wages boards in their current form. (Relevant registered interest declared)

This motion has been signed by a total of 98 MPs.