Queensland Country Life News Skip directly to: Search Box, Section Navigation, Content.

Opinion

Blogs

Labor crisis not helped by wage skimping

If farmers have found it hard to compete with heavy industrial sectors like mining to attract and keep staff during the drought, they won't help the situation by not paying the increase in award wages announced last week.

In the same week it was revealed an estimated 50,000 workers will be needed for farm jobs as the nation emerges from drought, farmers won a 12 month deferral in paying the minimum wage increase announced by the Australian Fair Pay Commission.

It's almost a given that the farm sector can't compete with mining on pay-packets alone, but agriculture's image is surely diminished in the labour market when workers learn they won't even be paid the award - like everyone else.

No wonder rural workers unions are recommending their members look elsewhere for employment.

Drought recovery will be a long and hard process, but keeping and attracting staff should factor as highly in the cost management decisions as feeding stock during the drought or planting that recovery crop, and necessary to survival.

Many farmers will tell you that in order to compete with nearby mines for unskilled labour, mechanics, and machinery operators they now have to pay premiums in order to get the work done.

So much is needed to turn around this labour force crisis on farms which could take a decade to stabilise.

Deferring the minimum wage increase just makes the problem worse.

Posted By: Lucy Skuthorp on 11/07/2007 9:31:20 AM | Comments (6)

Comments

Date: Newest first | Oldest first

Lets face it farmers need to pay workers a wage rise. Sure it hurts some times especially when you are paying more than one worker, but its all about competition and we need to keep the skilled people on the farms.

Posted by Steve Dairy on 12/07/2007 6:02:07 PM

Typical Labor Party, what they forget is that the farm workers in the main get a free house, free power, free meat and milk at least, some get free keep so although the wages are lower their costs are far lower too.

The rural sector has done it very tough with the drought so another kick in the guts from Labor is what we ought to have expected.

Posted by Mrs Mac on 12/07/2007 6:14:12 PM

It should be pointed out it was the Rural Workers and Shearers Union, not the Labor Party, which has criticised the deferral as reported in this story.

Posted by Lucy Skuthorp on 12/07/2007 7:52:55 PM

Typical union opportunism to attempt deluding the public to push its own selfish agenda.

Posted by woolaway on 12/07/2007 6:46:03 PM

I stopped working on farms 3 years ago because, with 2 young children, it was to hard to live on 500 per week, much less be able to buy a house etc.

I love farming and with my experience am a good asset to a farm but I can and do make 4 times the money driving a truck.

Posted by w.bout on 12/07/2007 10:01:59 PM

It's time for Ag to face reality.

We live in a competivive labour market (I am WA Farmer) I employ full time and casual labour and am paying well above award rates.

These are a joke - I have a 18Yo son apprenticed in the mining industry who after tax is clearing $950/week.

If our industry cannot offer simular wages to the mining sector then we are doomed.

The NFF should be focusing on other issues which impact significantly on Ag

Posted by Andy on 13/07/2007 12:45:59 AM

Farm workers in my part of the world get free house, free electricity, free meat and, if married, provide their own groceries. If single they get fed by the property owner and pay a very small amount towards board and keep.

Their wages are closer to $800 per week.

Producers of cattle are still receiving the same price for their bullocks as they were in 1973 and the dollar was worth less then, so they are receiving less than they were 30 years ago.

The governments are imposing constant fees and charges (not taxes!!), regulations that cost money to implement, costs keep rising and the small producer of food is being forced into becoming the new peasant.

Producers have no control over the price they receive for their product, supply and demand controls their income.

While supermarkets keep adding huge profits to the product demand will be low and so the vicious circle continues.

Posted by Concerned Northerner on 13/07/2007 5:34:00 PM