Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery (Agriculture) Convention, 1951 (No. 99) - Isle of Man

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Agricultural minimum wage – Partial payment of wages in kind. The Committee notes the Agricultural Wages Board Order 2011 fixing the minimum rates of wages for full-time agricultural workers as from January 2012 and introducing a new category, i.e. “basic grade workers”, in addition to the “ordinary grade workers” and the “special grade workers”. It also notes the Agricultural Wages Regulations 2010 which set the maximum amounts of money that may be deducted from wages in the case of supply of a dwelling for the exclusive occupation of a worker and expressly provide that under no circumstances may such deductions in respect of accommodation result in the wages paid being below the minimum pay rates established under the Minimum Wages Act. In this connection, the Committee also notes the Government’s indication that the Agricultural Wages Board has ceased setting maximum deductions from pay in respect of board and lodging provided by an employer, as previously provided for within the Agricultural Wages Board Order. The Committee requests the Government to continue to supply information on any further developments on these matters.

Article 3(4). Differentiated minimum wages based on age. Further to its previous comments with regard to the practice of setting lower pay rates for young agricultural workers below 19 years of age, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that the Agricultural Wages Board will examine this question in more detail at its next round of deliberations. The Government further indicates that the Board has endeavoured to be pragmatic in setting a minimum rate of pay for the security of younger workers, cognisant of the nature of the industry, in order to satisfy the need to provide adequate remuneration to younger workers, without pricing them out of the market. Finally, the Government observes that no comment has been received from stakeholders in regard to “age-related” rates during consultations on proposed changes to these rates. The Committee requests the Government to keep the Office informed of the eventual decision of the Agricultural Wages Board on this point and to transmit a copy of any report detailing the reasons for such decision.