Farm workers’ earnings

Press, 22 October 1984, Page 12

Farm workers’ earnings

Sir,—M. Knox (October 17) writes of farm workers’ perks. Unfortunately the comments could be misconstrued to the detriment of poorer-paid workers. Perks do occur, but they are not an award requirement and are far from

standard practice. A tee farm house is provided as part of the job, but this can be a liability if a worker loses his job because he has no home security. Living at Lewis Pass, M. Knox must experience added vehicle costs to provide family basics of education, health and welfare. There have been no wage negotiations for farm workers for three years and many with families find that job satisfaction is no longer as important as survival. M. Knox’s comments are generalisations. The New Zealand Farm Workers Association has a better picture of the national situation and is endeavouring to improve the workers’ lot, while respecting the state of the agricultural industry.—Yours, etc., GEORGE CLIMO, for N.Z.F.W.A. October 17, 1984.

, Sir,—Obviously M. Knox does not know much about farm workers’ wages. Admittedly we get so-called perks, for what they are worth: very few farmers pay.the worker’s power account. A man makes a career on the land, working, learning, taking responsibility, becoming a manager, only to earn a mere $12,000, after 15 years of hard, demanding work. It is time the country realised that the farm owners use and exploit their workers, because they are willing to do a good day’s work. The worker does over 40 hours a week, often working seven days, with no thanks, let alone overtime. The farming industry is the only one that does not pay in accord with experience and years of service. As I was once told by a farm owner “If it weren’t for the farm worker, there would be no wealthy farmers.”—Yours, etc., L. STEPHENS. October 17, 1984.

Sir,—M. Knox (October 17) seems to have missed the point of my letter. I was commenting that a freezing worker earned his $14,000 in six months, with the opportunity to earn more in the next months, while a farm worker earned $lO,OOO in 12 months without the opportunity of six months’ extra work. M. Knox, if in the farming industry, must realise that not all farm workers receive all the perks. Some are expected to be on call seven days a week without many of the perks while others are lucky enough to be fully found with a good wage and all the perks. There is such a large variation in wages and conditions in the farming industry that it is hard to generalise.—Yours, etc., S. INWOOD. October 17, 1984.

Sir,—l read M. Knox’s letter on farm workers’ wages with great disbelief. Most farm workers do not get any of ( the perks mentioned. Married coujses are a minority of

the total number of farm workers and are the only ones I know of who get such perks. I get none of these perks and put the blame for my low wages, not on my employers, but where it quite rightly belongs — on all the parasites that suck the economic blood out of our lambs from when they leave the farm until they arrive at an overseas market. The greediest are the freezing companies. They cripple the meat industry with their high killing charges, which directly equate with the high wages paid to freezing workers, whose productivity has not improved for over 30 years. M. Knox’s letter is such a joke he could hardly have kept a straight face while writing it— Yours, etc., G. W. LANGDON. October 17, 1984.