A recent study completed by Migration Advisory Committee and research firm Revealing Reality shows mixed results from the Seasonal Worker Visa Scheme (SWS) employed by the government to help provide labour assistance on farms.
While overall sentiment is positive – it’s hard to deny the helping hand that thousands of visa workers give to the sector, especially horticulture – there are concerns from smaller farms that they are being short-changed. Larger farms have seen better access to those laborers, sometimes getting the exact numbers of workers requested, while smaller ones often struggle to navigate a complex system of paperwork that leads to denials.
Study authors say that is not intentional, but the result of large farms being better equipped and staffed to deal with red tape.
Although some farms say they are 30-40% more efficient because of the influx of workers from places like Ukraine and Kazakhstan, others report they face challenges from some who do not want to work in certain locations or just don’t want to do the work at all. There are other obstacles, such as the rigid six-month cooling-off period, which forces farms to make decisions on growing and picking … and knowing labour will be there to support them.
But without the Scheme, most farms who use those workers would be in dire straits. While some have turned to automation for help, those who haven’t know how expensive it can be, with one farm saying “it’s in the millions.” Even those that do employ automation know it can’t supplant labour everywhere, especially in packhouses. Said one farm in the report: “We wouldn’t have survived without it.”
The ones that can make do without it often benefit from their location. Workers simply want to be near big cities. But perhaps the biggest reason many stand by the SWS and use it is that they can’t find labour domestically.
From the report came this assessment from a large farm in the West: “I spent hours at career fairs, job fairs, job centre visits with the people that had not been employed for years or a week. … I’ve spoken to hundreds, and we’ve had three people start with us from the Jobcentre. One of them has stayed. It’s the work. As soon as you say there’s manual handling involved, they say no.”
Working around the SWS
One notable finding from the study is that because of uncertainty around labour, farms have changed their seasonality and production of fruits and vegetables. Some have even told supermarket chains they can no longer support them on certain lines. One farm that was short-changed because lack of outlay of workers said it spent big money on tractors and other equipment that were just left to sit.
That’s why SWS is so vital. Those that do get the workers on the whole are very pleased. According to the study, many farms say most workers are efficient and often ask for extra hours because the money is good, especially compared with wages they might make in their home countries.
On some farms, “There were grades for some roles, meaning that workers could earn more seniority, and with it, higher pay,” according to the study. “For example, migrant workers could become QA (quality assurance) staff or manage some production lines. … In general, farms found those recruited through the SWS had the appropriate skills needed for the roles and were easy to manage.”
Farms noted they would like to see that pipeline continue, with workers returning to them even in different roles or perhaps across sectors. While many of the recruits are men, there are a fair number of women who work as well with one lauding their “communication skills” and dexterity.
To try to get the best out of workers, farms are creativity offering incentives, including energy outlays for those in caravans, free wifi and bedding. Some even giving them access to cars to travel on their off days. The biggest ones often have a welfare worker there who not only speak their languages but advocate for them.
What could be improved?
Aside from more flexibility on the six-month period and better communication with smaller farms, the number one would be lessening administrative red tape. The second would be lower costs, or at least some assistance from government. One large farm noted it was spending £12m on seasonal labour. Its overall budget is only £30m. Another said it spent £1.7m for five weeks of labour.
