The perfect storm
If there was ever a time for the horticulture industry to come out firing on all cylinders, it’s now. No matter which way you look, there are several trains heading down the track towards us and we need to do whatever we can to derail them.
As just one example, by the end of this year (2023) horticulture will have three significant impacts to our labour market:
The loss of a third of our backpackers (those from the UK) due to the removal of the 88-day working visa condition as part of the Free Trade Agreement.
The loss of Employment Agreements (EAs) which have been working for both employers and employees for decades.
There will be further changes in the PALM scheme. A scheme which has lost its way so much that it is considered almost unworkable by most small to medium growers, and for that matter the workers themselves.
On top of these changing labour conditions, many growers are not able to break even on current wholesale margins given their increasing input costs, and if this isn’t bad enough, we dare not mention the minefield of sustainability issues coming our way. There is a storm brewing or at least multiple storm fronts fast approaching.
Margaret Thatcher once said, “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” We understand growers are tired of fighting and we don’t blame you, seriously, when can you catch a break? The positive however, is that we are just getting fired up and we know we must win, because there is no other choice.
On the labour front, we know we must now inspire UK backpackers to WANT to work in our industry; we know we must convince Fair Work that Employment Agreements exist to address the seasonality and complexity of horticulture and that they benefit the employee just as much as the employer; and we know we must force the government into understanding that they are breaking the PALM scheme before the damage they do is irreparable.
On the pricing front, we know we must demand better for our growers. “A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work” sounds like a tagline all unions and government should get behind, as that’s all we want for our growers also. There is so much happening in horticulture right now which, if not derailed, could have substantial, detrimental impact to many in the industry. It is vitally important that we don’t just weather the many storms this season, but instead join together to become one in our own right.
