Pickers’ pay criticised

•  Jerrod Nichols (right) contemplates a busier than usual rhubarb harvest with young helper and son Jack.

By Tony Scott,
November 10, 2021

At least one local farmer is critical of a Fair Work Commission ruling that he says will make more work for him and limit the options for potential workers.

The Australian Workers’ Union last week celebrated the decision to introduce a minimum rate for agricultural piece rate workers like casual fruit pickers.

A piece rate is when a worker is paid according to the amount of produce they harvest, so the more fruit or vegetables harvested the more a worker is paid. 

Piece rate pay is still able to be implemented by farmers, but workers must be paid at least the minimum casual wage.

North Scottsdale grower Jerrod Nichols said the base hourly rate of $25.41 is likely to be closer to $32 with add-ons like superannuation.

The ruling was handed down on the eve the start of his rhubarb harvest which gets underway this week.

Mr Nichols said the minimum rate would generally be well under what his staff earn.

But he’ll now need to make sure people are keeping up with the task.

“That means I’ll have to stop doing some other job to have a walk through the paddock to make sure they’re not bludging.

“It wouldn’t be fair to have someone else play policeman, it has to be the boss to make sure things aren’t slacking off.”

He said he has only about a dozen workers at a time and most would easily surpass the minimum pay through their piece rate, but it would probably not be viable to hire some older pickers who haven’t done it before.

“It’s not so much the case here, but I know in the North West quite a few older people go picking through summer as something of a social outing.

“They’re not that fast, but don’t mind picking up $15 or $20 an hour for what they pick and catch up with their mates.

“That won’t be able to happen anymore because businesses just can’t carry them.”

AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton said the Fair Work Commission’s decision was one of the most significant industrial decisions of modern times.

The union’s case argued there were widespread examples of manipulation of the horticultural award resulting in workers being paid as little as $3 an hour

"Fruit pickers in Australia have been routinely and systemically exploited and underpaid. 

“Too many farmers have been able to manipulate the piece rate system to establish pay and conditions far beneath Australian standards.

"The changes our union proposed, and that the FWC has now accepted, will put a safety net under fruit pickers to ensure they get what every worker in Australia deserves: a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.”

Mr Walton said the labour shortage for fruit and vegetable harvesting was in large part to underpayments.

The National Farmers Federation, which had argued against the union’s case is considering its options which include a High Court appeal.