Bulletin

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS), now operational in Northern Ireland, enables students from universities in Eastern Europe to work on our commercial horticultural holdings. The programme is administered on behalf of the Home Office by two charitable bodies, Concordia and HOPS. They are responsible for all travel arrangements and vetting grower applications. To date 20 growers have applied for students with 13 being successful and 70 student places allocated.

This is a marvellous opportunity for young people and most of them are very excited to be working abroad. However, for a lot of students it will be their first time in NI, or even their first time away from home. Therefore, hosts are not only going to be their employers but will be responsible for their welfare.

Imagine you have a son or a daughter going on a working holiday to Russia or some other distant land. How would you like them to be looked after? Students will be dependent on their host for all needs especially transport and medical treatment.

Students are well educated, having been selected by their University in Eastern Europe for this unique opportunity to work in Northern Ireland. It is essential that they are managed through incentives. The focus on income while very important to students, is now becoming less evident, as students require their ‘own time’ for recreation and occasional visits to Belfast or the North Coast.

Growers in GB with experience of SAWS provide a central recreational, cooking canteen area and a separate facility for washing and drying clothes and showers. Sleeping quarters with two to three students sharing can be annexed to these facilities usually caravans or mobile homes. Hot water at all times is essential.

Students who stay over six weeks usually treat their sleeping quarters as a home from home and personalise these areas. It is best to allow students to decide who will share with whom.

A field officer from Concordia will inspect the premises and encourage growers to improve facilities each year. Growers will also be made aware of current safety legislation.

With regard to heating it is reasonable to supply this when students are going to be working early and/or late in this season. Students are not always good at turning off the gas or hot water taps. Therefore meter readings or giving the first gas bottle free and charging for subsequent ones is reasonable.

Washrooms must be close to the sleeping quarters. For example can you imagine having to get out of bed in the middle of the night in the pouring rain!

The minimum is one toilet, one shower and one hand basin for every ten students. This is very minimal but it is enforced. However, the ratio of one toilet for every six students is ideal. Growers should take into consideration any other people who might be using the facilities and also plan for increases in student numbers in the future.

A major role for hosts is administration. This includes ensuring all travel documents are in order and that accurate open records of weekly work output and pay are recorded. Most growers will make private arrangements with each student as to how their pay is returned to their native country.

Students are now more aware of their rights especially hourly rates of pay and holiday pay. Pay can be a major area of grievance therefore communication between grower and students is essential.

On larger farms employing over 10 students, a student manual can be produced. These manuals seek to gain information from students and also advise students on issues, which can cause grievance.

The level of spoken English can be low. However, on Northern Ireland farms where only two to three students will be required, it has been agreed that the majority of students will have a good command of English.

SAWS students are paid within the Casual Worker Category of the Agricultural Wages Order (AWO).

Under the conditions of the SAWS, students must remain on the holding on which they are placed for the period agreed, normally not less than six weeks. Students can be placed from 1st March to 30th November. Provided there are no grievances this is the status quo. Normally a minimum of two students are placed on a farm. Growers should be able to offer a minimum of six weeks work with students paid the casual wage rate or equivalent piece rate. This will be £4.10 per hour from 1st October 2001.

Growers must provide accommodation and there will obviously be a cost for this. Students can be charged a rental though this is dependent on the quality of accommodation and other services. The rates of rent are available when growers apply. Concordia and HOPS also make this information available to students before they decide which farm they will apply for. Currently rents range from £10-£30 per week.

Growers decide what work is available and who does what. Students should not be allowed to work with those they choose as this breaks down ethnic barriers.

Growers should ensure standard of work is of a sufficiently high standard. For example, one grower in GB insisted 90% of Bramley Apples in bins when picked should be 85mm+ and of supermarket quality.

Students do provide a high quality product but need to be treated with respect - no students, no harvest.

Students select where they work and many having been in Great Britain, are keen to try Northern Ireland. While links with Greenmount College and a possible choice of courses is a bonus, students really need to know what type of work is available on each holding.

To support this, growers will be asked to send information and if possible digital pictures of their farms and family to our web-site at Greenmount College. This will allow information on your farm to be accessed by the universities in Eastern Europe.