Seasonal farm workers deserve proper protections
The Scottish Greens have welcomed an extension of the seasonal worker scheme for farmers, but have urged the UK Government to review their ambitions to taper it off too soon.
Rural affairs spokesperson Ariane Burgess MSP is concerned that what is being proposed could have a lasting negative effect on Scotland’s agriculture industry that relies heavily on migrant workers annually.
Ms Burgess said:
“It will be a sigh of relief for farmers knowing they will have workers to harvest their crops, fruit and veg. But they should not have been in this position in the first place, it is one of the many destructive legacies of Brexit on our agriculture and economy.
“I have serious concerns about some of the government's goals for the scheme, including lowering the number of visas granted, and its aim to replace workers with technology like robots for harvesting.
“While machines are continuing to get smarter, the act of picking strawberries and raspberries grown here in Scotland is a gentle handed one.
“Lowering visa numbers could create further problems and dangerous working situations for those who are working on our farms.
“While seasonal worker visas are necessary for farming here in Scotland, there are very real risks of exploitation and modern slavery, and there must be more protections offered to avoid workers being subjected to this.
“One solution we would support is to introduce a Scottish visa as an alternative. This would be a fairer way to give migrant workers more rights on our own terms and to keep our rural and agricultural sectors thriving, without exploitative practice happening below the radar.”