The increasing flexibility of the farm and horticultural workforce in England and Wales.

摘要

The paper highlights some important structural changes that have been taking place in the agricultural and horticultural workforce in England and Wales since 1980. These include trends in overtime working, variable shift working by regular hired workers, part-time, seasonal and casual labour and the use of agricultural contractors. While acknowledging the industry's distinctive need for flexibility in labour inputs, it is argued that these structural changes need to be seen in the context of widertrends in the economy as a whole. A review of the empirical evidence suggests that Atkinson's generalised model of the flexible firm provides a sound basis for understanding the recent increased demand for labour flexibility. It is concluded that these changes have important implications for the Agricultural Wages Board as well as for organizations such as the National Farmers Union, Transport and General Workers Union, and Agricultural Colleges that service the needs of farm businesses and the farm workforce.