Some Captured History of Glanamman and Garnant

Wages of Agricultural Labourers

The wages paid to agricultural labourers were traditionally low and there was no limit on the amount that an employer could charge the employee for food, board and other expenses. In 1917, Agricultural Wages Boards were established and these consisted of equal numbers of employers and employees as well as a number of impartial members, including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture.

In 1918, the Ministry of Agriculture carried out an enquiry into wages and conditions in South Wales and on the 9th of September 1918, the Agricultural Wages Board for the counties of Pembroke, Carmarthen and Cardigan, set a minimum wage for men and boys who worked on farms, woods and market gardens. Any employer who did not pay his employee the set minimum wage was liable to a fine of £20 in addition to any arrears due to the worker.

The rate of pay was determined by the age of the worker and any work carried out on a Sunday was considered as overtime and paid at a special hourly rate. The agricultural labourer was expected to work six days a week; 54 hours from the first Monday in March to the last Sunday in October and 48 hours a week for the remainder of the year. Meal times were not included in these hours. Any work performed over the above standard weekly hours were to be paid at a rate of approximately time and a quarter. The farmer and worker were not allowed to agree to a rate of pay below the amount set by the Agricultural Wages Board unless they were granted a Permit of Exemption. This would be given to the employee if the District Wages Committee were satisfied that a physical or mental disability prevented the employee from carrying out the duties as well as an ordinary efficient workman. Unless the Permit of Exemption was granted, the farmer had to pay the infirm man at the same rate as any ordinary employee. It was not illegal, however, to pay the labourer more than the legal minimum.

The farmer and labourer could still agree on the period of payment. The agricultural labourer could be paid by the week, month, half-year, year or any other period which they agreed upon as long as the legal local minimum pay level was met. On the other hand, if the labourer worked less than the standard amount of hours, the farmer was entitled to deduct the appropriate amount of money from the worker's pay.

Another important factor was that if the farmer charged the agricultural labourer for food or other services, the labourer must pay the farmer in cash, as the farmer was not allowed to make any deductions from the workers pay. The only exceptions to this rule were as follows:

• Milk. This was allowed to be deducted at the wholesale price.
• Potatoes. Whole potatoes only. This did not include potato ground.
• Board and lodging.
• Rent of a cottage.

The maximum amount that the farmer could charge for the above was fixed from time to time by the Wages Board. Unfortunately in this district, the maximum level had not been set by September 1918 and this meant that at that time, the farmer and his worker had to agree on the charge.

Other considerations were that if a worker turned up for work and was willing to work on a wet day, the farmer must find work for the employee and pay the full weekly wage. On the other hand, if the worker did not work because he chose to attend a local eisteddfod or fair or any other reason of his own choice, the farmer was entitled to deduct the correct amount of money from the workers pay, unless it was agreed that the time would be worked back. Employers were also required to keep wages books or some correct record of the hours worked by their employees, as well as a record of wages paid in order that they may be shown to the Officers of the Wages Board when they called.

In the Cwmamman area, exemption forms could be obtained by writing to the Secretary of the Wages Board at Dynefor Place, Swansea. The same applied to those who wished to complain of inadequate piece rates. Complaints regarding the minimum rate of pay were to be sent to the Secretary at the Agricultural Wages Board, Pall Mall, London.

The act of parliament which enforced the minimum wage for agricultural labourers was repealed in 1921, causing wages to drop drastically. A minimum wage was however, restored with the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act of 1924. Although it eventually led to the raising out of poverty of agricultural labourers and their families, the act also meant a drop in profits for the farmer and also fewer workers employed in the farming industry. Those agricultural labourers who were laid off, were not entitled to claim unemployment insurance until the Unemployment Insurance (Agriculture) Act was passed in 1936.

Minimum Pay Rates from 9th September, 1918

(1s =1 shilling or 12 pennies, 1d = 1 penny):

Sunday overtime for men aged 18 or over = 10d per hour.
Monday to Saturday overtime rate for men aged 18 or over = 8½d per hour.

Minimum Pay Rates at 15th November, 1931

Minimum Pay Rates at 15th November, 1935

The Board and Lodging charges set by the Carmarthenshire Agricultural Wages Committee and signed by the secretary; G. W. Thomas, on the 12th of October, 1935 were as follows:

Male Workers

Female Workers

Other charges set by the Carmarthenshire Agricultural Wages Committee in 1935 were as follows:

• Milk: The wholesale price as fixed for the South Wales Region by the Milk Marketing Board.
• Potato ground: 5s per 100 yards of potato drill, the worker to supply his own seed potatoes.
• Cottage, including any garden provided: maximum 3s per week.
• Carting coal and firewood for the worker: 1s 6d per hour for man, horse and cart or 2s per hour for man, two horses and cart.
• Garden manure supplied to worker: 4s per cubic yard.

The information for this article was taken from various editions of the Amman Valley Chronicle.