Farm workers in Scottish agriculture: case studies

Appendix 2: Labour Provider Survey

This survey is aimed at registered labour providers (with the Gangmasters Licencing Authority) that supply seasonal m labour to the agriculture sector - if you are a farm business please complete the alternative survey that can be found here.

This work is being undertaken by Scotland’s Rural College ( SRUC) as part of a Scottish Government funded research project on seasonal migrant workers in Scottish agriculture. The aim of the project is to produce reliable information on the seasonal (non-permanent) migrant labour market, including the amount of migrant labour currently utilised in Scotland, worker origins, labour conditions and the main types of work undertaken. Developing accurate data on seasonal migrant worker requirements in Scottish agriculture will mean the Scottish Government is better informed during the Brexit process. The project should result in significant new data to help inform decisions on how to react to, and improve access to migrant labour in Scottish agriculture.

Both the National Farmers Union Scotland and Scottish Land and Estates have endorsed this survey and encourage participation from all that supply labour to the farming and horticulture sector.

All the information you provide in your responses will remain fully confidential and used only in aggregated form in any resulting publications. In no way will any of the responses you provide be directly linked back to your business in any of the outputs from this research, or in any other respect. The information you provide will only be used by the SRUC research team and will not be available for any other use than this research project.

Definitions: Throughout this survey when we refer to seasonal migrant workers we mean non-permanent workers that are not UK citizens or non-permanent workers that do not have UK residency. When we refer to seasonal workers we mean all temporary workers, regardless of their origin.

Thank you for participating in the survey. Your input is important. If you should have any queries please contact: Steven Thomson steven.thomson@sruc.ac.uk 0131 535 4192 or Rob Mc Morran rob.mcmorran@sruc.ac.uk 0131 535 4268

1. What is your principle role in the business?
Owner / Partner, Manager / Supervisor, Other (please specify)

2. In your words, what is the main purpose of your business?

3. Please indicate the primary location of your business - use your postcode but excluding the last 2 digits to give us an indication of where your business is based (e.g. EH11 3)

4. Are you a registered labour supplier with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (formerly known as the Gangmasters Licencing Authority)?
Yes, No….If yes, please give your GLAA registration number

5. Do you also supply labour to other parts of the UK?
Yes, No….If yes, please indicate what percentage of your business is reliant on supplying labour to Scottish businesses:

6. Which sectors do you supply labour to in Scotland under your GLAA licence?
Processing and packaging of all fresh food, drinks and other produce, Agriculture, Horticulture, Shellfish gathering, Other (please specify)

7. Do you supply any labour to the agriculture and horticulture sectors in Scotland under GLAA exemption?
Yes, No…If yes, please provide some details:

8. Do you also supply labour to other sectors in Scotland outwith your GLAA licence?
Yes, No….If yes, please provide some details:

9. Approximately, what proportion of your business is reliant on supplying labour to Scotland's agriculture and horticulture sectors?

10. Approximately, what percentage of the labour you supply to agriculture and horticulture is for use in the following sectors?
Beef and Sheep, Cereals, Dairy, Field Vegetables, Flowers, Potatoes, Pigs, Poultry, Soft fruit

11. What geographic coverage do you supply labour into Scottish agriculture and horticulture sectors in relation to your business location:
Local - up to 50 miles, Regional - up to 100 miles, National - 100+ miles

12. Did you supply seasonal migrant workers (non- UK temporary labour) to the Scottish agriculture and horticulture sector in 2016?
Yes, No

13. Please indicate the number of seasonal workers (including non-migrants) you employed/supplied over the course of 2016 from each of the countries listed below (total unique individuals supplied over the year):
Scotland, The rest of the UK, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Other (please specify country and number)

14. In total, approximately how many seasonal migrants did you employ/supply to Scottish farming and horticulture over the course of 2016 (i.e. the total number of individuals)?

15. Approximately, what proportion of theses workers were male and female?
Male, Female

16. How do you ensure that you have sufficient labour availability throughout the year to meet seasonal demand (i.e. if they are not permanent employees they may find alternative piecemeal work)?

17. Do you undertake active recruitment of seasonal migrant workers outside the UK (e.g. in Bulgaria / Poland)?
Yes, No…If yes, please elaborate (e.g. why, where, how, when):

18. In 2016, approximately what percentage of the seasonal migrant workers you directly employed were sourced from the categories shown in the table below:
From your own direct recruitment activities outside the UK, Returnees (workers returning having worked for you in previous years), Referrals (workers referred by an existing or former employee), Workers sourced through a recruitment firm, Workers sourced through media / advertising, Workers sourced from farms or other labour providers, Workers sourced through social media, Other, please specify

These two questions are designed to show the monthly profile of seasonal migrant workers that you supply to Scottish agriculture and horticulture sectors. Considering each month in 2016 please indicate in the table below:

19. The approximate total number of seasonal migrant workers supplied per month:
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec,

20. The approximate total number of seasonal migrant worker employment days for each month:
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec,

21. What percentage of your seasonal migrant labour pool would you say were available for your use over the following time periods in 2016:
Less than 1 month, 1-2 months, 3-5 months, 6-8 months, 9+ months

22. In 2016, approximately what percentage of the total work undertaken by your seasonal migrant labour pool was in the following activities (answers should add up to 100%):
Maintenance, Planting, Husbandry, Harvesting, Processing/packaging, Other, please specify activity and %:

23. Please provide brief comments on the main ways in which the types of activities undertaken by your seasonal migrant labour pool varies across the year:

24. What percent of your seasonal migrant labour supplied in 2016 was:
Paid directly by you (i.e. you act as the employer), Paid directly by farm businesses (i.e. you act as an agent)

25. How many hours work per day do seasonal migrant workers undertake? (i.e. their working day):
Minimum, Typical, Maximum

26. How many days work per week do seasonal migrant workers undertake? (i.e. their working week):
Minimum, Typical, Maximum

27. Do you restrict how many hours seasonal migrant workers are employed each day or week to minimise overtime?
Yes, No…If yes, what restrictions do you apply to employed time?

28. What current hourly rate do you normally pay your seasonal migrant workers?

29. Excluding overtime, does the rate you pay vary between workers for any reason?
Yes, No…..If yes, why do pay rates differ? (experience, piece work, type of activity etc., please specify)

30. If pay rates differ (excluding overtime) please specify the lowest and highest hourly rates (pay range) you pay seasonal migrant workers:
Lowest rate (per hour), Highest rate (per hour)

31. It would be helpful to understand the wider economic impact of your business, and seasonal employment. If you are willing, please give an approximation of your: (a) total wage bill for seasonal employment and (b) business turnover:
Seasonal worker wages
Business turnover

32. Do you provide accommodation for any of your seasonal migrant labour pool?
Yes, for all, Yes, for some, No….If yes, could you provide a brief description of your accommodation provision:

33. Please comment on the importance of access to seasonal migrant labour for your business and any constraints you face in accessing seasonal labour (migrant or otherwise):

34. If you have any other specific comments you would like to add in relation to working hours, pay and conditions (e.g. sick pay, overtime, National Insurance, pension provision) please use the space below:

35. In the last 20 years have the countries from which your seasonal migrant workers originate changed substantially?
Yes, No…Please comment on the key changes and what you think has driven them:

36. If your company did not have access to seasonal migrant labour, what is the likelihood of the following occurring in relation to your business?
Maintain existing business structure, Downscale business, Cease current activities, Relocate in the UK, Increase local recruitment, Increase wages to attract staff, Diversify operation to match available skills and labour supply

37. If you have any other comments you would like to add on any of the aspects covered in this survey please add them below:

38. The next phases of this project are important in providing a fuller picture of seasonal migrant agricultural labour in Scotland. Please select the options below if you are willing to help with further aspects of this research, or if you would prefer not to:
I would be willing to distribute a flyer to our labour pool and encourage them to answer a short survey on their experiences and motivations for coming to work in agriculture in Scotland
I would be willing for our business to be used as an anonymised case study within this project (this would involve a visit or visits by the researchers and on-site interviews with migrant workers)?
No thanks, I'd prefer not to.

39. Thank you very much for offering to participate in the next stages of this project. Please provide your contact details so we can get in touch with you when we are ready to start the next phase of the project:
Your Name, Company Name, Address, Address 2, City/Town, State/Province, Post Code, Country. Email Address, Phone Number:

That completes the survey. We would like to thank you for your efforts in providing information to help improve awareness of the important role that seasonal migrant workers play in Scottish agriculture. We will be reporting in the Autumn and the expectation is that the full report and summaries will be accessible to all interested parties.

Many thanks once again.