Gangmasters Lobby
The NAAC has written to the new Ministerial team expressing our horror that shearers are to be included in the gangmasters legislation.
We have highlighted the real animal welfare problems we could face in the coming year if shearers are not excluded.
Our problem remains that, despite the legislation allowing an exclusion for: ‘agencies of an individual skilled agricultural worker (such as relief milkers, sheep shearers, shepherds) for permanent employment’ (GLA Website), we are told by Defra that sheep shearing contractors will need to apply for a licence at a cost of £2,000 per year.
We have illustrated that the current shortage of shearers, combined with low wool prices and exchange rates discouraging overseas shearers, will mean that our industry simply cannot sustain such dis-proportionate costs for what is a very short, seasonal operation.
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