Farm Workers in Scottish Agriculture

Tender description

1. The Scottish Government is seeking to commission a mixed methods research project, which aims to contribute further evidence on the seasonal non-UK workers working in the Scottish agricultural labour market, and build upon previous research published by Scottish Government in 2018. The research should concentrate on the seasonal migrant workers who are employed for around four-five months of the year, corresponding to the key soft fruit harvest period. The specification sets out the aims of the work, and the tasks required of the contractor. It also sets out the management arrangements and timescales. Scope /Statement of Requirement Aims 10. Overall, the research aims to provide a holistic view of the agricultural seasonal migrant workers labour market. The work will therefore contribute to a wider knowledge base on community wellbeing, fair work practices, migration issues, equalities concerns, and should make recommendation for on-going monitoring and evaluation as well as possible process changes in the future. 11. The project should aim to answer the following questions: 1. What does the profile of the current agricultural seasonal migrant worker population in Scotland’s horticultural sector look like, i.e. numbers of workers, countries of origin, wages, migration patterns, and working patterns? 2. What are the positives to build on, and the challenges to address, for migrant workers? These could include the ease of obtaining working permits, pay comparisons with other European countries, wellbeing, and their living & working conditions? 3. What are the positives to build on, and the challenges to address, for farm employers? These could include recruitment practices and communication methods to facilitate employment of workers, obtaining enough workers, process changes outside of EU, COVID regulation, ensuring workers’ wellbeing. 4. What recommendations should be put in place to ensure on-going availability of current and future agricultural seasonal migrant workers? Specifically, recommendations should consider recruitment processes, wages, fair work principles, well-being and health, COVID testing and regulations, and the impacts of EU Exit. Recommendations also need to take into account employers, workers, regulators, inspectors and consumers perspectives. Also recommendations on ensuring that there is access to a continuing workforce and for that workforce to fairly recruited and employed in line with fair work principles.