According to the Financial Times the failure of the agricultural unions to gain a reduction in their working week of 45 hours may be due to the incomes policy. It said: "The i::iependent members = whose vote is almost invariably the deciding one jin the Board's wages and hours negotiations ~ said they were against the -reduction in the working week "at the present time," This could have seierred to the national prices and incomes policy or to the fact that the f:ru-workers gained a pay rise of 6.3% four months ago." The paper points out that the independent members of the Agricultural Wages Board are not required to explain their decisions,
The average working week on the farms is 51 hours, and the present minimum rate for 45 hours is the princely sum of £10.2s, The combined votes of the independent members of the Boaxi and the employers prevented even an hour's reduction in the working week, So much for the much-used argument that the incomes policy is designed to protect the lower-paid workers.