Agriculture, Horticulture, Lumber and Fishery Workers
The IWW has a long history in agriculture and logging.
In the North West United States it was the first union to win the 8-hour day and various other gains that improved the workers’ conditions significantly in the early decades of the 20th century.
Today, these industries are no longer the militant sectors they once were. Agriculture in particular has the NFU, the bosses’ union that protects large landowners, and ensures their workers continue to be paid a pittance. Moreover, agriculture, horticulture, logging and fisheries see some of the most dangerous work and some of the highest rates of injury or death at work. Similarly, large numbers of migrant workers come to the UK with high hopes of a new life, but end up working for nearly nothing on farms and at sea, along with British workers who endure similar conditions.
The bottom line is that the situation is not improving and neither the bosses nor the state seem to want to do much about it. They certainly don’t want to hear what the workers have to say. The IWW prides itself on rank-and-file power and direct democracy, and seeks to let the workers have their own voice. The IWW welcomes all workers who work in these sectors:
- Industrial Union 110: Agricultural Workers (farm, orchard and plantation workers)
- Industrial Union 120: Lumber Workers (forestry, logging, sawmills, bark and scrap collection workers)
- Industrial Union 130: Fishery Workers (workers in all forms of fishing, including fish farms and hatcheries)
- Industrial Union 140: Horticultural Workers (workers in nurseries, hothouses and gardens)
Contact us rocsec@iww.org.uk for information.