Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) These regulations may be cited as the Agricultural Wages Committees (Amendment) Regulations 1980, and shall come into operation on 1st September 1980.

(2) In these regulations "the principal regulations" means the Agricultural Wages Committees Regulations 1949, and, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference herein to a numbered regulation shall be construed as a reference to the regulation bearing that number in the principal regulations.

Amendment of the principal regulations

2.-(1) The principal regulations shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of this regulation.

(2) Paragraph (1) of regulation 2 shall be amended-

(a)by substituting for the definition of "The Minister" the following definition:-

"-�The Minister' means the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in relation to a Committee for a county or combination of counties in England and the Secretary of State in relation to a Committee for a county or combination of counties in Wales;"

(b)by inserting after the definition of "A Committee" the following definitions:-

"-�The NFU Council' means the Council of the National Farmers' Union;

-�The FUW Council' means the Council of the Farmers' Union of Wales;

-�The Executive Committee' means the Executive Committee of the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers;

-�The General Executive Council' means the General Executive Council of the Transport and General Workers' Union;"

(3) The following regulation shall be substituted for regulation 3:-

"3.-(1) The number of representative members comprised in any Committee shall be such number as the Minister may from time to time direct.

(2) Such members shall, in the case of representatives of employers, be nominated-

(a)to a Committee for a county or combination of counties in England by the NFU Council, and

(b)to a Committee for a county or combination of counties in Wales by the NFU Council and by the FUW Council respectively in such proportions as may be agreed between them or in default of agreement in such proportions as the Minister may determine.

(3) Such members shall, in the case of representatives of workers in agriculture, be nominated by the Executive Committee and by the General Executive Council respectively in such proportions as may be agreed between them or in default of agreement in such proportions as the Minister may determine.

(4) If the NFU Council, the FUW Council, the Executive Committee or the General Executive Council, as the case may be, shall fail to nominate within such period of the occurrence of any vacancy as the Minister may direct a person to fill such vacancy, the Minister may fill the vacancy by nominating any person whom he may consider to be fit and proper for that purpose to act as a member of the Committee."

(4) The following regulation shall be substituted for regulation 6:-

"6. The NFU Council, the FUW Council, the Executive Committee, the General Executive Council or the Minister may, by notice to the Secretary and the member affected, terminate the membership of a representative or appointed member, whom it or he has nominated or appointed, as the case may be, if, in the opinion of that Council, Executive Committee, General Executive Council, or Minister, there is good and sufficient cause for such termination."

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Agricultural Wages Committees Regulations 1949 by enabling the Council of the Farmers' Union of Wales to participate in the nomination of representatives of employers to Agricultural Wages Committees established under section 2 of the Agricultural Wages Act 1948 for counties in Wales. Such members are to be nominated by the said Council and by the Council of the National Farmers' Union in such proportions as may be agreed between them, and in default of agreement in such proportions as the Secretary of State may determine. These Regulations also contain consequential amendments of Regulations 2, 3 and 6 of the 1949 Regulations.