CALLS are being made for farmers who run council-owned sites in Worcestershire to sign a hard-hitting 'fair employment' charter.

Worcestershire County Council's Labour group wants to clampdown on the risk of tenants exploiting workers by guaranteeing rights like the Living Wage.

But the request has been rebuffed by County Hall's Conservative leadership, which says it does not want to "dictate" to farmers.

As the Worcester News first revealed last year, the council owns 95 farms and smallholdings, most of which were established during the First World War to give a role to returning servicemen.

The sites, which cover 3,300 acres, are rented to tenants and bring in £300,000 to the coffers each year.

But the Labour group says all tenants should be forced to sign a charter to protect any workers they employ, including the Living Wage of £8.45 an hour.

The charter would also include protection from child exploitation and the offer of apprenticeships.

Labour Councillor Richard Udall said: "The council is one of the largest landowners in the county, owning smallholdings and many farms.

"But we should not be just another commercial landowner, we have a duty and a social responsibility to ensure the rights of people who work on our land are protected.

"A charter would protect children from being exploited by child labour, improved health and safety, equal treatment for women working on the land, provide a living wage, pensions and opportunities for young people to enter the industry as farming apprentices."

But Conservative Councillor Karen May, cabinet member for transformation and commissioning, said: "I don't think it's the responsibility of this council, when tenants take on land, to dictate who they employ."

Many cash-strapped councils have sold their farming sites in recent years to claw back cash for short-term gain.

In Worcestershire, council bosses have rejected previous suggestions to consider the same tactic, but nonetheless more than 50 have been sold during the last decade.

The rest are still in council ownership and are spread out around every part of Worcestershire including Lower Broadheath, Castlemorton, Norton, Welland, Longdon and scores of other locations.

The 95 sites range from tiny smallholdings of a few acres to fully-blown farms.