Unions protest because contractors are using foreign workers at power station.

tomstickland

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hundreds-join-power-station-jobs-protest-1419548.html

Unite and the GMB claimed vacancies for welders, steelworkers and other construction roles at the Staythorpe site in Newark, Nottinghamshire were being filled by Spanish and Polish workers.
The unions said the decision by contractors building the plant was a "national scandal" and warned that protests could spread to other power stations under construction.
Unite claimed none of the 850 jobs involved in the building of the Staythorpe power station was being earmarked for UK workers.

mewbie_2

I'm not a union basher, honest. But I think they could more usefully spend their time sorting out workers renumeration versus companies need to get through the bad times, Maybe find a way to work a bit harder, get slightly less holiday - that kind of thing. Blaming migrant workers just doesn't really cut it anymore.

It's the global economy, stupid.

leveller2911

Sadly this is where the !!!!!! really hits the fan.When people are losing jobs left,right and centre companies are taking on cheap foreign labour, British workers can't compete with the imigrant workforce.

I've said it before and will say it again:

5 imigrant workers all working and living in the same house, all paying 20% towards the bills....Flip side of the coin is 1 British worker earning 1 wage,paying 100% of the bills ...he cannot compete, as the unemployed ranks rise there will be unrest and violence will follow.

I have NO problem with imigrant workers as long as its a level playing field and It is NOT ...

As for unions they are a double edged sword , everytime they seem to do something good they "!!!! up" something else, best thing they could have done was to distance themselves from NEW LABOUR, but again they "messed up"

tomstickland

I see unrest as ever more likely. There's so many things going wrong simultaneously.

mewbie_2

Companies can locate wherever they like, and employ whoever they like. It's global now and there's no putting the genie back in the bottle. Therefore British worker's are going to have to adapt. That may mean living five to a house and competing. I am not saying it's going to be fun, but I can't see how it can be any different.

Cleaver

leveller2911 wrote: »

5 imigrant workers all working and living in the same house, all paying 20% towards the bills....Flip side of the coin is 1 British worker earning 1 wage,paying 100% of the bills ...he cannot compete, as the unemployed ranks rise there will be unrest and violence will follow.

I have NO problem with imigrant workers as long as its a level playing field and It is NOT ...

I have a choice of moving in to a house with four British people if I want to, same as the sterotypical view you have of immigrants. The playing field is completely level. I just make sure I'm good at my job, but if Jorge Santos from Mexico comes over and is better at my job than me and willing to do it for less pay then that's just the way life works. As Mewbie rightly says, it's a global world now and the quicker everyone gets used to that the better.

leveller2911

Cleaver wrote: »

I have a choice of moving in to a house with four British people if I want to, same as the sterotypical view you have of immigrants. The playing field is completely level. I just make sure I'm good at my job, but if Jorge Santos from Mexico comes over and is better at my job than me and willing to do it for less pay then that's just the way life works. As Mewbie rightly says, it's a global world now and the quicker everyone gets used to that the better.

So please explain then how a british worker(whatever colour or ethnic background ) who has a wife, 2 children and a mortgage can compete????????????

I do hope your not going to call me racist? or anti immigration because i'm not .....I'm asking you to explain how the "playing field is level"??:rolleyes:

mewbie_2

leveller2911 wrote: »

So please explain then how a british worker(whatever colour or ethnic background ) who has a wife, 2 children and a mortgage can compete????????????

I do hope your not going to call me racist? or anti immigration because i'm not .....I'm asking you to explain how the "playing field is level"??:rolleyes:

That is a very good question. But the answer is not sending the immigrants home, because the companies who employ them will follow. We can't stop the global economy simply by wishing it away. It may just be that the British worker with 2 kids, etc. is screwed. Let's hope not.

Cleaver

leveller2911 wrote: »

So please explain then how a british worker(whatever colour or ethnic background ) who has a wife, 2 children and a mortgage can compete????????????

I do hope your not going to call me racist? or anti immigration because i'm not .....I'm asking you to explain how the "playing field is level"??:rolleyes:

No, you don't come across as racist.

The British worker has to compete by being better at the job. Mewbie has put this better than me before so check his old posts, but the world is now one playing field. There are no 'british workers', there are 'workers'. Sure, there are still permits, certain difficulties moving between certain countries etc. but these will become less and less. So the playing field is level in the way that a company has a job and needs to find a balance between paying the lowest wage they can whilst getting the most experienced and educated person they can for that wage.

mewbie_2

Cleaver wrote: »

Mewbie has put this better than me before...

No, I haven't. It's a tricky subject, let's all have a go.

leveller2911

Cleaver wrote: »

No, you don't come across as racist.

The British worker has to compete by being better at the job. Mewbie has put this better than me before so check his old posts, but the world is now one playing field. There are no 'british workers', there are 'workers'. Sure, there are still permits, certain difficulties moving between certain countries etc. but these will become less and less. So the playing field is level in the way that a company has a job and needs to find a balance between paying the lowest wage they can whilst getting the most experienced and educated person they can for that wage.

I understand your general point ,the world is one playing field BUT the playing field clearly isn't level because if it were everyone would start from the same position.We as a nation and I suppose its human instint "if it doesn't affect me why care".


Oh and I don't have the awswers either.....................