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

MrFonzerelli

I am pro-global economy. I am also very much in favour of migrant workers on the condition it benefits the quality of living of the general population.

A complete 'cheapest worker' based open border policy on migrant workers would likely put excessive pressure on infrastructure: including schools, hospitals, road, water supply, housing and the green belt.

Need to weigh up the wants of a company with that of the population.

Any

leveller2911 wrote: »

"NOT being paid less than British workers " Absolute TOSH , from my 1st hand experience (NOT hearsay) Bricklayers were being paid about £170 per day, influx of eastern European brickies willing to work for £80 per day, British brickies all laid off, European brickies taken on.......FACT NOT FICTION:rolleyes:

Jesus, no wonder they were laid off... I have university, paid some £10k for my qualifications and I don't get paid this sort of money!!!!

Also I haven't noticed anyone mentioning - do you realise, that all the foreign workers who live 4 of in the same house, usually only do this for short period of time, because they want to go home, where they have better weather, buy themselves a house and provide for a family??
If you haven't noticed, the exchange rate is so bad that it is not worth it for them, so the ones we are still left with are actually normal people living normal lives with their families..

The fact is, that I had a plastering job done last year, where english worker quoted me £450 for day and half!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! while Polish made beautifull job for £200. I don't know how about you, but I don't have that kind of money to waste away.

Any

dervish wrote: »

If any of the main political parties had the guts to do what the majority of the British public wants - namely stopping immigration full stop, and beginning to move on a lot of the illegals and asylum seekers - then the issue of hiring cheaper foriegners wouldnt even arise.

NO, it wouldn't, but what would arise, that all these normal people would be living in a houses that are falling apart, because noone can actually afford english labour...

Noone in this country wants to be the lower skilled and therefore lower paid, they all want to earn lawyers money because they believe they deserve it, never thinking of the fact that the lawyer/doctor/etc had to go to university for XY years and lived XY years for trying to pay off their student loan...And only then the money comes in.
The only reason polish workers can get onto our job market is that they recognise these differences!!!

chewmylegoff

dervish wrote: »

I really think any British government should adopt the maxim and enforce that "British jobs should be for British people". Especially in these dark times.

we can't do that without leaving the european union. now is certainly not the time to be thinking about doing anything as stupid as that.

for now the best we could do, is "british jobs for EU people".

besides, i find that we need non EU workers as well - where i work if we didn't have a constant influx of australian/nz/south african qualified solicitors to do all of our paralegal work, we would be screwed. there simply aren't any british people who will do the work.

chewmylegoff

Any wrote: »

The only reason polish workers can get onto our job market is that they recognise these differences!!!

well and, as you have already alluded to, they are prepared to live in much worse conditions for much poorer pay, because their aim is to make money in the short term and send it to another country where it is worth much more than it is here. (or was anyway!)

when, as has been reported, you have polish builders prepared to live in public toilets, it's hardly surprising that people think "ok i'll just take the dole and housing benefit then". i certainly wouldn't be prepared to try to undercut people who are prepared to live in a toilet to cut the cost of their labour.

Any

chewmylegoff wrote: »

well and, as you have already alluded to, they are prepared to live in much worse conditions for much poorer pay, because their aim is to make money in the short term and send it to another country where it is worth much more than it is here. (or was anyway!)

when, as has been reported, you have polish builders prepared to live in public toilets, it's hardly surprising that people think "ok i'll just take the dole and housing benefit then". i certainly wouldn't be prepared to try to undercut people who are prepared to live in a toilet to cut the cost of their labour.

No, you are putting words into my mouth. Just because they live 4 together doesn't mean it is "much worst condition", when I was at university I used to live with another 4 people in the house and working at night to be able to support myself while studying. That is not much worst condition.

Also - this USED to be. When we had enough work for everyone. This is no longer happening. At least not in such a measure.

The much poorer pay is going rate for that kind of job. What I am saying is that they know it is. They know they can live on it - and they do in their country, they only choose not to so they can go home early. But again, as said, that used to be.

chewmylegoff

Any wrote: »

No, you are putting words into my mouth. Just because they live 4 together doesn't mean it is "much worst condition", when I was at university I used to live with another 4 people in the house and working at night to be able to support myself while studying. That is not much worst condition.

Also - this USED to be. When we had enough work for everyone. This is no longer happening. At least not in such a measure.

The much poorer pay is going rate for that kind of job. What I am saying is that they know it is. They know they can live on it - and they do in their country, they only choose not to so they can go home early. But again, as said, that used to be.

whilst some may live 4 to a house, others take it much further. i know of a house where there are at least 10 east europeans living, and it only has 3 bedrooms. i also once viewed a house which was being converted into 3 flats by polish builders - there were 6 of them, and they were clearly living in the shell of the house they were converting.

people do house share in this country a lot, especially in their 20s and especially when they are at uni and for a few years after.

however, this is not what a lot of the east europeans here are doing - many of them have a house back home, with their family in it. they move here for 6 months and live in squalor to minimise their costs, whilst sending as much money back home to their family as they can. it is a means to an end - not a way of life.

this is not an option for anyone from this country.

Any

chewmylegoff wrote: »

whilst some may live 4 to a house, others take it much further. i know of a house where there are at least 10 east europeans living, and it only has 3 bedrooms. i also once viewed a house which was being converted into 3 flats by polish builders - there were 6 of them, and they were clearly living in the shell of the house they were converting.

people do house share in this country a lot, especially in their 20s and especially when they are at uni and for a few years after.

however, this is not what a lot of the east europeans here are doing - many of them have a house back home, with their family in it. they move here for 6 months and live in squalor to minimise their costs, whilst sending as much money back home to their family as they can. it is a means to an end - not a way of life.

this is not an option for anyone from this country.

Yes, of course, there is always few worst examples - as in everything and everywhere!!!
We have a lots of people on the benefits that don't deserve them... We have a lots of homeless people on the street selling Big Issue... etc etc etc...

By the way - when you say this is not an option from anyone from this country - are you saying that no british people emigrate abroad for better life????? I think I know few personally, do you want introduction???

chewmylegoff

Any wrote: »

By the way - when you say this is not an option from anyone from this country - are you saying that no british people emigrate abroad for better life????? I think I know few personally, do you want introduction???

no, i'm saying that it is not an option for a british family living in britain to do as the east european migrant does, because the costs are different.

e.g. polish man moves to UK, lives in a houseshare, earns UK wages and sends the majority home. his family are paying polish living costs back in poland, therefore there is a financial advantage to doing this.

same situation, but a british man - there is no point to him moving into a houseshare, because he still has to pay for the upkeep of his family - that's just an additional cost. he cannot exploit the difference between the cost of living in eastern europe, and the cost of living here, which is what the east european workers are doing.

Any

chewmylegoff wrote: »

no, i'm saying that it is not an option for a british family living in britain to do as the east european migrant does, because the costs are different.

e.g. polish man moves to UK, lives in a houseshare, earns UK wages and sends the majority home. his family are paying polish living costs back in poland, therefore there is a financial advantage to doing this.

same situation, but a british man - there is no point to him moving into a houseshare, because he still has to pay for the upkeep of his family - that's just an additional cost. he cannot exploit the difference between the cost of living in eastern europe, and the cost of living here, which is what the east european workers are doing.

Well, and I can prove you wrong. My friend, John, works on oil tankers - he is an engineer. He lives 3 mths away and 2 mths at home, while his family lives in UK full time. When he is away, he shares with another employees an apartment.

My other friend Andy, lives in China this year - because he is very specialised accountant and there is a factory that needs his services. He is renting out with another accountant, while his family lives in the UK.

And Polish works come into building industry here, because we want them to, because british workers believe that they are entitled to king's pay for a job that is only worth what it is worth.