wages falling - driven by migrant labour

peter999

wages falling - driven by migrant labour

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5387066.stm
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Astaroth

I wonder how many PhD graduates it took to work that out?

The artical didnt say however if the impact has been sufficiently large to affect the national average wage or if the scope is limited to the obvious migrant labour sectors (construction/ manufacturing etc)

peter999

Astaroth wrote:

I wonder how many PhD graduates it took to work that out?

The artical didnt say however if the impact has been sufficiently large to affect the national average wage or if the scope is limited to the obvious migrant labour sectors (construction/ manufacturing etc)

It's not about PHd graduates or similiar statements/spin by other self interested groups.

It's an MP & his constituents.
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Astaroth

It was a sarcastic comment - he is stating the obvious (probably turn up in the Metro's "state the bl**d obvious" quote before too long)

Just not sure what you were trying to show/ discuss etc in this thread

peter999

Astaroth wrote:

Just not sure what you were trying to show/ discuss etc in this thread

Just interested in experiences of real people.

See lot of stories about the pros/cons of this large migration, how employers
think it's wonderful, strains on services & housing.

But it's almost always through some middle class reporter, spokesmen for organisations or people with vested interests.

You rarely see the general public saying anything & it's always a very tame complaint or possibly edited that way.
British people don't want to sound prejudiced & the media edit out anything too negative.

The media don't broadcast the views of low paid British people & their views
on this mass migration as the media don't consider it newsworthy or broadcastable.

peter999

saintjanet

I have heard people complain on local radio that in the merseyside area, construction jobs and bus driving jobs are going to polish workers,infact one guy approached a bus company and was told there were no vacancies and found out a week later that several polish workers had been taken on,this was confirmed by other people that rang in.

Also others said that they worked with polish people on construction sites who were paid less than them and that when local people left jobs they were not replaced by local workers,of course all this is hearsay but plenty of people confirmed it.

There are stories in other parts of the country of firms unable to fill vacancies and having to take on foreign workers.like many things,people are not concerned until it affects them directly.

Astaroth

I guess the arguement is that the British arent low paid on the basis that the migrants are willing to do the same job whilst living in this country on lower pay. There are exceptions like building companies that come over here for short periods and then take the money back to their home country and therefore can charge such low prices because their UK living costs are temporary/short term

Broker_2

I think migrant work is escalated by these workers by them telling their friends and family that there is work in the Uk and that they can put a word in. They fly over, sleep in overcrowed conditions so rent is low when spread out. Before you know it the whole business is full of fellow migrant workers in one happy community. It is not just about low pay for these people as the low pay is high to them for families back home. I feel for home grown local workers who must be agrieved. If the companies that employ them are British then the company has to review their employment policy. Afterall they are in that local community and should help it equally as well. Its very well commenting on yesteryear but times change, times just have to be more fairer rather than money talking.

eamon

I don't believe much of the diatribe coming from some politicians, but many of the posters are correct in that it is difficult to counteract heresay and rumours.
It is true that in some areas wages have dropped for some construction workers, but you should consider that in many areas there has been shortages of skilled construction workers and those working were able to charge a premium for their services. Even with all the skilled migrant workers, in many parts of the country skilled labour is scarce and hence wages may be higher.
Additionally a lot of what has been said is just wrong. Migrants from Poland etc can not claim benefits unless they have been working and paying tax & NI for 12 months. So much social/public housing has been sold off that there is little left to rent anyway and existing lists are already huge and based on a points system. Therefore migrants are living in private sector housing or sleeping rough. I think many people mix up assylum seekers and legal migrant workers. The government has a duty to place assylum seekers somewhere and government policy was/is to disperse these people around the country and in doing so central government provided funds for many local authorities to refurbish undesirable blocks of flats (i.e. hard to let and with historical problems such as vandalism, drug users etc) that would have otherwise be demolished.
It can be difficult to understand if you find yourself losing out in the job market. But this country is reaping the benefits of decisions taken in the late 70's and 80's both in terms of a lack of skilled workers in many sectors and also our very flexible labour laws. Its easy to hire and fire in this country in comparison to other parts of the EU. The privatization of many work services has led to a boom in agency/contract/temp work and often these have been the less skilled jobs or the roles/functions that big companies and employers don't want to have on their books (no longer fits their image).
There is plenty of work out there but if you don't have the needed skills or you may be in the benefits trap and trying to get out, then I agree it is very difficult and frustrating.

Sorry about the essay.

yours

Eamon

LizEstelle

I have to say that my experience of the new migrants has been almost entirely positive.

This is not something I can say of my experience of the rip-off tactics of a proportion of our 'own' plumbers and builders. I'm now hoping that some Polish dentists will come over and set up NHS practices next door to certain private operations in my neighbourhood!

Not only that - their ENGLISH is often better!

Naturally, my sympathies do go out to those who genuinely have been adversely affected but this country owes something of a debt to the nations of Eastern Europe which were allowed to sink under the Stalinist jackboot for almost 50 years. I'm proud to say that we British have done something about meeting that debt, unlike the appalling French and Germans who have refused to meet their similar moral obligation.

moomin-mama_2

Wasn't it the other way round in the 80's - our builders etc travelling to Germany and other EU countries to work when we didn't have any? We can't have it both ways - free labour for us but not for them!

Same as the tosh that's spouted about immigrants - its ok for us to move to France, Australia etc but not for others to move here. Couldn't have anything to do with colour could it????