Most of the farmers say no British people want to do the work. Why is that? I also thought most farm labour lived on site in dormitories?
Current Affairs EU In or Out
- Thread starter micknick
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roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
I think there is a metropolitan misunderstanding of "farm workers". The local ones are generally the skilled ones, (machine operatives mainly) on decent, but not spectacular basic salaries, but pretty decent overall income when over time, shifts, and bonuses are factored in. And they hold the whip hand, but its a mutual relationship with the farm owners.
"No British want the work" is also slightly misleading. Farms are generally removed from large access to casual/seasonal workers for manual harvesting. EU workers are "happy" with the low pay and crap conditions cos the options at home are generally worse, and they have no issue with their benefits being replaced with earnings. In the main.
The issue with Boston in particular, which raised this today, is the local population dont like the fact that a relatively large number of EU workers have become unseasonal. And they dont like it, but also know the local economy depends on them.
I personally dont get that.
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
https://www.newstatesman.com/politi...exitland-boston-town-voted-strongest-leave-eu
This sort of explains it. Not a clue if New Statesman has an agenda either way mind.
This sort of explains it. Not a clue if New Statesman has an agenda either way mind.
Some farmers want to pay zero hours plus deduct bed and board out of migrants wages, dormitories Bruce it's not Elton old barns maybe - in the old days a young farmer would have cheap accommodation - as for field work as a 16 year old with qualifications I happily carried out field work in a hortultural nursery which was not mechanised other than a rotovator planting nursery rows was by hand not the cosy way it's done today , it's a myth that British workers would not do this work peddled by the media - it's time these jobs were not just advertised in the EU and not in our job centres......
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
Farmers will have to pay the minimum wage without deducting makeshift accommodations on site ....the Labour Party were doing their nut over this oractice yet since Brexit have shut up over jobs being advertised exclusively in the EU etc ...
If it was full time or seasonal work with adequate accommodation or free travel to the work there would be UK people to do that work imo.....
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
So Brits would do it if they lived for free, and were paid to get to work?
Struggle to see any other job having that perk mate. You are up in the part of the country that sparked this earlier, Boston. You reckon there are enough locals to do the harvesting if all the EU folk chipped off?
Never mentioned Boston it's not a perk to get the living wage a reasonable accommodation- you have obvilously not seen the documentaries on ill practices used by gang master farmers in some east coast areas which Labour were spouting to clamp down on since Brexit they have failed to mention this subject indeed I am against any race of people being abused in the worplace like the documentaries highlighted.....
Before the Brexit vote......
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
I know, but the vote in Boston is what sparked this exchange this afternoon.
As in they were the largest supporters of Brexit, but acknowledge that EU workers are vital to their local economy. But dont want them living near them.
I dont get it.
No it's not free but accommodation that is habitable .....at a fair rent or fair pick up to the farms on the documentaries it showed exploitation to workers mainly from the EU - disgusting....abuse of exploitation!
Causing pressure on the local towns nearby sleeping rough or crammed rooms etc etc governments fault for turning a blind eye to this.....
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
Well thats more of a domestic issue that our Government should address. I still await your response to who will pick the harvest near Boston with no EU workers mate.
If the working conditions are correct UK people or Labour with visas ......
Mr. White
Player Valuation: £8m
I don't understand the mentality that farms should be 'entitled' to a supply of labour.
If farming jobs, or any poorly paid job, has difficult working conditions, long hours, and is generally undesirable, why should any business expect people to work for them if they get the same pay elsewhere with better working conditions? Improve the working conditions or increase the pay.
If farming jobs, or any poorly paid job, has difficult working conditions, long hours, and is generally undesirable, why should any business expect people to work for them if they get the same pay elsewhere with better working conditions? Improve the working conditions or increase the pay.
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
So, more Ifs, Buts, and Maybes then.
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
I think the point is, all of those conditions in the UK are still way better than in the EU country most of the transient labour come from.
But despite that, they wont be able to easily pop over to do the work, and apparently there is an army of young Brits available to do the work, if they had a nicer bedroom. I remain (sic) to be convinced.
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