BillyMalc Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 For centuries, people have had to move to where the work was. That's precisely why I grew up in a mining town in Scotland instead of rural Ireland or a Hebridean island. No-one suggested that British people should move to another country - only that they should follow the work, as other people have to do. We do have choices; our idea of poverty (in the UK) is a joke compared to the situation in some other countries. Immigrants can't win, it seems. If they can't find work, they're work-shy; if they do work, they're taking jobs away from "British" people. I so agree with this post scotslass! :flowers: Just for the record: I'm Dutch and I've lived here for 9 1/2 years now. I came here because I didn't like Holland (still don't) and after having spent years travelling (during which time I met loads of Brits, we were all doing seasonal work, and living on the cheap!) I decided to give the UK a go for 6 months, seeing as I'd met so many nice people while I was abroad. Well that rosy picture has been coloured somewhat more realistically now - having been mugged twice and experienced some less fine examples of British nationals at close range - but I still feel like this is my home. And seeing as there are millions of Brits living all over the world I don't really see why I shouldn't. People move all over the place in search of whatever it is that they feel will improve their quality of life. I can't see how you can knock that. You say that you can't see why you'd have to move and leave your family and friends behind to find work, because you've lived where you live all your life. Well those Polish and other nationalities have done exactly that. They might live 14 to a house that's £1000 a month in rent - how comfortable do you think that is? These people have given up everything you aren't prepared to give up, to provide their families with things that we might well take for granted, but are considered luxury over there. Respect to them for that. I'm sure that if you would be willing to get up at 4.30 in the morning to do 12 hours of hard labour for the minimum wage (minus petrol for the minibus to the farm!) you'd be able to find an employer who's eager to take you on. I know a Pakistani guy who works in a fast food place, doing long hours in a hot, noisy, smelly environment. The guy rents a room somewhere and doesn't really seem to spend much money. I heard that he saved up all his wages and was able to buy his elderly parents back in Pakistan a house! I just thought that that was so incredibly sweet and selfless of him! Imagine living in a country where there is no social security whatsoever, where you have to rely on your children to provide for you when you're old, and your son makes sure that you have a roof over your head for the rest of your life! While it is easy to blame "foreign workers" for "taking jobs" etc, we would be better off looking at the reason for that: employers can't or won't pay the wages that people here need or want to earn (I know often it isn't being greedy as much as needing to earn a certain wage to keep your head comfortably above water). To an extend the wages they can pay are limited to what they get for their produce (in case of agriculture), which is being dictated by the - British! - supermarkets, who want our custom - by keeping prices low. In an ideal country we'd all have decent wages and jobs that we actually like to go to, and no British nationals would be unemployed (I still think that if you want a job in this country you can get one), and foreign nationals could come over to help out with the surplus jobs, for a decent wage as well. Unfortunately that just ain't gonna happen, but the foreign workers aren't to blame for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooandboo Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 I'd like to be welcomed if I moved abroad, by choice or otherwise, so that's my attitude to people coming to live and work here. Whether you've lived here five minutes or all of your life and generations of your family too doesn't matter to me, as long as you treat me and others with respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Dobie Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 I refuse to get involved in this one....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura g Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Great post BillyMalc. Completely agree. I think these so called '"foreign workers" who "take our jobs" show up the fundamental flaws in the mindset/attitude of the Great British Workforce. We have 'friends' who have a number of buy to lets, some of which are rented out to non uk nationals. They are more than happy with this: itt pays their mortgage which in turn pays for their frequent jaunts to their Bulgarian holiday home. "Bought at a steal, don't you know!!!" However they've recently been looking for a cleaner and a gardener and have refused to employ a migrant worker. Incredible attitude. The most diplomatic description I suppose is "disappointing". Essentially the opening of borders is ok just as long as it suits them. With regards to the OP: if you truly feel that you've lost out on jobs you should have won: you need feedback from your interviews. If you are confident in your experience/qualifications and you believe they have been overlooked; and if you can evidence that the stated salary/wage is NOT what is being paid then surely you could have a case against the recruiting company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meandmy4? Posted November 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Whats going to happen to our ecoonomy if foreingers are taking the jobs but sending all the money home and not putting in into the UK economy though? I live in Dorset and we are in process our buying our 2 bed semi council house £180,000 thats with discount of £30,000. Young people round here cannot get on the property ladder as house prices are so steep. The jobs I have applied for state for example from £5.50 an hour. They can give the foreigners the lowest rate where as I have bills to pay. And with 2 children I am limited by the hours I work where as at our local Tescos there is many single Polish males and females that can work many hours for min wage. So my years at college count for nothing now and as a mother the employers dont have to give us jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collies r best Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 I wasn't aware that you needed 'years at college' to work in Tesco's To be honest this is begining to stink of racisim Everyone is entitled to find work regardless of where they are from and how they spend their wages is up to them. I may well be reading this wrong but it seems you have a problem with foreigners particulary Polish, maybe you should remember that we have 'foreign' members on this forum What are you suggesting? That foreigners shouldn't be allowed to work or just not work the jobs you want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReikiAnge Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Young people round here cannot get on the property ladder as house prices are so steep. You're surely not trying to blame that on those "foreigners" working for minimum wage are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Dobie Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 (edited) To be honest this is begining to stink of racisim It does ! Can a mod PLEASE move this to CONTRO.....ty Edited November 17, 2007 by Scooby Dobie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Yooo hoooo This threads now headed over to contro ... Please stick to discussing the topic and not each other ... the threads just been moved for now but if things deteriorate it'll end up in the bin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacqui d Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 I am torn as I need a job for us as a family to have nice thing and holidays ect ect so it annoys me a bit but then I understand that they want a better life for there family. People who travel here from other countires to find work generally do so a do a necessity not to be able to have "nice things and a holiday", without sounding harsh, in your position, id be gratfull from what i have and that i only want to work for luxurys. He demands £1000 rent which seems alot but there is 14 Polish guys living in that house. would you be preapred to live like this or pay such an absurd amount of rent for a basic 3 bed home and work all the hours there is on minimum wage to be able to send money home to support your family? The fact your husbands boss is able to get away with this, means he is the person who should be questioned, not those who travel here with the aim of supporting themselves and families. as they eat absolutely cheap crappy food. and if they are preapred to eat what you deem to be "cheap and crappy food" to enable them to support their families, who are we to question them them, i'd consider that to be very high family commitment. Whats going to happen to our ecoonomy if foreingers are taking the jobs but sending all the money home and not putting in into the UK economy though whats going to happen totheir families if they dont work hard and send money home? The jobs I have applied for state for example from £5.50 an hour. They can give the foreigners the lowest rate where as I have bills to pay. And with 2 children I am limited by the hours I work where as at our local Tescos there is many single Polish males and females that can work many hours for min wage. So my years at college count for nothing now and as a mother the employers dont have to give us jobs. These jobs dont just go to the "foreigners" you continue to mention, they go to those who apply for them and meet the requirements for the position, you have children and the hours you work and possibly the commitment you can offer, is limited as you wish to work for Christmas and luxurys, potential empoyers will know this and select a candiate who is more able to meet their company requirements with unsociable hours and low pay, im sure, regardess of where you originate from, we all have bills to pay and if people are prepared to live in large group homes to minimise those bills, thats their own affair. Your years at collage would be wasted as a shelf stacker at Tescos anyway, perhaps, if you have qualifications, you should be applying for jobs in a careers better suited to your experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 I feel that people have a right to seek jobs where they want. We are in the process of planning a move to UK, and I will need to get a job when we move over, and I very much hope to be met with the attitude of the majority of people who have responded in here, ie a friendly welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacqui d Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 i shall be welcoming you with a smile Anne...................................as will Merly being as how you have his girlfriend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trudi Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Whats going to happen to our ecoonomy if foreingers are taking the jobs but sending all the money home and not putting in into the UK economy though? I live in Dorset and we are in process our buying our 2 bed semi council house £180,000 thats with discount of £30,000. Young people round here cannot get on the property ladder as house prices are so steep. The jobs I have applied for state for example from £5.50 an hour. They can give the foreigners the lowest rate where as I have bills to pay. And with 2 children I am limited by the hours I work where as at our local Tescos there is many single Polish males and females that can work many hours for min wage. So my years at college count for nothing now and as a mother the employers dont have to give us jobs. Our economy is boosted by the immigrants as they too have bills to pay - you do not have to monopoly on them i'm afraid, every one who lives here has to pay for the privilege, we all have to eat, pay rent/mortgage and buy food and clothes. If the immigrant worker chooses to provide their family at home a better standard of living then they should be applauded for this not condemmed. I worked for a period in a factory alongside immigrant and local workers - we all earnt the same wage for the same work (national minimum) and there was an equal split in work ethic - some worked hard and some did as little as possible. I personally enjoyed the chance to learn about a different culture and the opportunity to learn a new language Has it occurred to you that if you are taking the discrimatory attitude you are displaying here into the interview that potential employers may well have good reason not to want to employ you? I know it is frustrating not to be able to do all we would like for our families but we are a very materialistic nation and this is not neccesarily good for our future generations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 i shall be welcoming you with a smile Anne...................................as will Merly being as how you have his girlfriend thanks (can you fix us up with jobs while you're at it please? ) I would love for Akita and Merlin to meet, I think the sheer size of him would make her think twice about doing her well known mamma-lion impression on him . sorry for going OT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Dobie Posted November 17, 2007 Report Share Posted November 17, 2007 Oooooh, I'm looking to rent a room out - you all could stay here..... for a price....hehehehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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