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Brits to protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles.


SeanBM  34 | 5781  
3 Feb 2010 /  #1
Thousands of British construction workers are going to stage a protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles, on 3 February in London.

The aim of the demonstration is to remind PM Gordon Brown about his pledge to give "British jobs to British workers". It will also mark the first anniversary of the protests at the Lindsey Oil Refinery.

Protesters claim that since last year's strike the situation on the British labour market has not improved. Sub-contractors still flood construction sites with cheap and poorly skilled workers from Poland, Spain, Italy and Portugal, cliam the protestors.

Thousands of workers from building sites, power plants and oil refineries will join the protest.

thenews/business/artykul124014_brits-to-protest-against-polish-workers-.html
bullfrog  6 | 602  
3 Feb 2010 /  #2
I always thought that in this particular industrial sector the poorly skilled workers were precisely the Brits...
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
3 Feb 2010 /  #3
Thousands of British construction workers are going to stage a protest against foreigners in the workforce, including Poles, on 3 February in London.

No wonder they're protesting, most of them are clearly thick as ****, vote BNP, complain about "bloody foreigners" and then demand that their (equally thick as ****) wife cooks them "chikkin tikka masala innit" for dinner.

I'd be surprised if any of them have ever seen, let alone read a proper newspaper in their life.

The aim of the demonstration is to remind PM Gordon Brown about his pledge to give “British jobs to British workers”. It will also mark the first anniversary of the protests at the Lindsey Oil Refinery.

Why don't they take jobs abroad? There's plenty of menial jobs on offer in Poland.

Protesters claim that since last year’s strike the situation on the British labour market has not improved. Sub-contractors still flood construction sites with cheap and poorly skilled workers from Poland, Spain, Italy and Portugal, cliam the protestors

Cheap, probably. But poorly skilled? Given that the typical British builder comes round, takes a month to do a job that should take a week and spends half the time drinking tea and going "cor blimey take a butchers at those knockers", is anyone surprised that they can't find work?

I could be wrong, but I've got a feeling that at the minute, the Italian and Spanish minimum wage is actually higher than the British one, such is the weakness of the Pound.

Still, blame anyone else but yourselves, such is the BNP way.

I always thought that in this particular industrial sector the poorly skilled workers were precisely the Brits...

Poorly skilled, lazy, overpriced and stubborn. I'm not surprised contractors are hiring foreigners if they realise that the foreigners will actually get the job done, rather than sulking about it being cold or refusing to come to work because "there's snow on the road guv".
Barney  17 | 1623  
3 Feb 2010 /  #4
No wonder they're protesting, most of them are clearly thick as ****, vote BNP, complain about "bloody foreigners" and then demand that their (equally thick as ****) wife cooks them "chikkin tikka masala innit" for dinner.

WTF wise up.
Would you talk about anyone else like that, those people are concerned about their jobs, mortgages, feeding their children,etc.
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
3 Feb 2010 /  #5
There's always work for good workers. If you spend your time stuffing your face, whistling at Polish girls, drinking tea and reading The Sun, is it any wonder that management will hire Polish workers instead?
OP SeanBM  34 | 5781  
3 Feb 2010 /  #6
I always thought that in this particular industrial sector the poorly skilled workers were precisely the Brits...

What made you think that?

The unskilled labourers on a building site are not always Brits also the skilled labourers and tradesmen (and women:) still need to communicate with the foreman and this usually means a gofor or apprentice that can translate, from my experience from working in London.

No wonder they're protesting, most of them are clearly thick as ****,

Or maybe they just feel that their livelihoods are threatened and their government is not living up to their expectations?

Why don't they take jobs abroad? There's plenty of menial jobs on offer in Poland.

Most people (not all) only move country if it is absolutely necessary.

BNP

I have no reason to believe the BNP have anything to do with it yet but unfortunately they will probably rear their ugly head at some stage.
bullfrog  6 | 602  
3 Feb 2010 /  #7
If you spend your time stuffing your face, whistling at Polish girls, drinking tea and reading The Sun,

That's exactly it

What made you think that?

Direct experience when I lived in the UK
Barney  17 | 1623  
3 Feb 2010 /  #8
There's always work for good workers.

I remember Norman Tebbit saying a similar thing
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
3 Feb 2010 /  #9
Or maybe they just feel that their livelihoods are threatened and their government is not living up to their expectations?

The problem is that they've known about the issue for 6 years now - certainly, many of these people will have been "Labour till I die guv" types who blindly voted Labour in 2005 because The Sun told them to do so.

Most people (not all) only move country if it is absolutely necessary.

I dunno, if the choice was between benefits or working, wouldn't anyone with half a brain work? I was never going to get a good job in what I wanted to originally do in the UK (marketing - it was really London or nothing, and I didn't want London) - so I moved.

I have no reason to believe the BNP have anything to do with it yet but unfortunately they will probably rear their ugly head at some stage.

Nothing on their site yet, but I did find this gem...

bnp.org.uk/groups/muslims-leave-if-your-not-happy

Which contains this rather excellent quote -

'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'

I remember Norman Tebbit saying a similar thing

It's true. It might be horrible work, but it's out there. For instance, you're allowed to make a certain amount of cash (20 quid, I think) a week on jobseekers allowance. Yet people would rather sit at home and moan about "bloody furriners" rather than getting out there and making that 20 quid a week that they can make without affecting their benefits.

Ultimately, it's not a communist society, you don't have a right to work in the job that you want to work in.

dnz on this forum was telling me a story the other night about a particularly nasty job he did when he was younger - the work is there, you just have to be willing to do it.
Exiled  2 | 424  
3 Feb 2010 /  #10
Basically sth has to be done with the middle class.They try to protect their interests every way possible.What they do is beyond imagination.They don't give a sh1t for the poor citizen who faces overhelming competition of foreign workflow and they don't give a sh1t for the sea of foreigners either.They are only interested in protecting and securing their priviledges any way possible.

The sh1tters have polluted everything.I think the solution is to turn the army of immigrants poor domestics lubens and narcomans against them and burn them for good.Then hang them.
OP SeanBM  34 | 5781  
3 Feb 2010 /  #11
VIDEO

I disagree that people look after ''their own''' whites will hire whites etc...
I think most employers balance work efficiency with cost.

The problem is that they've known about the issue for 6 years now

But the recession is not that old and lets face it when things are booming nobody complains.

I dunno, if the choice was between benefits or working, wouldn't anyone with half a brain work? I was never going to get a good job in what I wanted to originally do in the UK (marketing - it was really London or nothing, and I didn't want London) - so I moved.

I honestly think most people, with their friends, local boozer, family, dog etc... don't want to leave and think (rightly so IMHO) that they should not have to.

Nothing on their site yet,

I really think it is sad that these BNP people come in at such things.
You may disagree with me but I can see how Hitler rose to power, the people felt threated (ok they were also staving) and nobody was doing anything about it when along comes...

’We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!’

Well learning the language is a good idea, don't you think?
It is a matter of how you enforce such things that is the problem.
crusader  1 | 39  
3 Feb 2010 /  #12
Hmmmm..... Speaking as a Briton who is deeply unimpressed with his fellow countrymen and 'Modern Britain', I think the natives should feel honoured that anyone would want to come to this slum-ridden, chav-infested dump, for whatever reason- I can't wait to move to Spain, where the weather, women and lifestyle are so much more agreeable. I shall only miss seeing the Polish hotties here- it's easy to spot them in the town where I live: they're the attractive, articulate ones (they tend to have a much better grasp of the English language than the locals, with their mangled vowels and awful provincial accents).
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
3 Feb 2010 /  #13
But the recession is not that old and lets face it when things are booming nobody complains.

Aye, exactly. People didn't complain when the building sector was booming - yet now the rainy day has came, they've probably spent everything earnt then and didn't put anything aside. I'm struggling to feel sorry for such people to be honest - then again, maybe it's just the canny Scot in me ;)

I honestly think most people, with their friends, local buzzer, family, dog etc... don't want to leave and think (righly so IMHO) that they should not have to.

It's tough though - if there's no work locally (look at the devastation in South Wales and Scotland over the virtual ending of the coal industry) - should others really subsidise them just so they can stay where they always lived? If anything, you can see huge social problems caused by subsidising people to stay local.

If I'm right, Poland has the same problem in those random ex-communal farming villages. There's an osiedle on the road to Kostrzyn nad Odra, in the middle of nowhere, that clearly has huge social problems. These people will never move, yet there's nothing there for them - should we subsidise jobs there for them?

I really think it is sad that these BNP people come in at such things. I may disagree with me but I can see how Hitler rose to power.

Agreed completely, they played on people's fears and ignorance and Hitler exploited that. Mind you, I can't stand the "Unite Against Fascism" mob either - so called socialists, yet they do absolutely nothing to assist the people who they should be helping rather than opposing.

Well learning the language is a good idea, don't you think?

No no. I meant the "English is our language" part - with a thread title of "leave if your not happy" ;)

It is a matter of how you enforce such things that is the problem.

To me, I'd simply strip translation services from all but essential services and back it up with a massive investment in ESL. Of course, the current government has somehow bizzarely decided to invest in translators/interpreters and to massively cut ESL education. Makes no sense at all :/
espana  17 | 947  
3 Feb 2010 /  #14
I can't wait to move to Spain, where the weather, women and lifestyle are so much more agreeable.

true

I shall only miss seing the Polish hotties here

we have polish gangs who take eastern european prostitutes to spain , so dont worry you will see some.
Jocklorc  
3 Feb 2010 /  #15
Greetings

I am an unemployed construction worker; was made redundant in December. I am an experienced tradesmen, and despite having undergone the fairly rigourous and what you would presume to be neccessary process of qualification I am still finding it difficult to secure employment in my trade. I could of course consider a lesser paid job which doesn't utilise my skills, as I have done in the past, or I could claim from the state; I have paid taxes all my life after all. I have chosen neither thus far, and am reliant on the subsistence that my wife can provide on her part time work. I am certain that the industry will pick up soon and will weather the storm.

delphiandomine - as you are not from the construction industry perhaps you will allow me to add a little detail to the somewhat stunted view you have presented here. I do not deny that there are some pretty good stereotypes of tea drinking, bird ogling lazy brits, but sadly the majority of those who fall into that bracket will be either temporary acency workers, who clearly dont give a f**k about their job as they will be dropped like a lead ballon as soon as they are no longer needed, or alternatively those with cushy jobs such as council workers who are renowned for giving everything ten coats of looking at before doing a tap.

I dont excuse that sort of work ethic in either form, nor do most of the tradesmen I have worked with in the past 15 years. The heart of the problem is not about where you come from, as I can assure you there is plenty can be learned from the industrious nature of many of your polish brethren, but it is in fact what I see as being:-

1) Why spend a lot of time effort on money on qualifications that are supposedly a minimum requirements of health and safety etc., only to see our compatriots from the continent being given jobs without certification of the same standard if indeed any at all.

and more importantly:-

2) Multinational companies are bringing workers from other nations and are paying a lesser rate than those accepted in the industry which are governed by what is known as a 'collective agreement' dictating pay, health and safety, welfare and working times. The companies are not only exploiting these poor sods, although they might not feel exploited as some of the portuguese and italian guys i was friendly with were happy just to be working and said they would swallow sh*t if they had to, but they are driving down the norms in the industry, and subsequently the standards of living that I and others have been accustomed to.

You might think I have had it easy, but I have worked hard all my life, and struggle with bills as much as the next man, even when in employment.

3) The increased pressures imposed on the non-UK workers by these exploitative companies is giving rise to a drop in standards of quality, as regardless of experience or qualification, you do as you are told. I met an Italian lad who had come to the job from London where he had worked as a chef (his usual line of work), and he was now a pipefitter!!

I am fairly representative of the views of most in my industry, and I hope you appreciate that this has nothing to do with your nationality. It is about the employers taking the mick. I wish you all the best in your future (marketing or otherwise), and I can assure you that any of your countrymen who want to work in my industry who have appropriate qualifications, or those without who wish to work as semi skilled are welcome, and will probably be needed pretty soon. I will happily work alongside anyone, and support anybody who wishes to better themselves, so long as it is not to my detriment.
TheOther  6 | 3596  
3 Feb 2010 /  #16
I can't wait to move to Spain

...where the unemployment rate is at around 20% and the locals are most likely not too eager to see some foreigners taking their jobs...
Barney  17 | 1623  
3 Feb 2010 /  #17
I'm struggling to feel sorry for such people to be honest

You will understand as you get older and god forbid develop dementia with no one there to look after you then you will be screaming for state subsidies.

I can't wait to move to Spain, where the weather, women and lifestyle are so much more agreeable.

You are going to get a shock when you meet your first Spanish "Tio".
crusader  1 | 39  
3 Feb 2010 /  #18
............I didn't say I would be working there............ and as for being shocked by Spanish women, I have never been as shocked by the women of any country as much as the dreadful, drunken, lardy, screeching harridans of this country have shocked me.
Seanus  15 | 19666  
3 Feb 2010 /  #19
Maybe it has escaped the attention of some but Brits get jobs through British agencies as a result of foreign labour. It is British employers who choose who to take on board. What I don't like is Polish agencies for only Polish workers but if they confine themselves to helping through steering then there is no problem. Cutting corners and fast-tracking isn't what is desirable, just pointing in the right direction is.

Britain has embraced multiculturalism in the workplace for many a year. The crisis meant that Brits lost their jobs and they needed a scapegoat. All was going well, a bubble of sorts, with foreigners contributing to that. Then it went pear-shaped (t*ts up) and I can only assume that the work rate of foreigners remained constant as they have mouths to feed to, of course. Blame the bankers, they're the wan*ers!
Jack  
3 Feb 2010 /  #20
I had a Polish plasterer, do 8sq m, of wall surface with skim coat. It took him 1 week.
1 day to plaster, 4 days sanding the lumps and bumps.
The idiot even helped himself to my whiskey, for which he should have got a kick in the knackers.
Glad we agreed a price beforehand.
I think his name was Bronco Oliver Twist......... a cowboy and a thief.
Ksysia  25 | 428  
4 Feb 2010 /  #21
I hired an English plumber to install the heating. He was nice and skilled, charged me 4% more than the Polish guy who lives 2 h drive away. Paid 2k, happy with the result.

I'm having a really hard time finding an electrician - English companies want to charge me 800 for connecting the ceiling to the main fuse box, contractors want 100 but so far had not showed up.No Polish guy available.

plasterers are Polish, great guys. I would have not had ventilation without them. English guys wanted twice as much money to plaster, and wanted to give me ceiling tiles. Bastards. Now have real ceiling
ZIMMY  6 | 1601  
4 Feb 2010 /  #22
I had a Polish plasterer..... a cowboy and a thief.

All in the same night?

even helped himself to my whiskey,

Well, your ad did state you were looking for a plastered Pole.
RonWest  3 | 120  
4 Feb 2010 /  #23
plasterers are Polish, great guys. I would have not had ventilation without them. English guys wanted twice as much money to plaster, and wanted to give me ceiling tiles. Bastards. Now have real ceiling

We'll gladly trade our Mexicans for your Polish!!!!!!!!!
landora  - | 194  
4 Feb 2010 /  #24
When I was studying and working in the UK, there were hundreds of places screaming for workers all over the place. The job agency was more then happy to sign me in and I had to refuse the job offers they were giving me due to too little time!

Most of British students were not working anywhere. There wasn't anyone competing with me for my job.
Still, people were moaning about "Poles stealing our jobs".
Trevek  25 | 1699  
4 Feb 2010 /  #25
There's always work for good workers.

Don't believe it. In Poland, in a local gmina, the local governent needed a building job doing and advertised for tenders. Apparently there is some law which restricts them from taking the more expensive offers, so they had to take the cheapest.

What a total botch up... inefficient work, well over the desired time and the first day the workers hit the bottle and disappeared.

No incentive to offer or do quality work when the cheapest cowboy wins.

Most of British students were not working anywhere. There wasn't anyone competing with me for my job.

Perhaps because temp agencies give preference to foreign workers. A couple of years ago I was looking for summer work but kept getting told they'd only take me on full-time/long term. It was a lot different from my student days when it was possible to work through the summer at different places.

What I did find was that the one factory where I did get work, the wages hadn't moved in 3 or 4 years, and a 16 year old in McDonald's got a better wage.
crusader  1 | 39  
4 Feb 2010 /  #26
I have one particular English friend who is constantly b1tch1ng about the Polish stealing all the work, yet I have personally witnessed him turn down several jobs on the grounds that they were not suitable (translation:not cushy enough), and I know many others who have a similar attitude to him: they do not want to work unless they are satisfied that they will earn the maximum salary for the least amount of time & effort.

There is also the situation where British employers will take on Polish people as they have a reputation for being more industrious than their British counterparts- and the unscrupuluous employers will hire Polish in the knowledge that they can probably get away with paying them less/working them harder.

The fact is that British workers seem to have brought the situation on themselves by being too picky, and dare I say it, too downright lazy when it comes to work, and British employers have contributed to this for the reasons listed above.

My friend blames the Polish- when he should be blaming himself and his fellow countrymen, but, like all too many people here, he is too dim to see the bigger picture.
OP SeanBM  34 | 5781  
4 Feb 2010 /  #27
The crisis meant that Brits lost their jobs and they needed a scapegoat. All was going well, a bubble of sorts, with foreigners contributing to that. Then it went pear-shaped (t*ts up) and I can only assume that the work rate of foreigners remained constant as they have mouths to feed to, of course. Blame the bankers, they're the wan*ers!

This is an important point in my opinion.

I was working in London for a few years during the bubble, it was not easy to get professionals as they were very busy. I had to fire a load of guys, Poles and Brits alike for not working.

I had a Polish plasterer, do 8sq m, of wall surface with skim coat. It took him 1 week.
1 day to plaster, 4 days sanding the lumps and bumps.
The idiot even helped himself to my whiskey, for which he should have got a kick in the knackers.
Glad we agreed a price beforehand.
I think his name was Bronco Oliver Twist......... a cowboy and a thief.

I hold you responsible for who you hire, not you as a Brit and not the plasterer as a Pole.
Cowboys know no nationality.

:
There's always work for good workers.

No incentive to offer or do quality work when the cheapest cowboy wins.

I think delphiandomine was talking about something else but I agree with your statement nonetheless. Anyone who has done anything knows that quite often picking the cheapest alternative you are adding expenses and wasting time, fixing all the problems.

There is also the situation where British employers will take on Polish people as they have a reputation for being more industrious than their British counterparts-

I was working in Canary Warf in London in my early 20s.
There were four of us filling the same job, me (an Irish man) and three others (English guys).
They had to let go of three of us because of cut backs. So I said thanks for the work, I'll be off.
The other lads, that were going to be let go, looked at me and said that I was to be kept for the simple reason that if I was told to shovel dung from here to there and back, I would do it, whereas they would ask why, have a smoke, and deliberate about it.

They were nice lads but they lived with their families, I was alone and had to do every bit of work that came my way.

I was desperate and had to work, while the other fellas lived with their parents.

I think the Poles took the place of the Irish, on building sites and unfortunately wrapped up in cardboard under the bridges.
Not everyone makes it and those that do have to be prepared to work harder than everyone else.
vtec2710  - | 15  
4 Feb 2010 /  #28
No wonder they're protesting, most of them are clearly thick as ****, vote BNP, complain about "bloody foreigners" and then demand that their (equally thick as ****) wife cooks them "chikkin tikka masala innit" for dinner.

I'd be surprised if any of them have ever seen, let alone read a proper newspaper in their life.

Respect - first time in my life I see someone critisises Brits.Full Respect
Harry  
4 Feb 2010 /  #29
Learn the language!'

Oh, the irony of it.
vtec2710  - | 15  
4 Feb 2010 /  #30
delphiandomine: Muslims leave if your not happy ....

The irony you say.The irony is the Brit living in Poland (not knowing Polish langueage by the way) is telling the Pole to leave Poland.

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