Importing labour ?

[Observer II]

With the cross channel invasion preoccupying  our attention,  perhaps we also need to look at the more formal immigration to the UK.   The theory is, that a "points based" system is employed, whereby the specific qualifications required by our economy are favoured.  However, some jobs are proving difficult to fill from indigenous sources, such a menial work in hospitality, agriculture,  wholesale meat preparation and HGV drivers;  thus employers are pressing for cheap labour to be allowed into the UK with relaxations in visa standards. Meanwhile, indigenous folk are unemployed and not seeking work in such industries, which begs the question - should the unemployed offered such jobs, but refuse them, be denied benefits?  The pressure for imported cheap labour is coming from large employers like the NHS, who are quite happy to denude the third world of qualified labour in order to get off the shelf recruits.  There is also demand for cheap labour by our middle class, who are quite happy to import nannies, cleaners, gardners etc, which indicates why they are supportive of liberal ideas of open borders, such cheap labour may work for middle class families, but they will be housed amongst the working class.   They will act as competition to suppress the wages of indigenous workers, which makes it politically attractive to Gov.      😠

[Evil Sid]

3 hours ago, Observer II said:

Meanwhile, indigenous folk are unemployed and not seeking work in such industries,

so the question should why aren't they seeking work in these sectors 'forcing' middle classes to seek elsewhere for their labour force.

[Bill]

I think the answer to that Sid is because nobody wants to do hard graft for poor wages. It’s the price we pay for having huge differentials in pay these days and why you seldom hear the expression “A fair days work for a fair days pay!”

If nobody wants to do a job then the wage needs increasing until they do.

 

Bill 😊

[Observer II]

That's obviously true Bill;  "market forces" - "supply and demand" etc;  but that then puts up prices.   There's now concern about food price inflation, but I'm not sure it's coming from the farmers, as the s.markets drive down payments to suppliers and even shop abroad for the cheapest price.   As with all things, seems like we need some long term planning, to increase food production by our farmers, using increased mechanisation and robotics. EG  Huge automated greenhouses like the Netherlands for all year round fruit and veg, with less dependency on Spain and Morocco.  It all comes back to this issue of national self sufficiency,  whilst total self sufficiency may be beyond us, we clearly need to reduce dependancy on other Countries, not just for food, but for energy too.   Sadly such fundemental long term planning is beyond the capabilties of our current set of politicians, who can't see beyond the next election.     

[ninearches]

You would have expected Brexit to encourage self sufficiency policies, but that thinking seems to have passed by the powers that be .

[Bill]

So what if it puts a few pence on the cost of our veggies, at least it’ll be taking people out of unemployment and reducing immigration.

I’d rather see a few extra coppers being used to pay British workers to do a job rather than give it to them in benefits for sitting on their backsides moaning.  

As for automation in the growing industry, it might help with food security but there’ll be even more joining the dole queue. Wasn’t this Mrs Thatcher’s dream? Use lots of high tech stuff and we’d all enjoy much more leisure time. It all only works if it’s done fairly but we seem to have forgotten what that is.

 

Bill 😊

[Observer II]

Greater automation will increase capacity and productivity, removing the need for low skill labour; whilst providing our own workforce with high skilled jobs operating and maintaining said equipment. The days of the Ludite are in the past.  Meanwhile, our Education system needs overalling,   to concentrate on upskilling our young folk for the real world, and paying decent wages during apprenticeships;  allowing the phasing out of Woke Mickey Mouse University degrees and the importation of foreign students, over staying their visas.  

[Bill]

So what you’re saying Obs is that we take all the people who don’t want to pick fruit for pennies and train them to become programmers and experts in automation and robotics. I can’t see that happening this side of the next blue moon. And in any case, anything we do to improve efficiency will generally result in less people being required otherwise it’s pointless.

We can’t all be employed as full-time robotic engineers so there’ll always be those for whom there’ll be no work and the way it works at the moment simply results in a greater divide between rich and poor. Automation will happen in all fields (excuse the pun) that’s for certain, but it’s how we deal with the consequences that’s important.

 

Bill 😊

[Observer II]

Errm no Bill;  there's a huge range of tasks requiring human labour that cannot be easily robotises EG  We now have record low birth rates and an aging population that will require pensions and eventually care support.  We will need youngsters to fill that void.  The question is, will our youngsters fill those vacancies or will they import foreign labour as they've been doing to date with nurses.   As for industry, it seems progress is being strangled at birth by net-zero nonsense and EU style trade barriers.    

[Bill]

Well, that puts us back to what I said in the first place. Whether its agriculture or care homes it doesn’t matter. If you don’t want immigrant labour doing all the jobs then we’ve got to pay wages that'll attract UK folk rather than put them off, and if that puts up costs so be it.

 

Bill 😊

[ninearches]

I may be thick but i don't understand how putting interest rates up tackles inflation .More money should be left with the population then they can get out & spend. & boost the economy.

As for these low paid jobs ,many of which are short term or zero hours, why not allow benefit claimants to take these jobs without being penalised financially. Give them a bit of self worth while sampling the world of work.

[Bill]

When it comes to the economy, there’s a lot of things I don’t understand Davy. I tend to think of it all like running a home or a business but where wage income comes from taxation. The aim is to balance things, so everyone is comfortable and maybe set aside a bit for a rainy day. Wouldn’t life be easier and better if only it were that simple?

A while back, I remember seeing an interview with a junior doctor who was asked “What drew you to the medical profession?” He replied, “The thought that I can become a consultant before the age of 30 and run five surgeries from somewhere sunny.”

About the that time, I was in Mc Donald’s where a middle-aged woman with two walking sticks and clearly with some difficulty, was clearing tables. Speaking with her she said, “It isn’t easy, but I just have to do what I have to do.”

Life’s just not fair for some and ethics seem to count for little.

 

Bill 😊

[Observer II]

I think what's missing from our society is that there is no longer a sense of society or duty to it.   In WW2 young men were called up to defend the Country, women took their place in factories and suffered being bombed in their homes.  Very few sort to escape through migrating as refugees, and those refugees from Europe did so on the basis that they would be eventually fighting their way back to their Countries.  Now we've got a so called educated class of youngsters fixated on woke ideas and eco nonsense, which they can't justify by debate, so try to cancel any alternate viewpoint;  plus a generation of migrants, mainly young men of military age, running away from economic poverty or defence of their homeland, and owe no allegiance or duty to the Nation.