-
I haven't seen any particular research for the area. Investment is increasing in the area and hopefully things will improve but a much larger proportion than average of the jobs in the area are unskilled labour.
Unfortunately it's a race to the bottom in terms of pay and working conditions. The root of the problem is the owners of the companies but the cheap, immigrant labour is facilitating it.
I'd agree that tackling immigration isn't tackling the underlying problem but immigration is the visible face of it. Labelling people who complain about immigrants coming over and taking their jobs as racist is ignoring the fact that it is a concern for many people and it is happening.
Oddies is like an East Lancashire Greggs.
aggi-
The concern is basically "I don't have a job". Fair enough, that sucks.
But, if a local person would take the job, would they also complain?
Or would they introspect and look at their skills sets, or realize they're being screwed and join a union?"these people come in an take our jobs". YES, so...if a local person takes the job, and you don't complain...then what exactly IS your problem? A job is a job, right?
If you feel people undercut you by taking a low paid job (again, it can happen, 3 living in a house, single etc...) why do locals not do it? [the wage is too low, right? or there are no council houses etc etc]
Questions need to be asked too when people pipe up and complain.Those questions are not asked(and shouting racist isn't asking questions either) because the government doesn't want to fix the issue or engage and admit it's messed up things.
But as an immigrant I don't complain another immigrant also works in my sector and locals also work in my sector. I just want a job.
I think we agree on the issues, and that it should be discussed. But the more I think about this "somebody from another country stole my job" the more I also think it should be a beginning of a conversation, not the end. Currently in politics it's the end :/
So yes let's talk, but let's make it about jobs/exploitation/unions/wages
JWestland
I actually have no problems with people not wanting to do shit jobs, 0 hour contracts and so on. You just can't have it both ways, blame others for taking them and not work ;)
Is there any more info on your factory working acquaintances? Is there research for that area?
I am sure there are cases where immigration can seem to hurt jobs: But ultimately it's probably a cost cutting exercise, they want rid of the more experienced long term staff and get cheap people. Which happen to be immigrants.
The jobs are there. Your acquaintances could get hired. The bosses are probably LOCALS too. But, they don't get hired. So what's going on?
I've seen some pieces of research that show for lower incomes immigration can cause issues, other say the effect is fairly minimal. It can happen, but I am having big problems with the conversation the way it's held: Name and shame.
It's not solution searching.
We don't even have a pret or an ollies in Belfast, but we have Greg's :P