And These Are The Jobs That Our Own Nationals Won't Do, And Who Can Blame Them?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3039046/Read-never-buy-bag-supermarket-salad-farmworkers-treated-like-slaves-live-filthy-conditions-major-stores-promise-inquiry.html

[ummmm]

"Migrant workers producing vegetables exported to Britain"

"exported" to Britain.

[Old_Geezer]

Workers in Almeria. Nevertheless stores ought to stock locally produced (nationally produced failing that) produce wherever possible.

[whiskeryron]

NO they are not /// while some live in filthy shacks made of wood and plastic sheeting near the fields in southern Spain.///

[sandyRoe]

You surprise me, AOG. I'd have thought you'd have been on the side of Simon Legree rather than that of the workers, UK or foreign.

[naomi24]

I might have misread this, but as I understand it these people are working in Spain - the produce exported to the UK. I'm not surprised our own nationals won't do the jobs. That would be a pretty long commute!

[anotheoldgit]

I know this is about workers in Spain but is there any reason to believe that the immigrant workers in the fields of Eastern England are treated much differently?

[naomi24]

AOG, if workers here were treated similarly, don’t you think that rather than go to Spain for the story the Mail would have spotted it and reported it?

[anotheoldgit]

Blimey naomi I don't know, just making a comment on a particular reported story.

[naomi24]

Never mind, AOG. You misunderstood the article and jumped to the wrong conclusion. It happens. ;o)

[lindapalmara]

Just read about this. My Tesco bagged salad has just hit the bin! I'll be growing it myself from now on.

[sp1814]

AOG

I am thinking that you misinterpreted this story.

This is about working conditions in Spain, and therefore cannot be compared to working conditions in the UK.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// This is about working conditions in Spain, and therefore cannot be compared to working conditions in the UK. ///

I think that I have every right to make a comparison.

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1083134/bitter_harvest_how_exploitation_and_abuse_stalks_migrant_workers_on_uk_farms.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24108665

[ummmm]

Why waste it, Linda?

[tonyav]

And yet they still come !.

[ummmm]

Did you read the article, Tony? Or the answers on this thread?

[sp1814]

Okay AOG, if you're saying you didn't misinterpret the story, fair enough.

It just seems that way from your question.

[sp1814]

You see AOG...tonyav has leapt to the same conclusion.

It's a very easy mistake to make.

[tonyav]

I read the link on aog's last post.

[tonyav]

This one.
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1083134/bitter_harvest_how_exploitation_and_abuse_stalks_migrant_workers_on_uk_farms.html

[Svejk]

Immigrants are poor but they're not stupid. Farmers in this country are finding it hard to recruit workers. Now workers have the right to be here, after a few years, they realise there are better paid/easier jobs to be had, or even benefits. As long as the EU kept expanding they had fresh waves of ingénues to take advantage of. I'd imagine, more and more, they must be relying on illegal immigrants.
Before we signed up to the free movement of people, immigrants could come here under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Agreement (something like that) on fixed 3/6 month contracts and then go home again.