Migrant workers, do we realy need them?

[R1Geezer]

Ok bear with me, I tend to agree with the general belief that there are thousands of jobs that need doing and our workshy layabout parisites won't get off the sofa because the money is shite. Ok with me so far? What if we had no migrants what if there was literally no one to do those jobs? What if market forces where unchecked? Would, heaven forbid, employers have to offer more dosh? Would that start to tempt the workshy from in front of their plasmas? Supply and demand, no workers? wages increase, and yes prices too probably. What I'm really asking is: is the belief that we need sqillions of migrant workers to do the jobs our own dole dossers won't, a flawed one, based on the current tendency to kerb market forces in favour of a new protectionism?

[daffy654]

I don't work in guesses as you seem to,I would like to see any official figures you could point me in the direction of though.

[jake-the-peg]

There seems to be a somewhat norrow minded view of unemployed people here based on questionable knowledge and what sounds like a lot of heresay.

A small case study:

When I was made redundant I went down and signed on. At that time benefits paid your mortgage interest immediately so while I didn't qualify for the Dole I did qualify for this.

I didn't go down and sign on to flip burgers the moment it happened in a desperate attempt to relieve the state of this burden. My wife returned to work and I stayed at home sending out CVs and looking after 2 children under 2.

I would not have lost money paying for childcare whilst taking a job like that and it would have impeded my ability to get another job as a software engineer.

It took me 5 months and I ended up with a 120 mile round trip commute but I got back on and now with a salary that puts me well into the top 10% I think I've repaid the helping hand I took from the state.

Firstly there are many different types of unemployed people and trying to lump them into a single group is simple minded.

Secondly there are sometimes simply not jobs for them to go to - especially right now.

Thirdly forcing highly skilled people to take low level jobs immediately pushes down the skill base in the country and is very short-sighted.

Finally we need to focus just as much energy on the black economy tax evaders as we do on welfare cheats. These people undercut honest businesses and probably cost the country as much if not more

[jake-the-peg]

I'm just asking for your qualification for your opinions District.

Seems a reasonable question to ask someone how they come to their opinions.

Mine are purely personal experience.

Perhaps yours come from reading the Telegraph - I don't know

Without knowing how someone comes to their opinion how can you judge whether they are worth listening to or not?

[tonyav]

I was made redundant last november, for 6 months i got £64 quid a week and then after 6 months they stopped my £64 quid and now i get nothing. And i cannot find a job ( any job ).

[daffy654]

I wasn't assuming anything when I said not all unemployed people are as you seem to think.
I have been unemployed..........and technically am unemployed right now due to the fact I am dying slowly and am housebound to a huge degree.
I know a lot of unemployed people and not a single one of them is as you describe. They are unemployed for varying reasons and all of them would love to be in a job right now. Unfortunately there are none available where we live.
You are a bigot district9. You try to accuse others of being the same when they mention immigrants (which I never have by the way) yet you are just as bad,if not worse than those you accuse.

[Gromit]

District9

Were you in military service during the last couple of recessions? Where were you in 1981 when British industries where being closed down and 5 million were made unemployed? Where you in a secure military vocation by any chance? Perhaps your claim to be unemployed proof just means the State was looking looking after you just like the 'scroungers'.

[R1Geezer]

well thanks everyone, I see dancairo has a new I'd, still a complete titfer tat though!

Gromit, you get a blue Geezer badge for very creatively having dig at the the great lady attempting to save the country from socialism, well done.

[Gromit]

R1Geezer

Gratefully accepted.

She did also start the culture of unemployment being a lifestyle choice for a whole generation, so I suppose she couldn't win 'em all.

[R1Geezer]

they wern't real jobs, they only existed because the union laws made it impossible to fire anyone.

[Gromit]

R1Geezer

The main industries in many towns were discarded forever, putting sons, fathers and Grandfathers on the dole. So called area rejuvenation schemes took 10 years to happen by which time unemployment as a lifestyle became firmly entrenched.

It modernised Britain, but it unfortunately sowed the seeds of some of our present problems with the non-working class.