My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Covid

Lockdown lifted ...

33 replies

DGRossetti · 15/04/2020 16:59

if you are flying in from Romania to work all around the UK, that is ...


metro.co.uk
Fruit-pickers flown in from Romania after Brits failed to answer call for help
Jen MillsWednesday 15 Apr 2020 12:04 pm
3-4 minutes

Around 180 farm workers are flying in from Romania

A charter flight of around 180 Romanian workers is set to land at Stansted Airport tomorrow to fill vacancies at UK farms amid the coronavirus crisis.

The plane is the first of up to six to arrive in the coming months so that farms stay staffed with labourers.

Country Land & Business Association has warned that farms could be short staffed due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

There have been calls for Brits to step up and fill the gaps – but although many people made unemployed during the lockdown have come forward, it is not enough to fill all vacancies, according to the Times.

Farmers need around 70,000 seasonal workers to make sure crops are picked throughout the year, most of whom usually arrive from the EU.

While a major hiring drive to ‘Feed the Nation’ during the coronavirus crisis has had more than 27,000 applicants, only around 4,300 of them have taken up the offer of an interview so far.

After passengers leave the flight from Bucharest to London they will be bussed to workplaces round the South East and Linconlnshire.

The paper said that the flight has been chartered by an unnamed food produce company.

Passengers will be expected to observe social distancing rules and will not be allowed to leave Romania if they show symptoms of coronavirus.

It comes after many airlines, such as EasyJet and Ryanair, have suspended services between the UK and eastern Europe making it difficult for seasonal workers to get here.

It comes as a 35% fall in UK GDP has been predicted in the second quarter of this year by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR).

Experts at the independent group predict this will happen if lockdown remains in place for a period of three months, followed by three months of partially lifted restrictions.

However, they estimate that the economy will ‘quickly bounce back’.

It is also predicted that the UK will see a rise in unemployment to 10% of the working population, which is around 2,000,000 people.

This will then likely ease off later in the year, the OBR states.

The Department of Work and Pensions has reported that 950,000 new claims for universal credit were made between 16 and 31 March, suggesting that a sharp rise in unemployment is already taking place.

OP posts:
Report
Gammeldragz · 15/04/2020 17:02

They will sti3have to abide by lockdown rules once they get here. What's your point?
This is excellent news.

Report
Gammeldragz · 15/04/2020 17:02

Still have.

Report
Summersunandoranges · 15/04/2020 17:06

Great news! I actually hope they are allowed to stay too!

Obviously veg picking is far to good for U.K. folks!

Report
inwood · 15/04/2020 17:16

Well we need food to make it to the shops.

Report
Thisismytimetoshine · 15/04/2020 17:18

We'd be in a far worse position if the harvest failed because nobody already here wanted to work on the farms.

Report
Gammeldragz · 15/04/2020 17:20

I would like to add, I hope they are provided with suitable accommodation and able to maintain distancing as well as being paid well and given access to free health care (not sure how that stands at the moment?).
We need these workers, key workers and should treat them with the gratitude and respect they deserve.

Report
Waxonwaxoff0 · 15/04/2020 17:22

This is a good thing. We'd be complaining if there were food shortages!

Report
Beautiful3 · 15/04/2020 17:31

Well I wouldn't up and leave my children home alone while i live on a rural site to pick vegetables for minimum wage?! That kind of job wouldnt suit anyone with pets and/or children at all. People with responsibilities would be more inclined to work for local super markets. If farms offered more money, it may entice some people still living with parents (who have no responsibilities).

Report
izzywizzygood · 15/04/2020 17:33

@Summersunandoranges
Obviously veg picking is far to good for U.K. folks!

No, we're just not allowed to travel to the areas where these jobs are... That's why it's difficult to fill the vacancies. If you read up on this you will see that tens of thousands of UK workers have applied for the jobs.
Maybe it's just you that is too good for veg picking. Don't taint the rest of the population who have put themselves forward for this work, and who have taken temp supermarket jobs, and who have volunteered for the NHS with your poison.

Report
cologne4711 · 15/04/2020 17:34

This happened in Germany too, it's not just here. We need the agricultural workers.

Report
Eve · 15/04/2020 17:37

.. not too good for both my student children!

we have 2 farms in driving distance that they are keen to work for, they have applied and neither has had a response. Hmm

Report
HopelessLayout · 15/04/2020 17:39

English people are not very good at picking fruit, according to the farmers. There is skill involved you know!
The European workers pick ten times as much in the same time.

Report
Eve · 15/04/2020 17:39

and this site to apply , says all April roles filled

www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/feed-the-nation

Report
CatherineOfAragonsPomegranate · 15/04/2020 17:39

Where are these crop picking jobs advertised? I never see them.

Report
NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite · 15/04/2020 17:44

No, we're just not allowed to travel to the areas where these jobs are... That's why it's difficult to fill the vacancies. If you read up on this you will see that tens of thousands of UK workers have applied for the jobs.
What's the difference between UK citizens travelling to the areas where these jobs are and Rumanians travelling to these areas?

If so many of our citizens have applied then surely they should get the jobs?

Report
NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite · 15/04/2020 17:47

English people are not very good at picking fruit, according to the farmers.
There is skill involved you know!
The European workers pick ten times as much in the same time.
What? Aren't farmers capable of providing adequate training?

Report
BakedCam · 15/04/2020 17:48

Doesn't the guidance state that fruit pickers are keyworkers therefore travel is allowed?

@CatherineOfAragonsPomegranate

Google 'fruit picking jobs' loads coming up.

Report
CatherineOfAragonsPomegranate · 15/04/2020 17:48

If so many of our citizens have applied then surely they should get the jobs?

Point.

Report
CatherineOfAragonsPomegranate · 15/04/2020 17:49

Thanks Baked

Report
Northernsoullover · 15/04/2020 17:53

I'd do it. I just don't live anywhere near a farm. If I didn't have children I'd be happy to relocate.

Report
Schmoana · 15/04/2020 17:57

Fruit and veg picking can be back breaking work. Think that’s why there’s a struggle to get locals to do it

Report
Waxonwaxoff0 · 15/04/2020 18:00

A lot of people who are unemployed now won't be able to do those jobs as they have dependent children and schools/childcare facilities are all closed. I'm on furlough but I have a 6 year old, I can't leave him on his own to go and work on a farm.

If people from other countries are willing to do these jobs, that's good.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

QuestionMarkNow · 15/04/2020 18:01

@NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite or they dont have the stamina involved in what is a back breaking job....

Report
VenusTiger · 15/04/2020 18:02

What call for fruit pickers?

Report
Mummyoflittledragon · 15/04/2020 18:11

According to the article, we need 70k pickers. 27k applied in the U.K. and 4,300 have taken up job interviews through feed the nation. Therefore a large shortfall right now... metro.co.uk/2020/04/15/fruit-pickers-flown-romania-brits-failed-answer-call-help-12559562/

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.