Fruit picking Jobs

[billysboy]

With so many Fruit Picking Jobs available aibu to think that a few of the people already in this country would want to take them up

It feels as if we are paying 1m to stay at home rather than take up this work
Its hard work no doubt but also pays £10-15 an hour is it beneath too many people?

As well as asking if we are prepared to pay more for food and restaurant meals so that staff are better paid, we should also be asking if big businesses are prepared to accept less profit to pay their staff more.

The main reason we buy almost everything from abroad is that big business want to maximise their profits so buy as cheaply as possible. It is cheaper for Philip Green and his pals to buy clothes made in sweatshops in China and India where they are made for almost nothing and the workers are paid a pittance, fly it to the UK and flog it to us with huge profit margins that he lines his already full pockets with. He is not prepared to take a cut in his profits to buy British- although we would be perfectly capable of producing the clothes. Much of the clothing is cheap tat that ends up as landfill within a few months.

He, and others like him, are not prepared to accept less profit. We see headlines like 'xxxx business in trouble, profits drop from 60,000,000 to 50,000,000 in last quarter.'

Business is not charity, it has to make profit to survive and be attractive to business owners. It does not have to make bigger profits all the time at the cost of other workers' life quality.

The idea that native born people are lazy and spoiled seems to be a popular one that you see springing up in many countries throughout history. There's a little bit of truth to it, but as we've seen in this thread its greatly exaggerated.

One issue is that the high cost of living in England and similar countries makes it very hard for hard for people to make a living out of it. That's why you see it done often by temporary immigrants, backpackers, etc. - people who's cost of living is much lower than average.

I also suspect that in some cases this issue is played up by those in charge as an excuse to import cheap labor they can then exploit.

Some of these are valid points but still

My point is I'm sick of being made to feel guilty because I've been furloughed and I won't leave my family to go and live on a farm picking fruit.

You're right, it's an extremely valid point. One that most people still working who trot out the 'fruit picking' shit would use as well if it were them.

Yes I've been furloughed, no I'm not working during the day at the moment, yes I could use that time to pick fruit but no I'm not going to because I'm not living away from my family.

I'm not being made to feel guilty for that.

I remember a story from here in Australia about some bloke who was eager to give fruit picking a try. He had to arrange his transport. The fruit actually wasn't ready for harvesting when predicted. He had to wait around for a couple of weeks. He wound up spending more than he earned. So there's no point doing it unless you can get in some kind of program which can subsidize your expenses.

so farming didn't need to be as intensive or done as cheaply as it is now.

Good point. Back in the days of family farms not everyone helping out with the harvesting would have been fit and experienced. Nowadays its a very competitive business and the harvesters all have to ready and able to work very fast for many hours.

Also dont forget that over 60% (!!!!!!) of british are fat where in other countries people are much more fit and healthy, hence no surprise that obese people wont do a physical job. I remember when I first visited England - I was shocked how many overweight people are living here. Just one more excuse for you all to use for not producing your own foods

It seems its the same trolls name changing. So very attention seeking.

"im not living on site because ive got a house /kids/cat"

You wouldnt fucking do it either if you were faced with paying rent on two places or homelessness because housing policy doesnt allow it.

Of course if housing polices and rules are the same where you are then i apologize.

@FromZeroToHero Good. Im glad that as you hold overweight people in such contempt you will be happy to refuse treatment off any overweight health workers if you are unfortunate enough to catch Covid 19.

And before you say anything, I am a size 8, have two jobs and studying for a masters. I’m a bit busy to pick fruit thanks !

It is cheaper for Philip Green and his pals to buy clothes made in sweatshops in China and India where they are made for almost nothing and the workers are paid a pittance, fly it to the UK and flog it to us with huge profit margins that he lines his already full pockets with. He is not prepared to take a cut in his profits to buy British- although we would be perfectly capable of producing the clothes

We might produce the clothes but as has been made clear over recent decades WE will only buy cheap so none of PGs quality U.K. made produce would be bought we want cheap and throw away - PG is just exploiting that, as M&S and others have been forced to do.

Edwina if someone on Universal Credit was able to afford to buy Karen Millan or People Tree can you imagine the outrage on AIBU

Cant have it both ways!

Not sure why MNHQ doesn't clamp down on blatent sockpuppeting on this thread.

there's no choice if you don't have another job as lots of countries don't have a good benefits system.

What if you have no relative who will look after your children for months on end? Does everyone have this ubiquitous family who can become your children's guardian for months at a time?

We were continually told that EU migrants weren't able to claim benefits or entitled to any

Which is true if they don't pass the habitual residence test. Which, if you've just stepped off the plane from Warsaw, you wouldn't. But I assume that you believe in Schroedinger's immigrant, who manages to hold down a job that should go to someone Engerlish, but also claims Job Seekers Allowance simultaneously.

Why was chillis post removed whilst blantant trolls allowed to remain? What is going on with mods on this thread?

@HelenaDove yes thanks, I would much rather be treated by fit and healthy doctors and nurseries from overseas (which is half of NHS) even BJ was treated by immigrant nurses in ICU so shup up. The only thing you are good at. And have a lol

@riceuten the tests have only started after 2019. Before then everyone from EU and EEA was able to claim any benefits they wanted from day 1 for them and their families, children etc. Loads of people got proper rich by this countrys benefit system, built houses and mansions in their home countries

From Zero

Dont be a dick

Yours.............

From the daughter of a an Italian immigrant

But I assume that you believe in Schroedinger's immigrant, who manages to hold down a job that should go to someone Engerlish, but also claims Job Seekers Allowance simultaneously.
Yes if you believe in Schroedinger's immigrant who doesn't impose any extra strain on housing, transport, health, water, sanitation etc etc despite living and working here..
Also low paid workers can claim in work benefits such as tax credits and child benefit. Not saying I wouldn't do the same but let's be real.

Todays youth!

17-year-old Kia recently moved into a local care home to help look after older residents.

After noticing that 94-year-old Ken had been sleeping with a framed picture of his late wife, Aida, she decided to surprise him with this very thoughtful gift

twitter.com/eliistender10/status/1252366827918725121?s=20

@peopermintcapsules Obviously not everyone does, I don't really know the ins and outs of people's circumstances. I just know it's quite common for people from my country to leave their kids for months at a time, either with the other parent, relative or family friend, while they work abroad. I'm not saying it's a good thing or that it's what people here should do. Just making the point that farm employers don't care about your other commitments, they need the work done, fast, so people angry about Eastern Europeans doing it and "taking the jobs" really have no clue.

@HelenaDove Not sure why you're so angry at me, no I wouldn't do it if I had a choice, but my point is a lot of the people who do this job don't have a choice.
If I had no other job, meaning I'd be at risk of homelessness anyway, then yeah I'd do any job.

I think she was angry because you minimised and dismissed what is a very real barrier here. Perhaps you don't appreciate the size of that barrier and the fundamental differences between East European economies and ours. I have noticed that in East Europe generally there is a high level of house ownership. We don't have that here. You might also have an expectation of help with children from older generations or relatives. We don't have that here either - well some groups do, but a lot of us have nothing.

Housing here, should have added, is in very high demand as we have a national shortage of it, and is very insecure. Like our benefits system, people can now be kicked out of it and find themselves homeless for any excuse.