Fruit picking? Are they f***ing serious?

[emmcan]

So whichever hapless muppet got dragged out today to do the daily lying to the gullible has suggested that furloughed workers could br picking fruit.

Fuck me, how fucking badly run is this shitshow?

The reason that we have had a two decades of migrant workers doing these jobs is because British people are too lazy and incompetent to do them.

And now they expect furloughed workers to head out into the fields and get their hands dirty?

It will happen, in a fashion, as they will just stop paying money to people who refuse to work, but it will be an appalling form of slave labour.

Fruit picking is for the young and fit. Middle-aged office workers are quite likely not to be up to it and could damage their health.

People who do this would have to abandon their families to live on site at a time when there is no childcare.

Students are not going to be available for the next month or two because they will still be doing their uni courses.

Other young people don't know if they may suddenly be called back to work again. My son is waiting to hear, after a similar company have opened their stores again. If he goes off to the other end of the country and isn't there when they ring for him to come in, he'll lose his job. He also doesn't have any transport to get to a farm.

Living in shared accommodation in cramped conditions takes on a rather different aspect during a pandemic. It's not just about it being uncomfortable: you could be risking your life. If the work stops you won't be able to return to vulnerable family without quarantining: who is going to arrange that?

I think there are other issues really. Lots of British people expressed an interest but very few delved any further (that's what I heard).

Anyway, the location is a main issue with the farms being in the middle of nowhere. Migrant workers typically live on site in caravans and pay to rent these. If you have a family or paying rent, it may not be suitable or economically viable.

Wasn't this tried with Poundland etc. taking people on longterm jobseekers? All that happened was Poundland et. al. laid off a portion of their staff in favour of free government labour, creating more unemployment. It wasn't long ago.

You can't seriously expect people who have been temporarily furloughed to go and live in communal caravans and leave their families behind to do this particular job just because Brexit left a gap in the market? Farms can solve this problem by going back to the pre-EU method of hiring local casual staff. Yes, it's going to cost them more. Yes, the food will cost more. It should never have been so cheap off the back of a vulnerable labour force. If the government want to subsidise that cost to prevent it, then that's what they can do. They can't daisychain two subsidies together and call it problem solving. The furloughed staff and the lack of farm labour are not connected issues. Don't let them feed you this crap so that you blame your furloughed neighbour instead of the profit-at-all-costs food production methods that collapsed. Those pickers should never have been so cheap and I hope they never are again.

No, it isn't true that British workers don't want to do the work at all, and no, they are not feckless and lazy.

Lots of British have applied for this - I know several - but none have been taken on. They don't have the skills, will not put up with shit shared accommodation and farmers worry about complaints.

Long ago (in my day!!) students happily picked fruit or hops or onions as holiday jobs. However, everything is more mechanised now, there are quotas to be reached and timed shifts, it is no longer the happy job it used to be. When I lived in Lincolnshire (also long ago!) families would pick fruit or help with the potato harvest, no longer allowed as children aren't allowed in the fields because of the machinery.

If you look at fruit picking applications online, it asks how much previous farm/fruit picking experience you have, can you lift a 25kilo bag and do you have forklift/tractor driving experience and other such questions. How many of you can honestly say you have these?

On top of that, you have to leave your home, even if you live in a rural area, and live on site, often in caravans shared with strangers. It's a life that is full of migrant workers being taken advantage of, living in poor conditions and not one that the average British furloughed worker is able to easily fit into....

Why do they need workers to live on the farm?

And the only safe generalisation for the British public is that they won't pay prices for produce that guarantee both farmers and pickers a living wage. Just look at the bicthing when a 4 pinter of milk goes above £1.20 or thereabouts. It cost pretty much the same 20 years ago, btw.

That's not really true though is it? The public will pay a price for a product that they think is fair, if that's not enough to pay the producers and their staff a living wage then the product isn't viable.

I think anyone that has been furloughed should be doing something . In my opinion which I am entitled to at the end of the day they are getting paid 80% to sit at home . So why not be asked to do another task . We all have to earn our keep. Fruit picking might not be to everyone’s taste however what is offered should be done because otherwise they would be made redundant and the furlough scheme has allowed people to have access to a salary. It may be lower but it’s still better than some people who are working full time and earning less who work a lot harder .

Tories still attempting to blame the unemployed and those with little or no job security for the fact that the economy is in the toilet and Brexit means nobody wants to come to Britain any more.

Scapegoating, setting up false equivalences, plus ca change.

IHateCoronavirus Mon 27-Apr-20 04:35:57

Why do they need workers to live on the farm?

Nowhere to park vehicles arriving daily if workers live offsite, no risk of people not turning up for work after the first horrible day.

And they're not paid enough to afford to stay in a proper rented room in a house, with bathroom facilities.

Zaalfruit that is ridiculous.

Your comment assumes that everyone can just switch out of their normal lives and into another completely different one, and switch jobs easily regardless of skill or physical strength necessary or their home situation and whether they have dependents relying on them.

Are you seriously saying that a woman who is 7 months pregnant and receiving 80% of her pay should head out to live in a caravan and pick onions in a wet field until she can take her maternity leave? Or someone with several children not now in school should have to go down the mines and meet their daily quota, with the family Jack Russell minding the children?

Bring it on! I will be as fit as a butcher’s dog by August.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=iZM_YKpbJxo

I hope the ones who are furloughed on the two grand a month are included in this forced labour.

Not just the ones who were previously manual/low paid workers.

I think anyone that has been furloughed should be doing something . In my opinion which I am entitled to at the end of the day they are getting paid 80% to sit at home

Well, no, my DH is doing something. He is looking after our child while I do my NHS job from home.

False, the reason why you buy cheap food is because neoliberalism means that it is cheaper and more cost effective to have eastern europeans fruit picking and living on site (that they have to pay for).
*
The only hapless muppet here is you even peddling this nonsense when it's clear you have no real understanding at all.

Maybe start to follow different people on twitter so you can expand your knowledge a bit, as it's obvious you do not have the capacity to critically analyse anything yourself.*

This!!!!

It's not about being lazy and incompetent. OP would you choose to do this backbreaking work for minimum wage, working ridiculous shifts sleeping on site to make ends meet?

Hi furloughed workers, what your now seeing is nudge theory in action, I'm long term disabled, a combination of bad genes and bad luck.

In the past decade the public narrative was changed by the Tories and the right wing MSM to start calling the unemployed 'scroungers', this allowed them to bring in a punitive benefits system with public support, disabled people are just collateral damage to this system as the financial support we need is slowly taken away from us meaning some of us live in almost victorian levels of poverty.

Now they are turning this against furloughed workers weve tried pointing this out but of course we just want something for nothing. It wont be long before your 'working' neighbours turn on you, why should you be getting money for 'nothing' while they go out and work and support you.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemöller

@Zaalfruit I am doing something. I am looking after my 6 year old, you know, because schools are closed? Shall I just leave him at home all day while I go out to a field to pick fruit?

Do you really think people on furlough chose this?

Oh, and since I'm only on 3p over minimum wage anyway, my furlough take home pay is less than minimum wage. So I don't think anyone who is still working is getting paid less than me.

Just out of interest, should my kids go into foster care until the harvest is done, or are they expected to join me and work in the fields, too? And are you happy to wait until the food is all picked before you can get out of lockdown, or are farmers expected to let crops rot so that you can go to the gym or get your children's shoes fitted?

For those using childcare as a reason, if you were a fruit picker you would be classed as a key worker and therefore your children could go to school. I hope a lot of you will be much more compassionate towards people having to do these kind of jobs in future, many of whom are older and well educated. How about volunteering to work in care homes etc? Or is that beneath you?

Very sad situation really..but I guess at least he was happy with it.

He wasn't happy with it. He was being exploited and in a vulnerable position, he had no choice and was preyed on. He couldn't afford to live a normal life here on this money, even temporarily, and certainly not if he was still desperately trying to save for his family. Do not soften the situation, please. There's no silver lining in exploitation.

What really shines through this thread is the ignorance and the feeling of superiority coming from some British workers. Of course some people are not suitable to be fruit pickers because of health reasons, pregnancy etc. That's outside of the question.

However, a number of posters come from a very privileged place, perhaps without realising it - "This job wouldn't suit me because of X, Y or Z" so I wouldn't do it. Trust me, most people wouldn't want to do it as their first option either, but they are not privileged enough to have that choice. And they're not spoiled or fussy, either. To do this job, you need a great work ethic, regardless of where you're from. And the reality is, this standard has dropped in the UK. People have more and they are more picky (no pun intended).

It's a shame to see this now in particular. With so many jobs at risk or going already, soon there will be no space for being fussy. Besides, this work is needed in times of crisis. Why not roll up your sleeves and get on with it for the sake of everyone? That's my attitude and if I've been furloughed, I'd go and do anything going on in my area. Those who say "my furlough agreement won't allow me", you do realise when this proposal becomes the law, this is going to be meaningless as your employers will most likely be directed to release their staff, right?

Finally, those that created arrangements based purely on exploitation, abusing the fact they "can" pay foreign staff less - just because you can, doesn't mean you should. It's completely wrong and everyone facilitating this should have a good hard look at themselves - and that is UK farmers, UK recruitment agencies and everyone in that network. Someone on here said earlier "my family owns the farm and they work the same hours as those workers" - only they are owners and it's their choice, and they share the profit which is undoubtedly higher because they exploit the people working there. How blindsided can you be? This entire sector is so rotten that it needs an overhaul and local seasonal workers should absolutely be allowed to work flexible shifts, not live on site, and paid reasonable money for the hard work. If British people can't fill the jobs, they should be open to everyone. Where people come from is irrelevant as long as everyone works hard and in fair conditions.

Brexiteers should now understand that EE workers didn't steal their jobs. It's those who created the supply chain who spotted the opportunity to exploit EE workers, often highly qualified people who needed some money and were vulnerable, and make money out of this that led to this monumental mess.

@Hairyfairy01 oh is the school keeping them overnight too? As these jobs are hours away from loads of people and boarding is required .

It will be compulsory. No furlough pay if you turn down ''essential work''. What is wrong with that? You think people should just get handed up to £2,500 per month for doing nothing. There are all sorts of things they could be doing, not just fruit picking. I don't think slaves were ever paid £2,500 per month, perhaps you could give us a link.

@Hairyfairy01 I don't live anywhere near a farm for fruit picking and I don't drive. It's not possible.

And I never once said it was beneath me. I earn £8.75 an hour in my job and I do volunteering weekly as well, which I have had to stop doing as again, I do not have any childcare.

@Namechangeapril20

Thanks for the insight into your family farm. From their experience, is Brexit going to affect their future staffing arrangements and planning?

No peppa. However those that don't live near to farms are likely to live near to some place that requires essential workers, care homes, hospitals, shops, recycling centres to name a few. Plus there are always voluntary helplines that need people to answer calls.