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.

And since I do volunteer work in my regular life anyway, and have done for the past 5 years, which I'm now unable to do due to having no childcare, I don't really feel guilty about having a couple of months on furlough pay which I didn't choose.

@1forsorrow maybe you could tell us all what you do to help? Give us all an idea as I see from previous posts you see stuck at home so bored and not volunteering . So it's a case of telling others what to do what you wouldn't do yourself ?

It would help with the obesity epidemic, people outside doing exercise whilst picking. No reason why females can’t do the work. In the past plenty of women would work in fields and leave their baby in the hedge.

The farm workers on the large estate where I keep my horse are all English males, including the estate manager and security manager. There do have temporary workers during harvest time, driving combines etc

People used to welfare handouts are too up themselves to do this sort of work

Plus a lot are getting nowhere near £2500

First step is to make the public believe that ALL furloughed workers get this amount for doing 'nothing'

Next step is to start social media/MSM stories of people living lavish lifestyles on this £2500, the more outrageous the better

I volunteer in a school, I do paperwork for a care home, I look after my disabled husband, offer to do shopping and pick up prescription for shielded neighbour. Hope that helps.

Your op is contradictory..
You say they are too dumb to do the work and too lazy and then you go on to say the government are outrageous to expect British people who aren’t working to take it on because it’s below them ?
I agree most brits won’t want to do it but that means they have no right to argue when migrants have to come over to take the job on

They’ve been forced into a situation they didn’t want

Exactly. They’re ready, willing and able to work, but have been prevented from doing so by government policy. Which is why they’re being compensated.

It’s beyond shitty to be demanding a pound of flesh from them, just because.

The farm workers on the large estate where I keep my horse are all English males

and

People used to welfare handouts are too up themselves to do this sort of work

Just wanted to draw some attention to that

I’d do it, the government is paying 80% of our salaries. At a time like this I think it’s reasonable for them to expect us to give something back. Besides, the unemployed or benefits scrounges haven’t been furloughed. You can’t furlough benefits. So they will be fine

I don’t think deducting £50 or so from wages for a place to stay is that bad. You couldn’t live in a tent in a camp site for that , and if no accommodation was provided Then renting privately away from site would be way more expensive. If you’re a migrant worker sending money home your going to want to maximise that.
I’ve stayed in a caravan on a farm during lambing season. You basically eat sleep and work for an intensive period. It’s actually ok.
Th OPs tone suggests she feels she is beneath it.

The farm workers on the large estate where I keep my horse are all English males, including the estate manager and security manager. There do have temporary workers during harvest time, driving combines etc

People used to welfare handouts are too up themselves to do this sort of work

Brilliant piece of satire. Thank you.

It wouldn't be loads it would be the start of a staggered return. Many people do not have children, have children who are old enough to stay at home alone, are currently still working from home, or have a partner working from home. Schools wouldn't suddenly fill up. I think a lot of people are missing the point though. Essential jobs need to be done to keep the country running and there are people who, some of whom have been furloughed, who are able to help. We should not be in a situation where fruit is left to rot, the elderly are left in bed due to lack of staff, discharges unable to happen from hospitals due to a lack of home carers, helplines like childlike or women's aid are having people waiting hours before their call is answered. We all need to do our bit.

But you don't mind him taking the money?

No, why should I? He’d happily go back to work right now and I’d be happy for him to do so to earn his money. His whole industry has been forced to close though by the government to halt the spread of the virus. It’s not even been his employer’s choice to close. He can’t get another job because the industry is totally closed. I looked into him volunteering with my charity but they need PVG, references etc and by the time that was through he’d probably be back at work anyway. Charities who work with vulnerable people and have due diligence for staff and volunteers can’t just lower their standards and risk their service users just to appease the Daily Mail readers of society.

If his workplace folded and didnt have the money to make him redundant the gov would end up paying his redundancy pay anyway

I'm furloughed but there is no chance I'm picking fruit full time .
First of all I live no where near fruit farm.
2nd I have a dc
And third I don't want to , fuck that I want to do my current job . I am not going out to risk myself and my family to do another job when I want to my own that I'm trained in when it's safe to do so .

@1forsorrow I would be very surprised that volunteers are still in schools right now? Apart from what you said I do most of that on furlough. I am my dads carer. I also before they closed volunteered at my kids school. I also get shopping and prescriptions for my elderly neighbour. Look after three kids too. So maybe we are not all sitting on our backsides . So maybe that pedi stool you have put yourself on isn't so high after all.

People guilty of breaking lockdown rules shouldn't be fined - just sent to pick a specified amount of fruit.

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

Reported you for being a troll.

Brits aren’t too lazy, it’s the fact that these farms often require 40+ hours a week while paying minimum wage. The long hours aren’t worth the pay

@Hairyfairy01 do you honestly believe that anyone with a phone can man helplines like childline and woman's aid?

@1forsorrow point of correction, it was the Jockey Club (who own the Cheltenham racecourse) who pressurised the UK Government into maintaining the Cheltenham fixture. In addition the UK Government's advice at the time would not have supported cancelling that fixture.

It wasn't the gambling companies who lobbied the government for this meet to be kept public facing. I know this as I was party to discussions between the official bodies.

Many people voted for Brexit to get red of migrant workers "taking our jobs"

The good news is the migrant workers are gone. You have your jobs back now or lose your furlough money

The good news is the migrant workers are gone. You have your jobs back now or lose your furlough money

Given it was mainly pensioners who voted for Brexit, why can’t they do the fruit picking in exchange for their pension? The rest of us are paying them to sit at home!

I would be very surprised that volunteers are still in schools right now? Apart from what you said I do most of that on furlough. I am my dads carer. I also before they closed volunteered at my kids school. I also get shopping and prescriptions for my elderly neighbour. Look after three kids too. So maybe we are not all sitting on our backsides . So maybe that pedi stool you have put yourself on isn't so high after all. So why are you being defensive? You are doing something. Where I live the local pharmacy can't do deliveries for all prescriptions, just offering to pick up prescriptions for people less mobile is helping. Someone, and it is clear on here, aren't prepared to do anything for anyone else but are happy to take help for themselves.

I've volunteered at the school and care home for years. There is stuff you can do that isn't service user facing, organisations have so much paperwork to do, just as an example, so I can do things remotely that leaves hands on people more time to do what needs doing.

I don't think everyone needs to fruit pick, I don't think everyone should do a fulltime job as a volunteer but helping out I do think is reasonable. Millions of people doing a little bit could make such a difference, sometimes just standing on the drive and having a chat with someone who is isolated is a really valuable thing to do. If people are getting 80% of their wage and a lot of free time is that really too much to ask? If it is we have more problems than the pandemic.

Just ignore the daily mail reader @Peppafrig you don’t need to justify yourself to them.

There has been news across western and norther Europe how there has been a massive increase in locals applying for these types of jobs. But the farmers don't want to hire them. They would rather import the workers.