Looks like mistreatment of factory workers has caused the spike in Leicester

[Tellmetruth4]

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/30/some-leicester-factories-stayed-open-and-forced-staff-to-come-in

It’s unbelievable that unscrupulous employers can get away with paying their poor mainly immigrant staff below the minimum wage, force them to come to work even after they’ve tested positive telling them they are not to tell their colleagues and board up factory windows so passers by can’t see the factory is open.

Surely massive fines and imprisonment for the owners should be considered?

Yesterday they were all on a local park

What all of them? All the Asians were on one park, wow.

It seems a bit simplistic to blame the spike purely on mistreatment of factory workers. The food processing plants have had spikes which they think are caused by working in cold temperatures. There are issues of deprivation, multi-generational households.
Yy if the factories have been ignoring guidance then not only the factories but the companies they supply should be held to account but I don't think it's beneficial to blame one sector when there's multiple issues contributing to outbreaks. It might make cities that don't have garment factories think that they'll be fine rather than preparing for their own spikes.

Lilimoon how is that racist? I meant the Leicester Asian community which is what is is? And it's the truth local news etc etc has posted pictures of all the rule breaking. And every area which had been bad in Leicester have the 90% Asian community just as I'd be angry at Christians for gonna to church it's nothing to do with race!

@heyheyho, why do you think its 'left wiong propaganda'??? If this is what the government/Tories said they were hoping to do, that's what they said.
I can't change that. Nor can you.

As for not beeing re elected... Seeing that they have been relected again and again by the very people who have been hurt by austerity measures... I am pretty sure people will vote for them if said party (whoever it is) can convince them it will save jobs etc/// Just like people accepted the zero hour contracts.

Having said that, the same outbreaks happened in Germany, look up Tönnies Fleisch.

and then look up what has been happening: complete lockdowns and increased testing in those areas. People are boycotting his products, and he has given up his position as chairman of a football club. It is not without consequence and there may be legal action etc etc.

Having said that: anyone who thinks that we in the west are squeaky clean when it comes to working practices are fooling themselves. Where do you think all our cheap stuff comes from?

I’m not surprised. We have regulators, highly paid, for every tiny thing, but none for employment breaches.

Back in February a Milanese friend explained that the areas surrounding Milan are notorious for garment sweat shops staffed by trafficked FIFO Chinese workers and was the likely reason that it had spread so savagely and quickly through Lombardy. All in the pursuit of a “Made in Italy” label

Yes exactly. Apparently there was a daily flight from Milan to Wuhan servicing this trade

Wealth off the back of slave labour. How can they live with themselves...imagine that there will be some celebrities deleting some of these pictures soon... some links gone already here www.businessinsider.com/the-billionaire-family-behind-fast-fashion-powerhouse-boohoo-2019-11?r=US&IR=T

There must be a combination of reasons surely. It sounds like these factories contributed but what about the children and teenagers who have been affected according to Matt Hancock?

I must be dim because I can't understand why these factories aren't being closed.

We need a law passed quickly to say they should be closed, then this needs to be enforced by the council/army/police etc. These arrogant people saying they didn't and won't shut should be prosecuted and fined/put in jail. The authorities are way too soft on people. It's not as if they don't know where these places are! Additionally if they are full of illegal immigrants then they need to be deported back to their home countries.

Carol Kane joint CEO.
This interview gives insight into how the two CEO’s operate within the business. Carol appears to be the Creative.

Link www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/13712178.meet-proper-northern-lass-went-working-class-background-joint-boohoo-com-ceo/

These arrogant people saying they didn't and won't shut should be prosecuted and fined/put in jail

That's all very well, but so far those reported as having refused to close are all asian

Can you imagine what's going to be said if the council / police / whoever are perecived to be targeting mainly asian owners?

People should not be allowed to break the law just because they are a different culture, especially if it puts the rest of the population at risk.

My DM taught a child in her class whose parent ran a “ garment factory” out of his garage. He would pay for travel and a 6 month visa for relatives to visit from Asia and they would have to work long days sewing clothes, for the 6 month “holiday”.

Not Leicester, but similar demographic.

So did the city Trades Union Council not know about this?
Did the likes of the GMB not try and organise in these factories?
Shame on them for standing by, if they have not tried to help these workers.

@Originalyellowbelly

People should not be allowed to break the law just because they are a different culture, especially if it puts the rest of the population at risk.

Agreed.

But it's definitely a cultural issue and that means it won't be easy to resolve.

Earlier in the thread someone said that it was immigrant women being exploited that's causing the problem, but the data actually shows its young males with the spike in infections.

FT says Government knew !!!!
www.ft.com/content/e427327e-5892-11e8-b8b2-d6ceb45fa9d0

Dreadful!

Firstly, there is no evidence that this is the cause of the spike in Leicester, although it is likely to be a contributary factor.

Secondly, how do you think shops like Primark can sell clothes so cheap? If not here, then they will be made in an equally miserable place overseas.

Thirdly, it is likely to be fellow Immigrants who are exploiting these workers. That doesn't make it right, but does put it in context.

@KaptainKaveman

"Once we've left the EU we can look forward to much more erosion of workers' rights and exploitation. Oh good."

1. Maybe you missed the news but we left the EU on 31January 2020.
2. According to the article, this has been going on for a long time. So it was going on when we were in the EU. Being in the EU didn't prevent it happening.
3. We are not going to change laws to the detriment of workers now we are no longer in the EU.
4. There will always be criminals such as the people running these companies. The workers need to speak out against them. They can safely whistleblow in confidence. We cannot ensure workers are paid NMW if they don't speak out and tell that they are being paid less.

Why are they not speaking out?

£150 million bonus pot for Boohoo founders....

www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/26/boohoo-bosses-in-line-for-150m-bonus-as-part-of-incentive-plan

So did the city Trades Union Council not know about this?
Did the likes of the GMB not try and organise in these factories?
Shame on them for standing by, if they have not tried to help these workers.

I want to know what the local council knew about this. My suspicion is that they know/knew a hell of a lot more than they will admit to, but turn a blind eye to it.

This is a cover up that’s been going on for years/decades within the community.

Its appaling but it's not "unbelieveable". It's been obvious since it first came out which communities/areas were most affected.

What is shocking is how little people care that this kind of exploitation is still happening, especially in these communities.

It's not just the factories, though they do mostly employ Indian/Bangladeshi/Pakistani women....

Those same women live in multi generational houses, with children who are meeting in large groups in parks.

There has been a lot of call to make Covid awareness literature in other languages, such as Gujarati or Urdu as many of these women don't speak English at all, let alone as a second language.

There are vast areas of slum housing, just as in Bradford and Doncaster which are next on the list for local lockdowns.