Work restrictions on new countries joining the EU...

[MrsBeDreadingTrickOrTreat]

Just read the bbc article on this and tbh can't see the outrage.

I'm all for free movement and the right to work, I'm a foreigner myself, but seeing the impact that the open access to the latest members has had with way more migrants than anticipated coming over I'm scared of the prospect of another 'flood'. So restricting them to certain sectors to start off with isn't such a bad idea.

I appreciate Mrs Kuneva statement "It's a little a bit strange why this policy isn't kept [for Bulgaria]", however, I wonder whether she has put a thought towards how it affects the local economy?

I for one am going to be out of a job in the small construction company I work for as he has to close down because he can't compete anymore. And also looking for new work I have noticed a drastic drop in rates, probably partially due to people from the new member states being willing to work for much less. Don't get me wrong it's great that they want to work and get work, but on the other hand it's making it really hard for people like me who do require a certain amount of income due to financial commitments like childcare etc.

Feel free to cruzify me for my opinion

But I worked for nothing precisely because I was not allowed to work legally. The government is going to force these people into doing exactly this.

If I was allowed to work legally I would have applied for the normal, well paid jobs - I already had a degree, I was actually offered a position with a large corporate on their graduate program... until I told them that I did not have a work permit.
I would have been paid a normal wage then.

I got what you mean/did justaphase, however even when 'they' are allowed to work legally a lot of them will be happy to work for minimum wage, whatever that is now just over 5 isn't it? That's where the competition starts, or rather finishes as I would be better off staying at home than work for minimum wage. Fair enough admitting to not seeing far beyond the tip of my own nose because I@m getting frustrated

it is scandalous how little some people get paid, whether they are legally entitled to be here or not. The Poles still get paid atrociously. Being legally entitled to be here does not stop racism, snobbery, small mindedness and the presence of underclasses, unfortunately.

'I understand that there is a 7 year limit on any restrictions. So perhaps the government can take this time to ensure that the infrastructure is there to support these additional workers rather than expecting the existing services which are already overburdened to take on yet more responsibility. '

Now that's a very big 'perhaps'.

It's funny - look at Hungary and the Czech Republic - really well run countries [bar the recent stuff going on in Hungarian politics] and people from those countries aren't desperate to come over here, on the contrary, they prefer to stay where they are, on the whole, I wouldn't mind living in either country myself, or even Poland. But my experience of Romania shocked me to the core. My experience of people there was both postive and negative in equal measures. i don't know if that is relative to the present situation or not, but I can't help wondering.

What was so shocking, Ruty? I went this summer and i was very disappointed, i thought it had really gone downhill since last summer. Standard of living OK but public & customer services atrocious.

There are plenty of Czechs and Slovaks around here. Few Hungarians.

I'm old enough to remeber when we Brits used to go to Germany & Holland as cheap hard working labour in the 70s and early 80s.
I would point out that these two countries hardly collapsed under our weight.

I'm with ruty on low wages, this occurs even though many jobs are left unfilled through lack of appropriate applicants.
The damage done by the minimum wage to these people is hard to calculate exactly, but the real problem is that too few Brits have the skills necessary to command good wages.
The government is more than half the problem, since not only does it do brain dead shit like a minimum wage, but also is one of the biggest culprits in using it's muscle in some areas to hold down pay. Also there is pretty much a negative correlation between the time spent at school on stuff, and it's value in getting a job.

Cristina i've worked in Hungary and stayed with my dh in Czech Republic where he was working for a while. I've worked in Poland too. Romania was completely different. People were often resentful and desperate, in Bucharest. The level of poverty country wide was shocking. People living in slums. Children begging barefoot on the streets. Old people left out on the pavements to beg too. Packs of stray dogs roaming the city. Kids sniffing glue outside the railway station. I didn't see all that anywhere else.

I've met slovaks here, but not many czechs - if there are some they are usually in properly paid jobs, IMO.

I recognise your description, Ruty. I hadn't been for many years till last summer and I saw enormous changes (except for the stray dogs).I only went to Bucharest and the seaside, though. Perhaps it's still as bad as you describe it in other places.

i was there 3 years ago. can't imagine much has improved but maybe wrong.