Top Tory called for 'pensioners to work as crop pickers to help tackle immigration'

[LurkingHusband]

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/top-tory-called-pensioners-work-11034660

That is a ridiculous thing to say. I can only imagine he was trying to be funny and not succeeding because surely he couldn't have been serious about that.

Workhouses next ...

We might arrange to exempt British pensioners from the minimum-wage laws, to allow them to do this work.

Perhaps Mr Paterson should become a crop picker for less than the minimum wage himself, as he feels able to recommend it to others.

pmsl

Actually, I should get my 16yo to look for jobs like that. Where are those jobs advertised, or what search words to use? I just tried "crop" & "pickers" on universal jobsearch website & got nothing within 5 miles (we live in very rural area). LOTS of care jobs, though.

Wrong time of year for crop picking Lweji, so that is probably why there is not much work on offer. They will be summer and autumn jobs, often working in the heat, often at heights (fruit picking) or stooped over. Perfect for your 80 year old granny!

How bizarre

Even better! Be a crop picker for less than the minimum wage, when no crops are ready to harvest

You have to wonder what planet some politicians are on!

Although to be honest it is those of us who do a lot of heavy gardening recent studies show who end up with the much better health, least obesity, most flexibility and less risk of diabetes. There is little you can do as good for pensioners as buy them a trowel and get them out in the garden on hands and knees or wielding a saw as I was going today after lugging heavy bags of soil around. (I am over 50 but not over 60 yet but the same principle applies).

He'll be sending them down the brothels next. Or just the women at least. Arsehole.

Perhaps they can 'pick Oakum' or 'break stones' until the crops are ready...

He'll be sending them down the brothels next. Or just the women at least.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/07/dwp-adult-entertainment_n_4549031.html

Actually when I was a student in the 80s/90s I used to pick apples during summer holidays/autumn and I worked with quite a few middle-aged /old people (all retired). They used to go to harvest the strawberries for Tiptree all summer, living in caravans and then go on to the apples in late summer/autumn. They loved it as a way of life. When I worked for a forestry company one Easter, apart from me and a couple of other girls all the other temporary workers (working out in the muddy fields) were men of 70+years.

I used to see adverts for the jobs in the local paper but now it's all done via agencies/gangmasters. I guess local students barely get a look in these days.

(Still think the MP is crazy and unfair about the wage issue by the way, just pointing out that even up to relatively recently older people used to do these jobs.)