Illegal workers

[BeckyBoo]

I have just been reading a story in my local paper and apparently illegal immigrants are allegedly working in a factory and made to work 24 hrs for less than the minimum wage.

Now Samsung are investigating the Korean owned company who supply them with computer casings. It is alleged that a London employment agency has been shipping Chinese immigrants to the region with false work permits and fake identities.

How it came to light was because a worked died from a heamorage folling a 24 hr shift. Many of these people are allegedly working 16 hour shifts, 7 days a week and wages, from which the agency deducts money for food and accomodation, amount to as little as £2.48 per hour.

Total disgrace in my opinion and I personally feel that this is correct then this Agency needs to be sorted out. How people can do shifts like that amaze me and moreso how much they are getting paid for it.

So what do you think about this story ? Should we be doing more to stop illegal immigrants even getting here in the first place ? What do you think should happen to this agency if these allegations are correct ?

The story can be found at www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk

[BeckyBoo]

Originally posted by Aspartame
You mean stop illegal immigrants getting to Britain or to this kind of work place?

Well I suppose both really.

If illegal immigrants are working shifts like have been alleged, for hat pay then really yeah make sure they cant get here in th first place to do that and also the company needs to be looked into. How can they get away with using people basically as slaves ?

[Man Of Kent]

Surely they don't need to work if they get £2000 and a house from the state automatically...

;)

Seriously though, it's appalling, talk about abuse.

[Dear Wendy]

Originally posted by BeckyBoo

So what do you think about this story ? Should we be doing more to stop illegal immigrants even getting here in the first place ? What do you think should happen to this agency if these allegations are correct ?


Basically people have a difficulty understanding that people moving to create a new life, are an investment for their new country.
Which person would do such a work, if they weren't incredibly strong-willed and commited?

The only reason I am against current immigration, is because of the fact that our society hasn't done well enough to integrate many of the current immigrants.

Becky, I think you'd enjoy watching "Dirty Pretty Things" (Audrey Tatou, the girl from "Amelie" is in it!), which takes place in London. Shows an illegal immigrant who was formerly a doctor working as a hotel receptionist and an asylum seeker who's not allowed to do anything until she gained a permit.
Basically shows the struggles such people go through. While it is fiction, I've heard of so much worse cases...

[Clandestine]

Harsh film. Ive seen it not long ago.

[katchika]

There are employers out there who take advantage of illegal workers. Here's an example. I have a friend, who is married to a Kosovan. When he first came here, in 1999, he wasn't allowed to work for 6 months, as is the same for anyone claiming asylum.

However, him and some of his friends did some cash in hand work in a factory. The pay was awful. I don't really have that much sympathy because he shouldn't have been working anyway, but you can kind of understand that their benefits are very low and just wanting a bit of extra cash and the opportunity to work, not just hang around the streets.

At the end of one week, the factory owner simply didn't pay them. These guys had nowhere to turn as they shouldn't have been working there at all, and couldn't speak very good English anyway.

So my friend went down there, 'spoke' to the owner, threatened him with telling the authorities, and lo and behold, they got their money.

It is true that a lot of people working in factories, catering etc, are working illegally , supplied by agencies. They use fake papers. The fact is, few English people are willing to work for minimum wage, shift work, long hours, and these people are desperate, so they will do it and work hard.

[Blagsta]

The catering and hospitality industry in London probably couldn't function without illegal labour.

[Dear Wendy]

Originally posted by Blagsta
The catering and hospitality industry in London probably couldn't function without illegal labour.

Legalise them, and not only will the immigrants get better wages, and hours. The state will recieve more taxes.

[Blagsta]

I agree. But then restaraunt owners and hoteliers will either have to take a cut in their profits or put prices up. My bet is that they'd do the latter.

[Dear Wendy]

Originally posted by Blagsta
I agree. But then restaraunt owners and hoteliers will either have to take a cut in their profits or put prices up. My bet is that they'd do the latter.
Surely the people dining at restaurants and sleeping over in hotels have the money to do so. I seriously doubt people would stop travelling or eating out of the house cause of a pay-rise.

[Blagsta]

I totally agree with you. But it ain't gonna happen in the foreseeable future. Our government and economy find it convenient to have illegal workers.

[BeckyBoo]

I would like the company employing these immigrants to be severley penalised for what they have let happen. Id hope that the manager of the firm lost his/her job if after the investigation it is proven that they have allowed illegal immigrants to work for them for that pay and that amount of hours.
Nobody should be allowed to work for that amount of hours regardless of how much they earn, but in this case these people are working for a pittance. Absolutely disgraceful.

[Kermit]

Originally posted by Jacqueline the Ripper
Legalise them, and not only will the immigrants get better wages, and hours. The state will recieve more taxes.

Legalise immigration or legalise those with asylum applications pending working?

The trouble with the right-wing rants about asylum seekers "skiving on benefits" is that they arent allowed to work until they are granted leave to remain in the UK anyway. Damned if they do, damned if they dont...

I disagree with economic migration, though, and thats where the big problems lie. We cant have an open-door policy, its a recipe for disaster, but those who cant claim asylum here will try to get here anyway, for economic reasons. The simplest way would be to jail the ring-leaders for an exceptionally long time, but then theres the trouble of catching them. But anyone caught employing illegal workers should have their businesses confiscated.

[BlackArab]

Prosecute the factory with maximum fines for employment and health&safety regs if possible.

If a company cannot exist without paying the minimum wage, they shouldn't exist, sounds this company were just being greedy so hit them in the profits as a warning to others.

[Dear Wendy]

Originally posted by Kermit
Legalise immigration or legalise those with asylum applications pending working?

Both to some extent.


[QUOTE]I disagree with economic migration, though, and thats where the big problems lie. We cant have an open-door policy, its a recipe for disaster, but those who cant claim asylum here will try to get here anyway, for economic reasons. The simplest way would be to jail the ring-leaders for an exceptionally long time, but then theres the trouble of catching them. But anyone caught employing illegal workers should have their businesses confiscated.

I don't see any wrong with economic immigration, or immigration caused by relationships (unless they're pre-organised without both parts concent).

People willing to live in the back of a van for a week, to arrive without any contacts, and to work their ass off to continue their living are workers which societies such as the western could use. Big style.
The problem occurs when they get disintegrated and a misplaced youths start causing havoc. There are ways around this though, and it's not all immigrants who behave like this.

[morrocan roll]

you can't hit the factory if they are employed by an agency.
an article in the guardian some months back was saying, that if all the illegal immigrants who are working in the food industry were thrown out of the country the food industry in this country would colapse. food industry as in the BIG companies who supply your nbeans ...yes the famous beans ...the pizzas in your supermarket would dissapear altogether. almost anything in a tin would dissapear. our well stocked super markets would start to look desperately bare.
then ...these very BEEEG companies would have to employ the likes of you and me and the cost of your weekly shopping would sky rocket.

[BlackArab]

Sorry what I mean is whoever is employing them, whether in this case the agency or in other cases the factory.

I'm sure the factory could be heavily investigated and prosecuted under health and safety regs as the chap worked for 24 hours, legal breaks etc?

People paying higher prices for their food is not such a bad idea at least they would come to realize pretty quick the benefits they have received through migrants.

[BeckyBoo]

Only in yesterdays paper we saw Samsung holding an investigation, this mornings paper Samsung is to close with a loss of 420 jobs in the North East.
Not good news for the workers is it.

Story can be found at www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk

[BlackArab]

Not good Becks but it doesn't seem that the two stories are linked unless I read it wrong. I do think that companies that receive this sort of funding should have to pay it back in cases like this.

[BeckyBoo]

Originally posted by BlackArab
I do think that companies that receive this sort of funding should have to pay it back in cases like this.

To right they should.

I think they have found people who may be interested in the site so thats good news. The area this is in is basically on the outskirts of the town near a very plush estate called Wynyard. Many famous people have houses there and it has its own golf club and to actually get into the estate you have to go through security.

[Kermit]

Is Samsung in Aycliffe then?

And, purely tangentially, I think Filtronic are great, and hope theyre doing well. And not just because the owner of Filtronic is a huge Bratfud City fan:D

[BeckyBoo]

Originally posted by Kermit
Is Samsung in Aycliffe then?



No its between Billingham and Wynyard, big massive complex it is.
You must have heard of Wynyard ? Wotshis name lives there, Newcastle United player :D

[Kermit]

Originally posted by BeckyBoo
You must have heard of Wynyard ? Wotshis name lives there, Newcastle United player :D

Nah, the only Wynyard Ive heard of is part of downtown Sydney.

Mind, its a case of where one comes from:p

[BeckyBoo]

Originally posted by Kermit
Nah, the only Wynyard Ive heard of is part of downtown Sydney.

Mind, its a case of where one comes from:p

Sydney, wheres that I never heard of it......doh i wouldnt, me being just a Northerner and all that ;)

[Kermit]

Originally posted by BeckyBoo
Sydney, wheres that I never heard of it......doh i wouldnt, me being just a Northerner and all that ;)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[morrocan roll]

Originally posted by Kermit
:lol: :lol: :lol: isn't it the capital of that big country called africa?