Britain's Hardest Workers - Inside the Low Economy Wage BBC 2

That's why we import so much labour - to force down wages and provide an abundance of cheap labour.

Yet the intellectual lefties still deny the plan. Also the union leaders who quite frankly would be strung up by their thumbs if their members weren't so dumb.

Oversupply of labour which is what freedom of movement is all about = cheap labour. What else is there to know?

Yet that basic principle seems to elude the working classes.

I think we need to teach a work ethic in this country, so all children from an early age

will know they have a duty to society to work.

All we teach is competition and everything is about money.

Some of us would be protectionists over capital as well as labour. Remember that was the core of the anti-EU policies of the Labour Party in the early 80s.

Strange timing for the programme. I thought all GB medal winners at the Olympics were Britain's hardest workers. Make your minds up bbc.

Same twunt, holier than thou, responses as ever on here.

It couldn't be that the situation is awful for millions of low paid workers could it?
It couldn't be that the fault might lie with successive governments, globalisation and the desire by those with money to make and keep it all for themselves could it?
It couldn't be that the cost of living is about the highest in the world and ridiculous rents and bills mean people can't manage could it?
It couldn't be that there is little or no union voice for the majority of workers could it?
It couldn't be that zero hours contracts are intrinsically unfair and basically wrong, could it

Sure the BBC is doing the PC thing - Asian woman presenter and the complete cross section of 'contestants' for a type of misplaced 'reality challenge' - but this doesn't make them lefties (again, whatever that means).

The simple fact is that if poor people were presented with reasonable amounts of money then it would circulate and travel through the system, including in all the various forms of tax we all pay. Instead governments give it (by way of quantitative easing) to banks who either keep it or give it to those who already have loads.

We are now SO close to the Victorian systems championed by government of 30 years ago, it's terrifying.

Those who earn too much for doing mostly thuck all think wages are an evil and wouldn't dream of doing a fraction of what the poor sods on this programme (and millions like them) are forced into doing, especially for the amount they earn.

Still, as long as the share holders (not mostly pension funds and almost entirely already relatively people) are happy, eh?

As for tax credits.... very little for those with no kids.

Tonight they were picking veg and also processing food (ready made meals)if anyone still eats these  meals insteading of cooking them the old fashion way this prog should have changed their mind.

The point to take from this, is that the workers aren't being represented.

If fact the people who claim to represent them are selling them down the river.

These are the Labour party and their self serving MPS. Along with the rich union officials who themselves are  doing very nicely thank you.

Poorly paid workers are poorly paid for a very good reason. I won't spell it out.

Flooding the job markets at that level with immigrants is the problem.

That, mobo, is unfortunately the view of the media, the government and the banks, because they all think everyone is like they are and mostly do M-F 9-5.30 in an office.

I think Dstyle got that right, akabula. Spiv employers (and this includes big employers) are actively seeking out the cheapest labour and taking advantage of it.

The Polish government, and others have failed in their duty to plan and invest in jobs for their own population. No they send them to Britain, they must think the British people are mugs.

If the Amazons of this world (as mentioned by manager of latest job) paid all their tax and had to charge full price for their goods, then the level playing field might help fairer employment conditions.

This programme seems to be mainly showing how it is and not judging, my biggest issue with it is the BBC turning it into a sort of Masterchef competition.

Did the documentary mention that minimum wage in the UK converts into national average back home in Poland?

No surprise that the Polish are more keen to slave away at minimum wage. That £7 or so an hour in the UK, converts into plenty of Zloty.
You can pack boxes in the UK and you are earning as much as a teacher back in Poland.

That is true Zenmaster, Poland are poorer than us, that is why their workers come here.

Nobody got rich under communism.

Only if we are in the 1 per cent Mobo, I am not

And living the life of riley, or being exploited, ZenMaster?


Many have a smash and grab short term mentality.
Work here for 3/4 years, in shared accommodation, save up and head off back home with enough money for a deposit on a flat.

UK workers don't have this option.

The Poles work all right, but if they work, our guys don't. I know how hard our construction workers have been hit.

Exactly Sonko, explaining how the system works and who benefits is not 'blaming' anyone.

I would do the same if i was Polish and in the same boat.

£7 an hour here, equates to £12 an hour in Poznan.

Mostly greedy big business practice though, I think.
The accountants and junior managers trying to make a name for themselves and to save the company some money and the attitude that wages are a necessary evil and not used as a resource or respected.

We cannot STOP immigration while we are in the EU.

If we come out the EU we lose access to the single European market.

We are between a rock and hard place here.

I don't know for sure our government will even honour the referendum.