Romanian Fruit Pickers

Apr 15, 2020 -- 10:00PM, edy wrote:

A lot of Roma hide that they are Roma because they'd be heavily discriminated against otherwise. We will all have met perfectly awesome ones.

NEVER met a decent gypsy in my life

...because they hid it from you so you buy their peas.

I can smell and spot a gypsy from 50 paces

d1ck eye chavvy

Our Vineyards here in Sussex have already struggled with pruning and are expecting to struggle with picking - hoping students will come to the rescue again.

Interesting thread - my word, that jucel69 sounds a bundle of laughs. Is he real?

Lives in Thailand apparently,grandad at 38 retired but took a paycut last year,all adds up..

Apr 15, 2020 -- 11:24PM, thegiggilo wrote:

Lives in Thailand apparently,grandad at 38 retired but took a paycut last year,all adds up..

Grandad? wtf are talking about
How can be retired when I bet all year on BF
Retired from the rat race but still like to make a bit of cash on the side.
Paycut?? Foreign exchange rates on the pound/baht
Hardly a paycut

You do realize i blocked you months ago,but always gives me a laugh knowing you're there seething away,yet you still follow the bait..

Big difference between Romanians and Romania gypsies a bit like saying all Irish are of the travelling community

Apr 16, 2020 -- 12:58AM, thegiggilo wrote:

You do realize i blocked you months ago,but always gives me a laugh knowing you're there seething away,yet you still follow the bait..

And the old mam Macarony blocked,keep punching lads..

Where are all these dynamic youngsters in this country that we keep hearing about desperate to work? get them out picking the fruit!!

Skilled work apparently, so said a farmer when questioned about it on Sky News.
The reporter was rather woeful, neglecting to ask him just how much he paid these skilled workers for their labour.

I was expecting most on the forums to be there today doing their bit for the cause..getting it done!

The British Jobs for British Workers Mob on here have had their illusions shattered but they are too dense to know it!

The DWP want to start cracking the whip,plenty of disabled out there and terminally ill to declare as fit to work..as they have done previously..

Fuc king stupid bringing in riff-raff  from Eastern Europe ;we've got enough of our own.
My solution is to recreate the chain gangs of yesteryear and use prisoners to bring in the harvest . You know it makes sense.

I suggest we take away the generous welfare assistance (not children and single mum) but abled body (not disabled) men of working age then fruit pickers aplenty. The locals are damn lazy even under the management of the untrained Eastern European middle managers in fast food joint do not ignite their self-respect, and respect for the country.

Maybe these work-shy British subject could move to the EU and elsewhere for their daily food and board.

I'm a big believer in taking responsibility for one's actions.


Brexiteers, get to your Great British fields and get us some patriotic veg.

The DWP want to start cracking the whip,plenty of disabled out there and terminally ill to declare as fit to work..as they have done previously..

PMSL You are not wrong Gig  ...

I agree with IMP , A quick scan of the residents of West Yorkshire would provide plenty of that category ...

But as Gig says there will others a Long way ahead of them on the List , Whats all the UBER MOB
doing are TAXIS still running ?

What about all these People on the top  furlough Payments , What is it 2500 a Month , Shift them straight out into the Fields ...

its pretty simples hard graft,shoite working conditions, shoite elf and safety,shopite or no welfare facilities bu the eastern Europeans are prepared to put up with all that for 3 times what they get at home, if farmers were to say psay me roughly 3 times hourly rate say £40/45 an hour your average uk worker would also put up with all the same soite but they wont so uk worker wont,and of course if their all eu migrants the gangmasters can bully them all ,without having to check if their uk workers

We're about to get a harsh lesson and see UK productivity fall off a cliff. In years to come we'll realise that those willing to leave the comfort of families and friends, travel hundreds of miles to work, learn a new language, earn crap money, and then start to make a life for themselves and get better jobs or open their own businesses really are the very best of us.

casemoney 16 Apr 20 14:41 
The DWP want to start cracking the whip,plenty of disabled out there and terminally ill to declare as fit to work..as they have done previously..

PMSL Laugh You are not wrong Gig

They've already killed 130,000 on latest figures.

when did IDS get renamed THEY

Exactly wac that man is,pure evil.

Apr 16, 2020 -- 4:04PM, PorcupineorPineapple wrote:

We're about to get a harsh lesson and see UK productivity fall off a cliff. In years to come we'll realise that those willing to leave the comfort of families and friends, travel hundreds of miles to work, learn a new language, earn crap money, and then start to make a life for themselves and get better jobs or open their own businesses really are the very best of us.

That is very true, to make that journey with all it entails shows their vigour & their initiative......those who condemn are often welfare junkies sprawled on their sofa with a fork in a pot noodle whether Blighty is on lockdown or not.

Look at the entrepreneurs from Eastern Europe with their car wash outfits - they've only been here a few years - there are more of them than machine ones. Why have the "locals" not cottoned on? Even the Asians do not get a look-in there, instead confined to mini-cabbing and mini-supermarkets and dodgy black economy. The "locals" used to be kings in cafes, mini-cabbing, fish 'n' chips, etc, but no more - where are they?

The foreigners are making things work for themselves whereas the "locals" constantly bemoaning about foreigners and "cheap" labour. I think the "locals" need to stop thinking they are better ad superior than the foreigners just because the are born in the country; they do not even learn a new lingo and seek opportunities elsewhere eg in EU countries like Germany, France, Italy or Spain.

Soon the "locals" will be the 3rd force in nearly every vocation in the next few years or middle term when the 2nd or 3rd generation of new comers are better educated and/or trained.

you can 2 at a car wash or 22 if none are getting paid and been forced to be there makes no difference,modern day slavery

The "Roma" are a just small minority even in Romania, perhaps the name of the country must confuse some people, they are not the people of Romania.

A few years ago I was speaking to a Romanian student working a summer job to earn money to study back home and broaden her world. Very intelligent. Good luck to people like that.

Did you broaden her erm horizon

Impossible as a proven racist on here with your posts its a shame you dont even understand why your country is being infiltrated and prospered by these "non-locals".

Please tell T CADDY

I'd have loved to pecker, gorjayus. I'd love to have seen her sunset strip.

Brexiteers would rather do a self attention seeking instagram video for likes....than pick the strawberries for my tea.


THEY VOTED FOR THIS MESS...THEY SHOULD HARVEST WHAT THEY SOW on minimum wage

Which will be a darn sight more than the Romanians will be getting.

Free flights to UK .. then most will fcuk off elsewhere

Apr 16, 2020 -- 9:08PM, TheBetterBettor wrote:

Brexiteers would rather do a self attention seeking instagram video for likes....than pick the strawberries for my tea.THEY VOTED FOR THIS MESS...THEY SHOULD HARVEST WHAT THEY SOW on minimum wage

It's nothing to do with Brexit, this happens all around the world
As a country develops certain jobs become beneath the indigenous population and a void is created
This is then filled by immigrants, it's not specific to the UK

Where I live you never ever ever see a Thai doing low paid manual work
All the really shìt work is done by Burmese, Cambodians and Loatians.
And this is in a country where there is no welfare whatsoever. It's about losing face here.
They would prefer to sit around drinking rice whisky and eating bits of bamboo than put a shift in

In between picking fruits EU handouts will feed and cloth them.

it's true, everyone does someone else's shitt..............

It's the free market

"This is the last thing we wanted to happen", said Nigel Farage, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Arron Banks, Tommy Robinson, Katie Hopkins, Brendan O'Neil, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Mark Francois, LeaveEU, Darren Grimes, Lawrence Fox, Priti Patel, Britain First, Richard Tice, the EDL & Morrissey.

LOL

The problem with this kind of work is obvious it's seasonal people on benefits are reluctant to take the work because it would require coming off benefits and than having to make a fresh claim a few months later this always leads to problems and debt falling behind with council tax and rent arrears, the system is designed to be long and awkward.
If we want people on benefits to take seasonal work then system needs to change  maybe allow them to pause their benefits then unpause them when the work stops instead of making a fresh claim

^^^ .... as well as the bureaucracy and the jumping thru endless hurdles just to get a new claim to payout

Funny how these fruit pickers now have "critically important" before them ie news reports now refer them to critically important,nice one,i wonder did they get the VIP lounge on the way out.

Seems Ireland are bringing some over from Bulgaria, calls to boycott the firm in question over there,that would be correct as the issue is 100 of 1000's losing their jobs, i think some of them would have fitted into a new role of fruit picker though their production would have been lower,the supermarkets will jack up prices due to supply and demand,the question is would the farmer and workers share that.

how much do these pickers actually get paid ?

As much fruit as they can eat

that wouldnt be a shock

I don't know, it probably depends on agencies etc,very likely some unlawful at the worst of it, most i think are okay,that is conjecture on my part.
I see them picking fennel and that smelly stuff coriander? in the fields near me,they haven't a bob, without a shadow of a doubt just existing.
Lot of agencies around concordia etc, quite a comprehensive guide here though,
"Britishsummerfruitjobs".

https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/brexit-and-the-workforce/why-are-so-few-brits-prepared-to-pick-fruit/554452.article

A good in depth article here on the subject from The Grocer site.

Good piece PP, it for one highlights the problems with DWP and universal credit as was pointed out earlier.

It is such a pity if these aren't harvested though,i don't think you can rely on imports this year anyway.

framers want people to work there bollox off
There getting the right people in imo
Cos 90% British ain’t that !!!

I was leave voter but I can assure you wasn’t for getting British workers jobs back cos there lazy ****

Got some good news yesterday things might be looking up work rise
Could be back up running in two weeks

IRELAND bringing in migrant EU labour to pick spuds, ,as we embark on  brexit I think we can all agree the bottom has been reached,

"Good piece PP, it for one highlights the problems with DWP and universal credit as was pointed out earlier."

I see "Tories bad and work from there" continues unabaited.

The article says Welfare to Work (brought in by Labour) was a disaster. It was known to be a disaster and was replaced. Universal Credit was designed to stop the very problems indicated and allow people to do work without being penalised. The article says

1. "The Universal Credit [EDIT: Tory Policy] should also help, he adds, allowing workers to sign off, take work and then go back onto benefits again."
2. "The DWP Welfare to Work scheme [Edit: Labour policy] was an unmitigated disaster,” says Hardman. “We had about 100 people, and after 12 weeks we had one left. The majority of them walked off the job within two days.”

Facts when brought up against prejudice are inverted, as usual.

Not quite right there, i wasn't making any point against the tory party above,my point was towards anyone getting benefits and rent paid why break your back for relatively little and jump through hoops to get your benefits back after the seasonal work?
I don't care who brought what in.

As you are a dedicated tory fan and taking umbrage at any critiicism.


1/ Why have tory nudge control upgraded their description from Romanian fruit pickers yesterday to "critically important" Romanian fruit pickers today?

2/ Pritti Patels immigration policies required someone to enter the country on a minimum 25k wage,are you morally happy to bring in foreign labour to do the work you won't,even if contravenes that?

They have a specific seasonal workers scheme.

You morally happy with that?

Totally. It was that or farms can't get the workers.

Bottom line is they are flying in people who will be living 5/6 to a caravan,social distancing out the window in the middle of a pandemic, but aren't "rules" meant to be broken?

Until the government change their attitude to people on benefits and make claiming or pausing their claim easier then it will help nobody not the claiment or the tax payer. Its the fear of being left with no money for weeks if not months that stops people taking on work like this.
The other point is these gang masters time to get shot imo

"gang master"? Ffs.

These fruit pickers are pretty much slave-labour but what are the alternatives ; encouraging locals to do it which they won't because it's too hard work and using the prison population (my preferred option). Let's be honest these Romanians are going to live like animals.

during the transition period we are still in the single market and customs union and as such free movement of labour continues. what scheme is brought in when we 'really' leave is the thing. they cant be upholding social distancing at work or in their accommodation, i hope they dont bring the virus with them or get it whilst here.

after doing very well singapore looks to be having a second wave, 728 new cases yesterday 90% of which are from foreign workers living in dormitories. i wouldnt want to be one of these romanian workers

If one of them has it , the lot will get it . Living in caravans or dormitories . pathetic

I assume everyone is directing their ire at Johnson and Patel here.

they interviewed some and asked why they would come to Britain in these circumstances
basically they had to as back home the country is on its knees and they have nothing
still as long we get our lettuces

Apr 17, 2020 -- 9:20AM, GAZO wrote:

how much do these pickers actually get paid ?

10 quid per hour.
They can make as much in 3 months as they would in a year

I thought there were already plenty of Romanians in the UK, picking other things, on a daily basis?

It seems as if it is individual companies/farms are flying in the workers, Irelands Taoiseach and chief medical officer are very concerned with Keelings fruit company bringing in these workers, reviewing the situation atm.
Which way will it go?

Get those career dole bludgers in the field doing some hard yakka.
I'd love to see it!

these potless food firms laying out 40 grand for private flights

Yep,a twist to the story.

I think the Irish goverment will say no.

Ireland importing potato pickers !
Pre Ireland having had billions pumped in by the EU (read Germany and UK) this would have been unbelievable.

Farmers reckon they will treat the workers as 'families' meaning they will isolate a 'picker' taking them meals until they'd completed their isolation period.

Will they also pay them the wages they would otherwise lose?

No mention of isolating all those workers who would have come into contact with said patient.

Why aren't people being forced to work?
Plenty of lazy feckers in the UK
Scandalous that the work shy are allowed to stay at home while they ship in a load of Romanians

No mention of importing potato picking on goverment notes,afaik a tractor and a machine can do loads of acres on its own.

Those poor farmers again..

If the government instruct dole bludgers to pick fruits and should any contract Covid-19 and the worst happens government could be taken to the cleaners whereas importing workers would exonerate them from any litigation in the future perhaps. Anyway, splitting hairs is easier than getting these dole bludgers to pick fruits.

I was going to give it a go myself Impossible, but if they flying over and are sticking 5/6 foreign lads in caravans,i'd only be asking to get struck down with the covid.

the skilled pickers being brought in can earn up to 10.00 an hour  ...this is worth 15.00GBP in real terms to them once the money returns home .

  they can also work a 50 hour week  ... so a good payout  ...750 a week to pick fruit not to be coughed at .

I too went looking & was prepared to do it but not in my area, seems to be Cambridgeshire/Norfolk/Suffolk

bonuses are available on top   ...

They come over ere, grabbing our melons

English pickers can't work as fast save for a few women ....   and the welfare system puts paid to a lot working ...


employers not keen to take on english workers who don't put in a shift as it costs them long term

@ Cardinal Scott

British summer fruit jobs

That has an interactive map

I am all for it in theory but i won't take a chance

I will email a fairly near farm next week and ask can i help, my safety will be foremost

Are they really flown in with no cost to them? If so and tax free a risk worth taking for the Romanians. If I was much younger I'd give it a go to kill boredom, but the risk of contracting Covid-19 is too much a responsibility for a few fruits for the consumption of other lazy (obese) barstewards.

What about those on furlough, and living close by? The farmer can pay the extra 20% - everyone wins.

More chance of Romanian and Bulgarian fruit pickers picking it up from us than vice versa. Don't really see much of a problem with it at this stage in this particular case.

Good luck 'lapsy pa'. I find it rather difficult trying to wash my hair under the bath tap when I'm in a rush. I heard harvesting asparagus is tough.

None in North East

Kent looks promising, well it is called the garden of England.

CS put on a romanian accent and see if they will put you up somewhere for 3 months + travel etc

One thing for sure farmers are the greediest feckers and relentless moaners, even though they've been on a gravy train for years

Thanks Impossible,a lady across the road works in a care home,another one on her own very vulnerable,2 doors down has about 5 kids,i gave them their housecat back and the gang were so happy.
It just maybe in 3 4 5 months you can be a help to people.

the Romanians were contracted to do the work ...  so the farmers will honour that   ....why should they  employ unskilled English pickers all of a sudden ?

Apr 17, 2020 -- 9:59PM, jucel69 wrote:

CS put on a romanian accent and see if they will put you up somewhere for 3 months + travel etc

No I have to sleep in my own bed!

I only have a fraction of the Jarrow Marchers DNA in me not the full monty

That is all there is Coachbuster