British jobs for British workers

13/02/2009 / UK

British jobs for British workers – a racist movement?

The Conservative Party is vandalised for campaigning in favour of immigration caps. Image: Nic Walker on Flickr.

Unemployed British Labourers are now in their third week of staged protests against lower pay for their foreign counterparts. And rightly so - government statistics show that while over 200,000 immigrants were given jobs in the last quarter of 2008, nearly 300,000 UK-born workers lost theirs. However, the action is being marred by an unofficial movement of childish bullying at work and an overly keen interest from the British National Party, as our Polish Observer in the UK tells us.

In the most recent demonstration 400 people gathered at a power station in Nottinghamshire on Wednesday, demanding that British workers are given the same opportunities as foreign labourers and that pay is the same for both groups. The movement is largely caused by a growing discontent amongst British labourers of which increasing numbers have found themselves jobless in the economic crisis. But the rift has led to worries over racism and nationalism in Europe's most eurosceptic country, after the British Nationalist Party threw their support behind the protestors. While Union chiefs say the BNP has nothing to do with it and British workers insist that they're not being racist, some foreign labourers report being subjected to petty bullying at work, even to the point of losing their jobs.

Contributors

Chris Sizer

Daniel Krzys...

"Companies prefer to hire foreign welders"

Over a hundred Facebook groups have been created over the affair. Chris Sizer, a welder from Wales, created one of them - "British jobs for British workers" - and it's already gained over 65,000 members.

I started the group as I was annoyed at the high rate of unemployment while companies still prefer to hire foreign labour to save money. I know a man who applied for a job at a [power] plant, and was declined because he was British even though he was fully qualified. He was asked in the interview if he was [British], and then told that he shouldn't apply. A plant is opening soon that only wants British workers for canteen staff and security, which is only 25%. Plus they've built accommodation for the foreign workers to live in, so the community won't benefit from renting houses. So there's just no benefit at all to the area. The unemployment rate has risen to 6.1%, which means more British people have to go on benefits to be able to live, which is costing the Government more money. Depression from being out of work may also put a strain on our health care system too.

I finished my job recently and I'm finding it very hard to find another one because as a welder you find that companies prefer to hire foreign labour. I also have a baby due soon, so I am desperate. I didn't start the group to be racist, and it isn't aimed at the foreign workers themselves as I can see why they want to work in a country that pays them better. I just want the government to begin to do something about it, such as making it a legal requirement for large British based businesses to use at least 60% British labour."

Chris Sizer

United Kingdom
Welder

"Workers in Cumbria have been receiving ‘go back to Poland’ notes"

Daniel Krzyszczak is a unionist organiser for northern Trade Union Congress in the UK. Originally from Szczecin, north-east Poland, he moved to Sunderland three and a half years ago where he worked as a kitchen porter and a chef before joining TUC.

I know a Polish factory worker who was bullied by his British colleagues and his employer did nothing. They'd glue his shoes to the floor, throw rubbish at him as he walked past, put things in his shoes. Really childish stuff, but eventually it caused him to lose his job. I also have a Polish friend, a cleaner, who was fired because her supervisors forced her to use the wrong chemicals and then blamed it on her. She was also forced to do things that the other didn't have to and was marginalised, never being allowed to go on a break while the others smoked outside and told to clean things that wouldn't normally be. She was the only foreign worker there. Indeed we can't prove that it was because these people are foreign, although sometimes cases are overtly prejudiced. Recently workers at a factory in Cumbria have been receiving notes that say things like ‘go back to Poland', and that's happening in many places.

It's getting much worse with the crisis. It's like at the beginning, in 2004 when everyone started arriving and the Brits got angry. It had got better after a few years, but now so many people are losing their jobs, it's causing problems for us."

Daniel Krzys...

United Kingdom
Unionist

"The BNP are exploiting this for political reasons"

Posted by an anti-fascist activist "UKfightback".

Protesters from Nottinghamshire insist that they're not interested in collaborating with the BNP. They say that when the BNP turned up to last week's Lindsey Oil Refinery protest, the workers called the police, who ordered the gatecrashers to go away.

Français

Comments

BRITS GET OUT OF EU!!!

Submitted by Unregistered user on Thu, 26/02/2009 - 17:08.

Majority of 'brits' don't really understand what will happen,when all EU migrants will leave their country.British social security system will go BUST :) ! We are payng huge taxes,rents,mortgages etc. Do enybody from some other non EU countries care about that? I think no,couse we are payng for them,just like brits do. And not all of us are doing shitty jobs,many construction workers are making more than some nine-to-fivers do.

Unregistered user

Submitted by Michel Josué Lazare NEY (not verified) on Wed, 25/02/2009 - 21:24.

C'est pas du racisme, c'est une question de survie. J'ai travaillé dans une centrale electrique d'où les travaux ont été pris en main par ALSTÖM et ils font faire faire le boulot par de la main d'oeuvre étrangère parce qu'elle leur coute moins chère et les autochtone s'en rendent bien compte. Ils en veulent à Alstöm et pas aux Polonais-Allemands qui prennent leur place. Mis à part quelques grafittis laissés par des abrutis anonymes dans les toilettes il n'y a eu à déplorer aucun incident raciste. Ils ont bien su identifier leur ennemis, ennemis de classe pas de race!

racism in Britain

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 24/02/2009 - 02:22.

If it is so bad for immigrants in England why is it that so many want to live here. Also assylum seekers should request assylum in the first safe country they arrive in and as we are an island why do continental countries not let them stay?.

Also many Polish workers are accepted by the English,

you are a fool. something

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 13/03/2009 - 17:06.

you are a fool. something like 98% of asylum seekers seek refuge in neighbouring countries, as for the other 2% they are dispersed around the world where continental countries DO let them stay, britain does NOT have a huge amount of asylum seekers as people like you foolishly believe.

Demonizing what you don't agree with...

Submitted by Casey in California (not verified) on Thu, 19/02/2009 - 23:13.

It amazes me that being patriotic and loyal to your own country is considered racists by those who can scream the loudest. Both the UK and the US are exceptionally diverse with the full range of races, ethnicities and religions participating in our lives. How can caring about giving jobs to the legitimate citizens of any country be considered racists? It isn't about race - its about country and citizenship!

Economic nationalism

Submitted by matthew (not verified) on Thu, 19/02/2009 - 20:59.

While the opportunistic entry of the BNP nazis is unwelcome allowing employers to discriminate against UK workers which has been going on for a number of years is not helping anything especially when the UK has taken in millions of foreign workers over the last decade mostly unngrudgingly.

Also I find it hilarious that the French who always pay lip service to EU rules when they dont suit them and are bringing in a nationalistic bailout of their car producers (after closure of foreign plants such as Ryton)choose to publish such a biased and inflammatory article

British Jobs

Submitted by Vera (not verified) on Thu, 19/02/2009 - 19:49.

Now you know how American workers feel in regards to all the illegals in our country taking jobs from our citizens. They usually take these jobs for a lower salary and no benefits. As these jobs are under the table type, the federal government collects no taxes while paying out money for these illegal criminals. If it was up to me, it would be against the law to hire anyone who is not a citizen and/or have a green card. Companies found to be hiring illegals would be fined heavily. The economy is in shambles and we need to be hiring and putting to work our own.

Illegal immigration is a

Submitted by Lauren (not verified) on Thu, 26/02/2009 - 07:15.

Illegal immigration is a problem, yes, but I live in Texas which is one of the hotspots for illegal Mexican immigration. Guess what? Most of the "jobs" that illegals are hired to do are jobs that I bet you wouldn't be caught dead doing, namely working in hot warehouses with no air conditioning in the Texas summer heat (think 90 degrees F plus), cleaning toilets, roadwork, cooking in low-end American restaurants, etc. I'm sorry, but illegals aren't "taking jobs from American citizens"...I don't see any illegal immigrants working as receptionists, or corporate executives, or even behind the counter of your local coffeeshop or favourite department store. They do the jobs that your average American citizen more than likely wouldn't do. These people also come over seeking a better life for themselves and their families, as Mexico in particular is an extremely poor nation that ironically is rich in government corruption. Without a dedicated skill set or reason to come to the United States other than to seek a job scrubbing urinals that pays massively better than what they would find in Mexico, they sneak across the border and hope that they can stay long enough to apply for citizenship. You may have been born with a silver spoon in your mouth, but a lot of people in this world aren't fortunate enough to be citizens of a first-world country. Both sides of the coin must be looked at in order to make a fair judgment.

British Jobs for British Workers

Submitted by Medawar (not verified) on Sun, 15/02/2009 - 19:47.

To a large extent, France 24 joins the BBC in misrepresenting the actual grievance.
This is not that foreigners have been employed: there has been no significant complaint about that since the 1970s.

The complaint is that on most of the contentious contracts, British workers were given no opportunity to even apply for jobs. That is, the contract was awarded and labour employed, without any advertisement or notice in the local or even national press.

The dispute was in the news for five days before this fact was even mentioned in passing by the BBC, and it's the crux of the whole matter. For your information, it took even longer than that for the BNP to jump on the bandwagon, so they can hardly claim to be in the forefront of protecting worker's rights!

If this had happened in France, we'd be looking at riots, motorway blockades and fatalities by now, wouldn't we?

BNP

Submitted by John Beatson (not verified) on Sun, 15/02/2009 - 18:01.

why has the BNP been brought in to this argument

they have been campaigning for the British people to be put first in their own land for many years

only a traitor will give contracts to foreigners before their own people

So if it is racist to give British jobs to British workers in our own country, then I’m a racist

British jobs for British workers

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sat, 14/02/2009 - 18:42.

I do agree with that.

But....I'm a foreigner too and lived in Uk for about 10 years
now my question is:

I'm working in an office department where we all deal with clients from the rest of europe and need to use our language skills, no brits are among us apart from managment.

In this case can we all ask that company who employ foreign workers to deal with foreign clients being moved in another friendly european country?

May be Spain?

Thank you.

british jobs

Submitted by Unregistered userjoseph walker (not verified) on Sat, 14/02/2009 - 17:46.

Unfortunately ,the english govt in the eighties under Rt.Hon.Mrs Thacther sold all the english companies off to foriegners ,well europe and the rest,it has reduce the country to become mechano builders ,they lost all thier manufacturing base,it has taking the foriegners to invest in the british industry,poor english ,dont blame foriegn companies ,take a look what interest its own govt has on its subjects.

Of course not, Brits are

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sat, 14/02/2009 - 12:04.

Of course not, Brits are never racist ;)

BRITS ARE RACISTS!

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sun, 22/02/2009 - 16:00.

Millions of English teachers and labours in my country's getting jobs in my country but we never complain about that!!!

We straight away BOICOTT ALL ENGLISH TEACHERS FROM BRITAIN AND ENGLISH WORKERS IN THE WORLD!

Polish workers in UK

Submitted by Wiktor Moszczynski (not verified) on Sun, 15/02/2009 - 21:11.

More than 300,000 Polish workers in the UK are still registered to work under the Worker Registration Scheme, pay taxes and national insurance here, contribute to the British economy and more than 40,000 have set up their own businesses as self-employed and are employing others including British workers. It would be racist to deny them jobs just because they are Polish. Like other EU citizens they have earned the right to live and work here, bring up their family and compete for jobs on a level playing field with other indigenous workers. I agree with the concerns of British unions about sub-contractos hiring cheaper exclusively foreign labour that has no roots here and pays no taxes. I agree that these jobs should be advertised first in local job centres open to all those living and working here legally, whether British citizens or not. But the slogan of the campaign should be not "British jobs for British workers" but "UK jobs for UK taxpayers". That at least is not racist.

Thank you!

Submitted by Lauren (not verified) on Thu, 26/02/2009 - 07:24.

That is a much better way of putting it, not only is "UK jobs for UK taxpayers" a bit more friendly-sounding, it also is fair, just, and everything the law should be. A candidate for a job should get the position if they are the best qualified, period. It should have nothing to do with whether they are a British National or a citizen of another EU country.

I also have to wonder, how does this movement feel about foreigners from other countries not a part of the EU coming over and working? I am engaged to a British citizen, I am American and currently work in the US as a hairdresser, which I would also do in the UK. I would be naturalised in my marriage after the given period of time, and therefore have rights in the country, but I have to wonder if I would be treated differently as a result of my nationality and this movement.