Poll Stafford Forum exit poll - General Election 2015

[John Marwood]

The whole UK economy is based on money that has yet to be earnt

If that is tricky to understand don't worry, you are in the majority.

To include almost all of the Right Honorable Members

It maybe sooner than you imagine before 'we' have to migrate for work

Watch and learn

 

[Floss]

There are often crowds of foreigners to be seen on a Saturday - they are bussed in from their caravans in the "countryside", which they are "renting privately".

I thought that at first but they seemed to be walking from the stone road and I'm use to seeing them from the farm up the newport road being bused in. Anyway they seemed very content there was no miserable faces, seeing as fruit picking isn't the easiest way to make a living.

 

[Gramaisc]

I thought that at first but they seemed to be walking from the stone road and I'm use to seeing them from the farm up the newport road being bused in. Anyway they seemed very content there was no miserable faces, seeing as fruit picking isn't the easiest way to make a living.

Buses often park behind Wickes, and they shop in Lidl for "foreign food".

 

[bpelectric]

And most working for less than minimum wage at a guess

 

[Gramaisc]

And most working for less than minimum wage at a guess

We pay people more than the minimum wage to check on that....

 

[bpelectric]

We pay people more than the minimum wage to check on that....

Thats true pity they dont do what there paid to do

 

[Gramaisc]

Thats true pity they dont do what there paid to do

We'll pay them anyway...

 

[bpelectric]

Rusty washer's preferably

 

[Withnail]

And most working for less than minimum wage at a guess

This was covered in that programme where they got some long-term unemployed folk to do the kind of jobs usually taken by migrant workers - some of them went to an asparagus farm iirc.

The pickers are paid for what they pick, but if they don't pick enough for it to be equivalent to minimum wage the farmer has to up the pay packet so it does - as you may imagine, people who do this too often are given the boot. Good pickers, however, can earn more than minimum wage - i can't remember the exact figures but i think some of them were earning more like £10+ an hour on good days.

Needless to say, the Brits proved absolutely hopeless and not one of them met the target - the farmer still had to pay them, though, so ended up out of pocket.

 

[Frontal]

The trick is that the owners of such establishments all too often provide the housing and deduct 'rent' from their wages whilst putting them up in near slum like conditions, perpetuating their reliance upon the 'company'.

It's not dissimilar to what America banned under slavery laws (though they only make a token effort to enforce it), what with the entire towns made for workers, that were paid in the companies own 'money', which could only be spent in company owned shops.

 

[bpelectric]

Like the lyrics of an old track ..............They owe there soul the the company store

 

[Noah]

Like the lyrics of an old track ..............They owe there soul the the company store

16 Tons

 

[Gramaisc]

Like the lyrics of an old track ..............They owe there soul the the company store

Theoretically illegal, if you're not careful how you do it, for some time - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck_Acts .

I remember re-wiring a house that I rented half of in 1980 - we tried a few sources for the cable that we required - it was made by AEI, part of GEC - the most expensive source was the Employees' Shop in the GEC Main Works...

 

[bpelectric]

Thats true Mr G I always brought my materials off Pickups back then worked out a lot cheaper

 

[Gramaisc]

Thats true Mr G I always brought my materials off Pickups back then worked out a lot cheaper

Quite bizarrely, the cheapest place that we found at that time was through the MEB shop next to Radio Rentals - we only asked them for the sake of completeness. They were slightly less than half than the "Extra special employees' direct from the manufacturer" price.

 

[Trumpet]

I know someone who works for Home Retail Group and even with the employee discount card reckons Wickes is cheaper than Homebase for DIY stuff.

 

[PeterD]

This was covered in that programme where they got some long-term unemployed folk to do the kind of jobs usually taken by migrant workers - some of them went to an asparagus farm iirc.

The pickers are paid for what they pick, but if they don't pick enough for it to be equivalent to minimum wage the farmer has to up the pay packet so it does - as you may imagine, people who do this too often are given the boot. Good pickers, however, can earn more than minimum wage - i can't remember the exact figures but i think some of them were earning more like £10+ an hour on good days.

Needless to say, the Brits proved absolutely hopeless and not one of them met the target - the farmer still had to pay them, though, so ended up out of pocket.

In the 90’s I worked for Butlins, as a new starter for them I would have been on £46, (I wasn’t at the end, I had been with them 6 years and was paid a shade under 100). I had zero holiday entitlement, I worked 6 day weeks and my working day ran from 7am until midnight. They put us up in accommodation that was colloquially termed as “sheds” consisting of a single room with a bed, a wardrobe, a sink and a single bar heater. This isn’t a million miles from where migrant workers are now. The only real difference is that a lot of people wanted to do my job, it wasn’t back breaking work and without doubt it was all enjoyable.

 

[John Marwood]

Are you Des O'connor ?

 

[Withnail]

Are you Des O'connor?

Is anyone Des O'connor?

Did anyone vote conservative (with a small 'c')?