"BAZA 148"

**Saints** · Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 5

By Alex Valk,
Chronicle Reporter
alex.valk@northantsnews.co.uk

CHRONICLE & ECHO,
Published: Tuesday, May 1, 2007
www.northamptonchron.co.uk

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Citizen’s Advice Bureau reports Polish workers involved in half of employment cases

Migrant workers are
suffering in system

POLISH workers in Northamptonshire
are being underpaid,
overworked and unfairly dismissed
by hardline bosses,
according to employment
experts.

Northampton Citizens’ Advice
Bureau has reported half of the 1,755
people with employment problems it
advised last year were migrant workers.
Almost all of those were Polish.

Martin Lord, the manager of the
bureau, said: “It’s a scandalous situation.

“What we have typically been seeing
is young Polish workers coming
to us having discovered their
employer has found a reason to not
pay them, withhold sick pay or just
dismiss them without reason or
notice.

“This is all unlawful, but the
worker’s remedy is to go to a tribunal
and, frankly, if you are in
your 20s, in a foreign country and
without a knowledge of the law, it
can be impossible to get justice. And
we think the employers know this.”

Seamus Hevey, an employment
advisor at the advice charity, said
one major employer in the area had
treated many Polish workers
“abysmally”.

He said: “If a worker falls pregnant,
it tends to result in their dismissal.
But they do it in a way that
is very hard to prove at a tribunal.

“I have also seen Portuguese workers
being systematically dismissed
to make way for cheaper Polish
workers. Each new migrant group
will be paid a lower wage and some
are barely getting the minimum
wage when you add up unpaid overtime
and accommodation fees.”

Polish-born Marta, who works
part-time at the bureau as receptionist
and interpreter, said: “The
biggest problem is money. People
don’t get enough payment.

“It’s a big problem, really. I meet
many, many people and they are
not happy.”

She added: “The worst affected
are the ones who don’t know English
and they are totally helpless because
they don’t know their rights.

“There are also problems with
landlords, who won’t give back
deposits, and with people being
sacked unfairly. I really don’t know
the solution.”

----------------------------------------------------------------
Skilled in
lowly jobs

MORE than 600,000workers have come to
the UK since the country opened its labour
markets to new Eastern European member
states in 2004.

Rachel Tillai, a research fellow for the
Institute of Public Policy Research, said
many of the workers were highly skilled.

She said: “The people coming are predominantly
young, single and probably
upwardly mobile. People are coming because
there are more opportunities than their
country is offering. Earnings are five or six
times higher.”

The minimum monthly salary in Poland is
£120 and the average monthly salary is
£415, according to the British Polish Chamber
of Commerce.

Dr Tillai said:“Alot of them are highly-educated
but are willing to take up low skilled
work because their earnings are comparatively
a lot better here.

“Lots of them also come over for a shortterm
period because they plan to go back and
are just earningmoneybecause it’sagap year
or they are saving up to start upabusiness.

“The difficulty is a lot are willing to put up
with some of the conditions, which poses a
bit ofaproblem in terms of clamping down
on people who are exploiting them.”

There are 18,000 migrant workers in
Northamptonshire, according to national
insurance registrations, with the vast majority
working at distribution centres as lorry
drivers or warehouse staff.

Adrian Mateo, the head of commercial
services at Northamptonshire Chamber of
Commerce, added: “There’s quite a few
skills shortages and firms do struggle to
find staff. From that point of view, migrant
workers haveavery positive impact on the
economy.”

Guest · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject:

"one major employer" - interesno kto eto...

Guest · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:00 am Post subject:

I went to Northampton's Citizens Advice Bureau with one employment issue, and they were asking what employer is it? At first I didn't want to tell them... But the advisor curiously asked "Wincanton", "Morrisons"....?

I said "Wincanton..."

He said "It doesn't surprise me. Wincanton is the worst employer in this country!"

I said "Country you say? I thougt it's the worst employer in town..."

Surprised

Guest · Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:43 pm Post subject:

yea tha company is getting very popular! ha ha ha