A factory has come under fire here in the UK for refusing to hire anyone who doesn't speak fluent polish - in other words, they only hire Polish people. Their justification for this? All their health and safety instructions are in polish. As you can imagine, the red papers (sun, star, news of the world etc) and pulling out their proverbial ring piece.
A little history for the not-british: since the UK government adopted and open-door policy to our borders a few years back, we've been inundated with migrant works from eastern europe, the most prodominent of which being Poland. Now, I don't have a problem with this - these people can't get jobs and want to come and work legally here. Great.
Problem? They're stealing jobs from british workers. LITERALLY. A friend of mine was a waitress in a pub, until two polish girls came in and told the landlord they could hire BOTH of them for what they were paying her - so naturally she got the boot. While this is the only case I've personally seen, I've heard tales of polish builders undercutting british ones left, right and centre. Does their work reflect the difference in price? Opinions vary, I think it depends on the builder.
Unions and workers across the country have been up in arms for years about out-sourcing and closing down factories. A particularly low blow came just last year when staff at an oil refinery went on strike about pay, and they jobs being handed over to the french. Duringthe strike, the French workers took up the factory, and the company payed them the rate that the british workers were asking for. The income of the entire area depended on the jobs at that refinery. Why bring in a whole new set of forign workers that you need to train and teaching English to (so they can read the health and safety instructions, of course), when you have a trained british staff who want a little more money?
But back on topic, this factory, which supplies ASDA, one of the biggest supermarket chains in the UK, is now refusing to hire non-polish speakers. ASDA, the papers, and even the government is getting involved. During this current econimic climate, I can well understand the fury coming from the british un-employed who are desperately seeking work. Its like being refused a job in America becuase you don't speak fluent Swahili. I'm sure thereare some people who can, but its not the dominent language. Conversly, its like being in Poland and told you can't have a job becuase you don't speak english.
I would like to know what fellow escapists think on this matter. Surely a job should be done in the language of the country its based in, or at least not to the exclusion of its natives? Have the papers made a mountain out of a mole hill, or has this factory stepped over the line?
