Hmmmm.... not sure we should be promoting the reliance on low cost overseas labour to do stuff. Shortage of labour should up drive productivity improvements and upskilling of those who do work in hospitality and farming. For instance.....are there just too many restaurants? Could be.
you only have to look at the lives of those gangs of farm pickers to think ‘why’, ‘there must be a better way’. Why should we use low cost overseas labour to pick fruit when we have a large body of unemployed already available?
I know it is unattractive work - so industry has to figure out what to do to make it attractive. So more automation and more pay for those who do work it. Traditional economics would say to up the pay offer until people do it. And consumers then see the real cost of production.
An economy relying on cheap guest workers is a false economy?
‘Welcome to Britain!’ ‘Look at all these lovely (shitty) jobs you can do while we allow you stay, in shitty accommodation’! ‘When your short Visa expires, you have to go home, thank you. And can you find someone else to come over and do a session please?’
Yes, I know some overseas workers will ‘gladly?’ work for a pittance, send some money home and hope for a better life afterwards. But really it is a form of slavery, is it not?
