These sort of things always tend to happen in recessions. When a major oil company awarded a multi-million pound contract to a foreign firm, this caused anger among the British workers who worked at the oil refinery, arguing that the contract should have gone to help local people.
The dispute sparked a series of walkouts at other refineries and many factories throughout the country. This has renewed a debate over whether such contracts covering Britain should go to local companies in order to protect local jobs.
Of course, we should share some sympathy with those who feel that their jobs are being threatened. But there are two sides to a story…
I didn’t hear people complain when major companies, and successive British governments, sold the whole of the vital chunk of our industry and infrastructure to multi-national corporations and foreign governments. People didn’t complain when they overwhelmingly rejected locally-produced goods and services in favour of foreign ones, which were perceived to be of better quality. They didn’t complain when many British firms went bankrupt, even though some of them were well run. Hardly a murmur was raised when foreign workers started taking jobs in Britain, despite the fact that many local people refuse to do them because “they’re beneath them”.
The opposition to foreign workers in Britain has always been one of xenophobia. You can read it in the newspapers, watch it on the television, or hear it on the radio… and it stinks. Foreigners should be allowed to work in Britain, as the British should be allowed to work abroad, but they shouldn’t be blamed for the perceived shortcomings of the local workforce… that is the responsibility of both the British government, for failing to provide a decent level of education and training, particularly to our young and unemployed, and many of the major multi-national companies for refusing to invest in their workforces properly.
What is needed at a time like this is not more nationalistic protectionism, but a clear political commitment to improving the legal rights of all workers… but don’t expect Gordon Brown to put forward such a strategy any time soon.
i am a pipe fitter , been out of graft for three weeks now,what should i say to the wife? Oh sorry darling but i’m off to poland to look for a job! DONT TALK SHITE !
I’m very sorry that you’re finding it difficult to get work, but it is unrealistic to demand that jobs and contracts should go exclusively to local workers. As I’ve mentioned in my original post, Successive British governments have sold most of its industry and vital infrastructure to multinationals and other foreign governments. Inevitably, The lack of control of over our ‘vitals’ mean that even when the economic situation eventually picks up, there will be even FEWER jobs going to the British in the future. It’s morally right to protest at the current unfairness, but don’t blame the foreign workers, blame Gordon Brown’s economic policies.
I hope you will be able to find a job soon. Good luck.