Migrant workers 'help UK economy'

[almaty 19]

A report last year claimed there were 1.5m foreign workers in the UK

Migrant workers have boosted the UK economy, with their influx not having a negative effect on employment or wage levels, the TUC has argued.

Foreign workers made a positive net economic contribution, it said, with their share of tax paid exceeding the cost of supplying public services.

But the TUC warned that workers were vulnerable to "unscrupulous" employers not adhering to employment rights.

Ensuring firms paid the minimum wage had to be a priority, it added.

'Substantial contribution'

The UK has seen an influx of migrant workers from eastern Europe since 2004 when a host of new countries joined the European Union.

This has fuelled concerns that workers willing to take low-paid jobs in sectors such as construction, farming and domestic service would depress wages and force other low-skilled workers out of jobs.

We do not do enough to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation

Brendan Barber, TUC

Publishing a new report, the TUC said these fears had not been vindicated, partly due to the strength of the economy in recent years.

"Migrant workers are making a substantial contribution to Britain's economy," said Brendan Barber, the TUC's general secretary.

"They haven't caused mass unemployment or held down wages as some would have us believe."

'Exploitation'

But the TUC said that workers with little or no English and no knowledge of their employment rights needed greater protection from exploitation.

"We do not do enough to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation," Mr Barber added.

"If migrant workers are treated fairly and paid a decent wage they can only add to the economy."

Recent statistics suggest migrant numbers from eastern Europe are well down so far this year, due in part to increased job opportunities and wages at home.

This has led to concerns about the impact on industries such as fruit farming which are dependant on seasonal foreign labour.

Farmers have complained about the effect of caps on foreign workers introduced to encourage employers to recruit more locally.

[Heracles 417]

These are legitimate workers though. Illegal immigrants on the other hand would be arrested there.

A number of my friends who work in London tell me how hard it is to open up stuff like a bank account or get a tax file number as a new legitimate immigrant. Now consider the US where illegal immigrants are being offered bank accounts, credit cards and even mortgages.

[Dan J 277]

These are legitimate workers though. Illegal immigrants on the other hand would be arrested there.

A number of my friends who work in London tell me how hard it is to open up stuff like a bank account or get a tax file number as a new legitimate immigrant. Now consider the US where illegal immigrants are being offered bank accounts, credit cards and even mortgages.

So far no body wants to make the illegal immigrants legal or even provide a way for them to legally immigrate.

Its currently not illegal for banks and credit card companies to provide finacial services to illeagal immigrants, provided that they are not on the terrorism watch list.

[Heracles 417]

Its currently not illegal for banks and credit card companies to provide finacial services to illeagal immigrants, provided that they are not on the terrorism watch list.

I understand that since businesses are there to make money. It is up to the government to enact the appropriate laws to stop companies employing or profiteering from people who are in this country illegally.

[JoeMama 0]

Its currently not illegal for banks and credit card companies to provide finacial services to illeagal immigrants, provided that they are not on the terrorism watch list.

I understand that since businesses are there to make money. It is up to the government to enact the appropriate laws to stop companies employing or profiteering from people who are in this country illegally.

Absolutely!

[Widge 0]

The sad truth is that many of the new immigrants to the UK via the expanding EU like illegals here will do the jobs that locals will no longer do; My hometown in the UK has become a mecca for EU immigrants due to its many food processing plants (a by product of a previously good agricultural economy) during my last year in the UK I worked in a food processing factory (yes I made your Tesco microwave meals!) the factory could not get local Brits to do the work of the shift i worked they needed 43 people they had 12 Brits and the rest were agency workers all Poles, Portuguese and Latvians who moved to the UK for work and were prepared to work as hard as any employer wanted. It was a sad truth that the company woud have preferred locals (due to language issues etc) but even though they paid good money the locals weren't prepared to work hard for it. To me it seems both the UK and US are producing a nation of kids who think the world owes them a living and many are not prepared to work hard for a wage - IMHO this thereby negates their right to complain when an immigrant legal or otherwise will.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

To me it seems both the UK and US are producing a nation of kids who think the world owes them a living and many are not prepared to work hard for a wage - IMHO this thereby negates their right to complain when an immigrant legal or otherwise will.

If the people had followed that train of thought over the last century and a half, we'd still be in Manchester. I'm all for putting in a hard days work for the paycheck but I am also all for not losing sight of the growing imbalance of productivity and profit growth on one hand and wage growth on the other.