Popcorn time!.......

Migrant Labour in the western world picks fruit pretty much worldwide from Mexicans in the US to Backpackers in Australia there are none so blind than those that want to randomly attack people they know nothing about and have never met.

Let's give you a scenario I live in central London. I get offered a job in deepest darkest Scotland picking Raspberries for 7 weeks. Should I give up my flat (making myself intentionally homeless) go up North. What do I do with my possessions? How do I afford to relocate? Where do I obtain the money for a new flat in Scotland?or even to live in a B and B until I am paid. When I am paid I probably won't earn enough to cover my accommodation costs. Where do I go after the 7 weeks? I have made myself homeless no council will provide me with social housing. I have no savings to pay a deposit on a flat. It will take an average of 42 days to process my new benefits claim. So I guess I'm penniless and living on the streets for my 7 weeks where I earned nothing.

 

The benefits bill is swallowed by pensioners and those already in work. Jsa contribution based is also paid through contributions. You may have worked all your life be not of pension age but still need to claim benefits you have contributed to the system just like any pensioner.

It seems a valid idea to use the skills of retirees and to help prevent loneliness etc to target pensioners to do the fruit picking. Particularly as they are more likely to live locally.

 

It has to be down to the farmers to stop whinging about migrant workers and use home grown labour source even if it means, offering reasonable accomodation and subsistence. I agree that healthy pensioners (many of whom enjoy allotments, take up gardening etc. may like the work. However, They still get their pension either way. Again the state pension is NOT as benefit. Ministers and Governments of all colours have said this. How many more times does it have to be said. Just because the NI contributions disappear into the black hole of the Benefit Welfare budget does not negate that fact

Incidentally we dont claim benefits. My wife took an early reduced Teachers pension, I got severance package, albeit quite small and I cashed in some pension funds. We sold our UK house paid off the mortgage and Over the klast few years I had been able to save money to restore a pile of stones that is now a small farmhouse.

 

Of course the pension itself is not but the are myriad of benefits for pensioners that are just that. The biggest drain on the public finances is housing benefit and pensioners take their fair share of that. Nothing against pensioners they have played a vibrant part in the community but it's wrong to demonise the young at their expense.

Fruit picking tends to be piece work and health and safety legislation and it's costs have stopped the vast majority of farmers providing accommodation.

 

The long term unemployment rate is very low actually 1.3%. Most people want a long term job and will probably find work fairly quickly, so the pool of labour is smaller then you think. Who is going to pay to move the suitable candidates you do find from, say, Hartlepool , to Norfolk? And who is going to live then for 8 weeks in a shed on minimum wage? I think it's the simple solution brigade, like "bring back hanging" and "bring back national service". Internet memes for the good old days.