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"Government department Defra said it was encouraging people across the UK "to help bring the harvest in"."
This comes as we are chartering in flights from Romania to bring seasonal workers in to help with our harvest. Should we instead be true patriots and let the crops fester in the fields?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52293061
That's going to make some heads explode...
Anyway...
Basically, should I heed Defra and go and pick some lettuce? Does the lettuce have to be near to me and can I still go for a ride after?
It's essential work of course... And undervalued work that requires skill and physical stamina, which is why people- arseholes- are so scathing about it and say "why can't students/the unemployed/whoever do it".
Having said that, how is it that if there's a crippling labour shortage, it's not easier to find where it is? Personally I'd be happy to do it, but just looked at the most mentioned websites and HOPS isn't taking on more people for April, British Summer Fruits' map doesn't have anything within 50 miles of me... Surely a central service would be the answer?
Im not sure many / any of us could do it. Its back breaking work for minimum wage. Outdoors in the sun for an hour, fine. 8hr+ shift in crap weather and the boss on your back because you are not working hard enough - Nope.
Thats the reason the job is done by those whos choices at home are very poor/limited/dire.
So we are still doing Brexit but we are also flying in Romanians to help us pick fruit?
Im not sure many / any of us could do it. Its back breaking work for minimum wage. Outdoors in the sun for an hour, fine. 8hr+ shift in crap weather and the boss on your back because you are not working hard enough – Nope.
Back breaking work? I did it from the age of 12 to 18 for pocket money. It's hardly being sent down a pit.
I've applied locally so I can top up my wage whilst on furlough.
requires skill and physical stamina
Physical, yes, skilled ????
Agriculture needs to mechanise as many of the picking jobs as possible, the future is that the labour pool will only get smaller...
Unless the greens get in then we are all returned to the land
Pickers are grafters. Having worked somewhere with most of the land rented out to farmers and having seen the pickers out there is every bit of weather the Cornish coast could throw at them, I know that in general the British public wouldn't hack it. They would need a seriously big carrot (or stick) to get out of bed to go picking.
I used to hate picking Daffs... but it got me a few quid.
I worked the fields in Norfolk when younger. The full-time land gangs work at an unbelievable speed, so earn decent money. If our students rock up with no skill/experience, they will earn peanuts.
revs1972
MemberPhysical, yes, skilled ????
Of course.
I’ve applied locally so I can top up my wage whilst on furlough.
Maybe I've got it wrong, but I didn't think you are allowed to work whilst furloughed, at least if clashes with the hours you would normally work if not furloughed. If correct, and the farm pays your tax, there is a risk you won't get your 80%
You can work for someone else, if it's tickety-boo with your employer, when furloughed.
Brought up in the Fens in the 80s. It was hard, badly paid work. But there were no other options really.
Spent one summer at the same farm as my geography teacher, who did it to earn a bit extra/get away from his wife
Its basic economics. Crap pay + hard work = desperate employees only.
If the growers get no employees from the UK then either they look further afield or the crops rot.
Not rocket science.
If they upped the wage the supermarkets buying price would not cover that. The supermarkets set the price to meet our expectation of cheap food.
If they upped the wage the supermarkets buying price would not cover that. The supermarkets set the price to meet our expectation of cheap food.
A big factor, certainly. I'm happy to pay more for my food if it means UK farms and workers are kept sustainable
And a lot of field work has been mechanised. What work is still done by hand is because machines can't do it as well.
Im not sure many / any of us could do it. Its back breaking work for minimum wage. Outdoors in the sun for an hour, fine. 8hr+ shift in crap weather and the boss on your back because you are not working hard enough – Nope.
I'm absolutely sure I couldn't do it.
I've been in their shoes, sort-of, I picked courgettes in Australia as a very fit 20 year old, 8 hour days chasing a conveyor belt on dragged by a tractor. Within a week I was a total wreck and taking huge doses of odd painkillers.
The problem with Vegetables is they selfishly grow on the ground, so it's bend down, stand up, every few seconds, all day, every day. It was blazing hot and humid in Oz, but I don't know if that's any better or worse than here. No snakes though, which is a bonus I guess.
Anyway, as a 42 year-old with knackered arms and a sore back, I think I prefer being an IT Consultant.
Still they're only here to STEAL OUR JOBS!
There are lots of jobs that are only attractive if your personal circumstances are dire. As we live in a relatively affluent country (with a safety net) we have pretty much run out of labour for crap jobs.
Also the drive to lower prices has increased mechanisation, so there are few jobs for low skilled people now. But businesses will only buy a machine if its cheaper than minimum wage workers, also some things are probably too dificult to mechanise efficently.
But nevermind, the food in the supermarket will be cheap 🙂
Is going to pick lettuce an essential journey? 🌱
It is unless you can find someone else closer to do it. Which, lets face it, you're unlikely to find people in this country queuing up to do it, but will most likely be the same union jack t shirt wearing ****s screaming:
Essential?
No.
I detest lettuce.
There, feel better now.
Judging by the 'send em all back when theyre done' comments by twitter the mood of half the country has not changed
Can't we all just pretend we've left a manky bag of green leafy stuff in our salad drawer for a week or so instead?
Born mid ‘50s to a family of farm workers.
My holidays with grandparents included working on a farm. By age 10 I could reach the pedals of the ‘fergie. Then a Dextar....
To those who think the may be unable to do a days work on the “field” I challenge you to get off yer arris🤬
Kids nowadays are wimps, parents who tell them you can’t do this, can’t do that etc unless you are earning £xxxxx
Then they wonder why we have to import workers from abroadu🤯👏👏🤯🤯🤯
This horrendous epidemic may create a reset whereby employers(Gov legislation)can get young people into employment much earlier🤙🏻
PS, son an engineer working from home with a new baby born yesterday. Daughter a teacher working from home with two kids.
Both kids on the at risk register🙏🏻🤷🏽♀️👍🏼🙏🏻👍🕺🏻
^^ I never told my lad that?
Trekster - voice of sanity; hope family are ok.
You did an EDIT Trekster! Lol
Yep, hope your family stays well matey.
My first grandson was born a few weeks back. Worrying times.
So we are still doing Brexit but we are also flying in Romanians to help us pick fruit?
Yep. Ironic isn't it?
Regarding mechanisation...
I understand they did this in California and ended up up switching from peaches to almonds because the robots damaged the peaches. I wonder what would happen in the UK.
I thought there would be 17.4 million people queuing up to do this work. Call me naive.
Try stopping this fluffy bugger....
