The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #162760   Message #3877010
Posted By: Steve Shaw
14-Sep-17 - 08:06 AM
Thread Name: BS: brexit matters
Subject: RE: BS: brexit matters
So, Nigel, how is that germane to the discussion about EU migrants working in agriculture? If you don't trust a union's website I assure you that the same information is available elsewhere. I'm making the simple point that migrant workers working in this country on whatever basis must be paid at least the UK minimum wage. That's the law. The only deduction that may be made, apart from tax (probably irrelevant in many cases) and NI, is for any accommodation provided, and there are strict rules about the quality of that accommodation and how much may be deducted. It isn't very much. Of course, what actually happens may not comply with the law. But that is the law, and no gangmaster or UK employer may LEGALLY concoct a situation in which foreign workers get less than the UK minimum wage. The leave campaign made great play of the lies that the country is being swamped, social services couldn't cope, British workers were being discriminated against by foreigners taking their jobs and "driving down wages." The counter-argument (aka the truth) that migrant workers provided a net benefit to the economy to the tune of billions a year, were significantly aiding economic growth, were NOT taking jobs away from British workers, were NOT driving down wages and were not unduly burdening public services was lost in the sloganising and populist pandering to the lowest instincts of people emanating from the leave side. Had those truths prevailed in the campaign, we would never have voted to leave. Immigration was the main plank of the leave campaign and the whole thing was predicated on a pack of lies sold to a public who had been groomed in this kind of xenophobia for years.