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09 Mar 07 - 05:33 PM (#1991959) Subject: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Herga Kitty I heard on the radio that the latest Home Office (UK) clampdown on work permits will prevent the usual influx of New Zealand sheep shearers this summer - so the poor unshorn sheep face the prospect of parasites breeding in their wool and then eating them alive. Kitty |
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09 Mar 07 - 05:35 PM (#1991963) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: John MacKenzie Yes I heard that too, we need to start a Lonely Hearts column for the poor sheep, who will be missing their favourite Kiwi this year, G |
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09 Mar 07 - 05:41 PM (#1991971) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Herga Kitty No Giok, we probably need to start a petion on the number 10 website? Ewe know it makes sense... Kitty |
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09 Mar 07 - 09:42 PM (#1992167) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Bonecruncher Comments like that need to be rammed home! Colyn. |
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10 Mar 07 - 04:03 AM (#1992334) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Jean(eanjay) We'll have to train our own sheep shearers and help to bring down the unemployment figures. |
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10 Mar 07 - 04:03 AM (#1992335) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Michael So no Kiwis coming to fleece us this year then? Mike |
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10 Mar 07 - 04:13 AM (#1992338) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Liz the Squeak Guess that means we'll be seeing more of them working as bar staff in the cities then... seemed like once upon a time every barman in Camden was an Aussie or a Kiwi. Kiwis make great bar staff, they always manage to get the last olive out of the jar. LTS Think beaks. |
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10 Mar 07 - 04:43 AM (#1992357) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Barry Finn So they'll be alot of you drowning your sorrows in woolite Barry |
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10 Mar 07 - 07:45 AM (#1992426) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Dave the Gnome These commenst should be baaaaaahed. :D |
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10 Mar 07 - 10:44 AM (#1992520) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: leeneia "...so the poor unshorn sheep face the prospect of parasites breeding in their wool and then eating them alive." Don't let the media get you all upset until you know the entire story, Herga Kitty. For example, is actually meant by "clamp down"? It could be something as simple as weeding out men with criminal records or men who are using sheep-shearing as a way to escape from the law or financial responsibility. (Can you really picture the entire wool production going down the tubes for want of shearers? Can you picture the farmers putting up with that?) Beware of people (either newspeople, Internet posters or personal acquaintances) who get a sick feeling of power by getting other people upset. |
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10 Mar 07 - 08:37 PM (#1993072) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: McGrath of Harlow men with criminal records or men who are using sheep-shearing as a way to escape from the law or financial responsibility. I always got the impression those kind of blokes were key members of the shearing fraternity Down Under... The Frontier Tradition. |
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11 Mar 07 - 07:09 AM (#1993299) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Fergie The Bantry Girls' Lament Oh! who will plough the fields now and who will reap the corn And who will wash the sheep now and keep them neatly shorn The stack that's in the haggard, unthreshed it will remain Since Johnny went a-threshing all in the wars of Spain The thread brought it to mind Fergus |
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11 Mar 07 - 11:44 AM (#1993420) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Crane Driver I gather the problem is that the UK government actually wants Kiwis (and others) who come over to work as shearers to start paying tax and national insurance on their wages - and they're threatening not to come over as a result. Talks - as they say - are ongoing. I do not know enough of the economics of the business to say who, if anyone, is being unreasonable. Please, don't enlighten me. Shearing is a highly specialised trade, but the season for it in any one country is short. I guess it's not feasible to train as a shearer to work just a few weeks out of the year. That's why Kiwi shearers come here in their winter. I guess UK shearers don't go to New Zealand in OUR winter - maybe they're expected to pay tax there. There must be a song in this. Andrew |
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11 Mar 07 - 09:59 PM (#1993894) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: The Fooles Troupe The hassle with the Tax thing is that the Kiwis have to pay on the money they bring home - and if they have already 'paid UK tax', that really hurts. Various attempts have been made to do deals between countries about this sort of game, such as 'portable tax credits' - but each govt wants its pound of flesh - the idea that a temporary worker will be able to draw much in the way of benefits (when they have gone home again anyway!) is what is pissing off the kiwis - also workers who have only a few weeks to earn a year's income will get hit really hard on a 'weekly pay tax as you go' arrangement as they get taxed on the 'weekly rate' that assumes they will get that same rate every week - when they do their return, they would be due a huge refund - which they sensibly see that they are not gonna get!!!! This is the same hassle that those on the dole have here - they lose heaps off the dole when they earn anything, and don't end up much better off for short periods of casual work. |
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12 Mar 07 - 04:55 AM (#1994050) Subject: RE: BS: The shearing's not for you From: Geordie-Peorgie Aah think that the whole thing is lamb-entable! Aah bet the Deputy Prime Minister, Johnnie 'Two Fleeces' Prescott has gorra hand in this - he's a mutt-on legs! Aallreet!! Somebody's bringin' me coat!! |