"Theo was brought to Cornwall in February 2006 and set to work picking daffodils for a major UK retailer. He was forced to work long hours, in all conditions for no pay. When he asked to eat, he was given do food."
Amnesty International
Hmm, wonder which company that was. I wouldn't put it past Winchester growers judging on how they treat their paid workers!
Ok! To get back to your original point, there is no doubt that some migrant workers endure difficult, even harsh, conditions here in the Duchy.
I know some eastern European workers (they are here working quite legally), one of whom, even knows a few words in Cornish as he thought it would be proper to be able to say a few phrases in the indigenous language. You can imagine his shock to find out that his efforts have, apart from with me, been to no avail.
Interestingly, his workers pack which was handed to him on arrival is about as worthless to him as a chocolate hammer. It contains various information concerning health, social security, home office etc in English. There are translations of this screed in very poor Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian, Czhek, Slovakian etc, most of which is unintelligible.
Not a very good introduction to the land of milk and honey! He couldn't believe that a country with a reputation like that of the UK did not have a constitution or a legal guarantee of equality before the law, as they do in Poland and all of those other countries!
It's fine to talk about slave labour in a land in which the residents are still regarded as serfs!
It's frankly amazing Winchester get away with so much themselves - massive use of noxious pesticides/herbicides that cause problems to workers, residents and wildlife, encouraging lots of the dodgiest people to come to Cornwall etc etc.
Anonymous
Posted: 21.10.2006, 23:18
Unregistered User
I am amazed at the way many of these workers are treated by us. They are generally prepared to work when many of our so called Cornish residents are just damn lazy!
There's lots of evidence that immigrants are helping prop our economy by providing cheap labour. It has also been suggested that they are a significant factor in mantaining high house prices by providing an extra million renters and keeping wage inflation and production costs low and in turn keeping interest rates low.
Anyway, that aside, the quote at the top was actually about someone who was not paid at all. I.e. a genuine slave who worked for a major company. I'd be quite interested to know which one
Anonymous
Posted: 21.10.2006, 23:57
Unregistered User
Fair comment that this conversation is going of thread.
The employers should be brought to justice as in 2006 this type of action is totally unaceptable and will bring negative press to the county and Cornwall as a whole.
Are Amnesty International to be unconditionally believed?
IMHO they do some good work, but as they are unappointed, unelected, unaccountable and radical, there are times when their moral stance, outrage, and political stance make their pronouncements a bit 'suspect'
Show us the evidence, THEN let us discuss it.
My honest opinion? Theyre often biased, and they are NOT 'slaves to accuracy or truth'
Better safe than sorry. I don't really think it's a case of crying wolf - beleive it or not there are unbelievable inhumanities committed all over the World every day. It's not really the sort of thing you can over hype
Anyway, I'm trying to find out what basis these allegations were made on. Will try and find out some more
Yeah and what really disgusts me is that these migrant workers who get treated like crap by their employers then have to put up with the racist and xenophobic bile put out by the likes of the skipper columnist for the Packet!
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