The Flight of the Polish Plumbers & Programmers....

[PalazioVecchio]

Not just Plumbers, all occupations. Including Tech workers.

Not just Polish, all East Europeans.

Previously : Szymon from Warsaw worked in Croydon. He visited the wife & kids in Warsaw once a month. It was good money and made a lot of sense, with cheaper housing there than here. They had a nice family home in Warsaw and Szymon's accommodation in the UK was basic, shared and rented.

Today : UK housing costs are too high. Wages are up in Poland. Sterling dropped like a stone on the day of Brexit - and never recovered against the Euro. Ryanair has got more expensive. Plus long term considerations of pensions make it advantageous to pay a few years tax over there. And maybe he will do less binge-drinking if the wife is keeping an eye on him ?

So how can i find somebody ? to plumb in my new bathroom in Croydon ? Are the most productive migrants not arriving anymore ? Has the UK become a kip ? Incapable of offering a good life to hardworking types ?

Client Challenge

 

[steeleye20]

You couldn't get a plumber before they arrived, it was notorious for cowboys ripping off people.

Such as me, I got my bathroom ruined, was charged £300 call-out and they got nasty when I complained.

Next day paint on my car.

Brexit has meant good people that we need are leaving Britain and being replaced by 2/3 times as many largely unskilled immigrants.

And EU workers visas were not permanent either.

👎

 

[Rudi Hedman]

You couldn't get a plumber before they arrived, it was notorious for cowboys ripping off people.

Such as me, I got my bathroom ruined, was charged £300 call-out and they got nasty when I complained.

Next day paint on my car.

Brexit has meant good people that we need are leaving Britain and being replaced by 2/3 times as many largely unskilled immigrants.

And EU workers visas were not permanent either.

👎

Bullsh1t. You’re just very bad at sourcing tradesmen. I’ve never had difficulty with any. What we do have is a shortage to build houses, because it should be the job of large developing firms to train youngsters.

 

[Badger11]

A good summary from [COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)]PalazioVecchio[/COLOR].

The myth is that the Poles have left because of Brexit. They came here in droves because there were no jobs in Poland and they could get work here easy, rent a 3 bed house and have 6/7 people sleeping there cheap whilst they saved their money.

However regardless of Brexit the economy improved back in Poland whilst prices in the UK and GBP vs Euro meant the UK was no longer a gold mine for temporary workers looking for a quick buck.* And of course many made their money so it was time to go back home and build their dream house.

The other day I noticed that the builders trade association had the bald face cheek to criticise the government that it wasn't doing enough to train up people for the construction industry. For some reason the media neglected to ask the obvious question, "why aren't you doing this"

These days construction is all about self employed and the big firms have no interest in taking on and training apprentices, they expect the taxpayer to do their job for them.

Oh 2017 Theresa May said there were 3.5m EU citizens in the UK. In 2020 when the residency scheme closed 5.5m EU citizens had been granted permission to stay, so much for Brexit flight.

*Post 1990 loads of British builders went to Berlin because there was a construction boom, my mate amongst them. As he says he rode the wave until the work dried up and it was time to come home.

 

[steeleye20]

A good summary from [COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)]PalazioVecchio[/COLOR].

The myth is that the Poles have left because of Brexit. They came here in droves because there were no jobs in Poland and they could get work here easy, rent a 3 bed house and have 6/7 people sleeping there cheap whilst they saved their money.

However regardless of Brexit the economy improved back in Poland whilst prices in the UK and GBP vs Euro meant the UK was no longer a gold mine for temporary workers looking for a quick buck.* And of course many made their money so it was time to go back home and build their dream house.

The other day I noticed that the builders trade association had the bald face cheek to criticise the government that it wasn't doing enough to train up people for the construction industry. For some reason the media neglected to ask the obvious question, "why aren't you doing this"

These days construction is all about self employed and the big firms have no interest in taking on and training apprentices, they expect the taxpayer to do their job for them.

Oh 2017 Theresa May said there were 3.5m EU citizens in the UK. In 2020 when the residency scheme closed 5.5m EU citizens had been granted permission to stay, so much for Brexit flight.

*Post 1990 loads of British builders went to Berlin because there was a construction boom, my mate amongst them. As he says he rode the wave until the work dried up and it was time to come home.

You are only confirming what free movement is supposed to be.

EU citizens are generally now £9-10,000 per annum better off than we are, after brexit investment and growth have fallen away in he UK.

The UK harmed itself and has to pay the consequences as we are not going to change our ways if snything it looks more tory and run-down.

We are not a good look tbh in any case.

France's amazing restoration of Notre Dame, new Paris-Berlin service in a day, what about the UK?

HS2 is a monument to national incompetence, it is quite shameful.

😎

 

[Rudi Hedman]

You are only confirming what free movement is supposed to be.

EU citizens are generally now £9-10,000 per annum better off than we are, after brexit investment and growth have fallen away in he UK.

The UK harmed itself and has to pay the consequences as we are not going to change our ways if snything it looks more tory and run-down.

We are not a good look tbh in any case.

France's amazing restoration of Notre Dame, new Paris-Berlin service in a day, what about the UK?

HS2 is a monument to national incompetence, it is quite shameful.

😎

Spain’s 25% unemployment for young people is quite impressive, so is Italy’s. Germany and young Gernans turning to the far right AFD is also a success of EU policies. Thank Merkel, thank the EU, thank Schengen, something else many EU countries ditched for as long as they could under rules allowing temporary suspension.

It doesn’t matter anyway, Starmer cares more about giving money away to foreign countries than our own people so get used to another 4 years of the monotone t0sser.

 

[Badger11]

Spain’s 25% unemployment for young people is quite impressive, so is Italy’s. Germany and young Gernans turning to the far right AFD is also a success of EU policies. Thank Merkel, thank the EU, thank Schengen, something else many EU countries ditched for as long as they could under rules allowing temporary suspension.

It doesn’t matter anyway, Starmer cares more about giving money away to foreign countries than our own people so get used to another 4 years of the monotone t0sser.

Exactly which is why the EU wants freedom of movement for young people. They want to dump their unemployed on us.

 

[Rudi Hedman]

Exactly which is why the EU wants freedom of movement for young people. They want to dump their unemployed on us.

I often said the young remainers should experience a load of postgraduates arriving in Britain to nab jobs and drive down wages to get a taste of it themselves.

 

[ASCPFC]

Don't worry, they're already being replaced by Ukrainians, Georgians, Romanians and Albanians.

 

[PalazioVecchio]

Exactly which is why the EU wants freedom of movement for young people. They want to dump their unemployed on us.

Plumbers & Programmers good.

Parasites & panhandlers , not so much ?

 

[steeleye20]

The UKs immigation level has soared to 900,000 plus since the end of free movement, when it was normally around 230,000.

This is what the tory brexit did to the UK.

The tories are the party of mass immigration, the new leader has admitted they were wrong.

The figures show it.

It's no good arguing otherwise, is it.

😎

 

[Spiderman]

You couldn't get a plumber before they arrived, it was notorious for cowboys ripping off people.

Such as me, I got my bathroom ruined, was charged £300 call-out and they got nasty when I complained.

Next day paint on my car.

Brexit has meant good people that we need are leaving Britain and being replaced by 2/3 times as many largely unskilled immigrants.

And EU workers visas were not permanent either.

👎

Your last sentence is nonsense. 1) EU nationals did not require a Visa ( 2 If they registered with the HO, to obtain a residence permit this would eventually become permanent
Still good try 😉

 

[Matov]

The concept of Student Loans should be extended to trade apprenticeships. The introduction of the minimum wage put paid to the old system so it needs a fresh approach.

You want to go to University to study for a degree, the State lends you the money to do so. And then when you are earning X amount, you pay it back. I see no reason why the same could not be done for people who wish to become electricians or plumbers. Even bricklaying and similar.

.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

The UKs immigation level has soared to 900,000 plus since the end of free movement, when it was normally around 230,000.

This is what the tory brexit did to the UK.

The tories are the party of mass immigration, the new leader has admitted they were wrong.

The figures show it.

It's no good arguing otherwise, is it.

😎

Nigel Farage addresses the nation.

 

[Wisbech Eagle]

The concept of Student Loans should be extended to trade apprenticeships. The introduction of the minimum wage put paid to the old system so it needs a fresh approach.

You want to go to University to study for a degree, the State lends you the money to do so. And then when you are earning X amount, you pay it back. I see no reason why the same could not be done for people who wish to become electricians or plumbers. Even bricklaying and similar.

.

This is a pretty daft idea.

Loading people with debt that tends to increase every year (because of the high interest that’s added) even after their repayments is already discouraging some to study courses that traditionally lead to lower paid careers. How much more so if it was extended to trades?

Some reject the stress and take lower paid jobs where the take home pay is not so different than having your pay packet hit not just by tax, NI and pension contributions but by a 9% of your gross earnings over about £25k.

I know it gets wiped out after 30 years but few think that far ahead.

If we want our young people to be trained the whole student loan system needs to be overhauled, interest set at the inflation level and the write off advanced to 10 years of NI payments.

 

[ASCPFC]

This is a pretty daft idea.

Loading people with debt that tends to increase every year (because of the high interest that’s added) even after their repayments is already discouraging some to study courses that traditionally lead to lower paid careers. How much more so if it was extended to trades?

Some reject the stress and take lower paid jobs where the take home pay is not so different than having your pay packet hit not just by tax, NI and pension contributions but by a 9% of your gross earnings over about £25k.

I know it gets wiped out after 30 years but few think that far ahead.

If we want our young people to be trained the whole student loan system needs to be overhauled, interest set at the inflation level and the write off advanced to 10 years of NI payments.

So daft enough that you agree with the general idea but not with some of the detail?

 

[Spiderman]

This is a pretty daft idea.

Loading people with debt that tends to increase every year (because of the high interest that’s added) even after their repayments is already discouraging some to study courses that traditionally lead to lower paid careers. How much more so if it was extended to trades?

Some reject the stress and take lower paid jobs where the take home pay is not so different than having your pay packet hit not just by tax, NI and pension contributions but by a 9% of your gross earnings over about £25k.

I know it gets wiped out after 30 years but few think that far ahead.

If we want our young people to be trained the whole student loan system needs to be overhauled, interest set at the inflation level and the write off advanced to 10 years of NI payments.

The whole student loan system is ridiculous. So many are not being paid back due to not earning enough etc. My daughter left Uni with a Masters degree and is working in the Space industry, her debt when she left Uni was over £50k with an inflation busting interest rate being added. My son, whose debt was not so high ( as his course was not fully paid for by State) has not paid a penny back as he does not earn enough. There should be no interest added imo and it should not have been outsourced to a private company

 

[Rudi Hedman]

The whole student loan system is ridiculous. So many are not being paid back due to not earning enough etc. My daughter left Uni with a Masters degree and is working in the Space industry, her debt when she left Uni was over £50k with an inflation busting interest rate being added. My son, whose debt was not so high ( as his course was not fully paid for by State) has not paid a penny back as he does not earn enough. There should be no interest added imo and it should not have been outsourced to a private company

Having no inflation linked interest is a bad mistake itself. There are so many kids wasting their time and whoever’s money going to university, but then competition is so high to get the good jobs at whatever ballpark level they’re at that might explain why.

 

[Badger11]

The whole student loan system is ridiculous. So many are not being paid back due to not earning enough etc. My daughter left Uni with a Masters degree and is working in the Space industry, her debt when she left Uni was over £50k with an inflation busting interest rate being added. My son, whose debt was not so high ( as his course was not fully paid for by State) has not paid a penny back as he does not earn enough. There should be no interest added imo and it should not have been outsourced to a private company

Not sure what the answer is but I agree. I knew a guy who took a degree in middle age with no intention of paying back any money. He did a succession of low paid part time jobs whilst mummy bailed him out on the QT so he never met the threshold.

I like the idea that people should pay for their apprenticeships perhaps this could be linked to companies funding them in return for loyalty e.g. For every year the apprentice stays with a company they would pay part of his loan off.

 

[cryrst]

Hmg already contribute to apprenticeships.
The firm I work for has 4 and the year 3 one is now on 27k.
If firms can be bothered is more the point !