The “Eastern European” carwash

Some take the situation seriously, I'm sure they all do.

www.smartwater.com/news/operation-targets-illegal-car-washes-across-south-wales/

www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/suspected-human-trafficking-victims-working-219022

I could go on and on posting links as there are so many factual stories to prove the truth of what lies behind some car washes. The point is for years the Police and other agencies , the public , have been aware of what lies behind the ' smiles and good , cheap service ' punters are happily paying for but it simply carries on until they are targeted and shut down.

Let's face it if you were to ask the cleaners if they are happy are you seriously thinking they would answer anything other than yes.

There are strict regulations in place and ALL Car Wash businesses should belong to a credited organisation and then any reputable 'Eastern European' car washes , or not as the case may be, can trade lawfully giving the customer the confidence of knowing they are not condoning or abetting the worst side of how ' some ' car washes are operating.

I don’t know pogs I’m not sure anyone did? It was just a remark on my part that the eastern car wash bosses can learn many lessons from our black market.

I think many of us are guilty of supporting the black market that’s one of the problems. How often have we employed a builder etc and paid cash at his request? It goes on everywhere and constantly.

I think there are quite a few Garys around if you look for them lemongrove. I’m guessing the cheap car washes have driven prices down though because I remember paying a lot more for a full valet 15 to 20 years ago. Gary seems to be doing ok though, he and his brother have a new van each and they’re doing a roaring trade.

I may investigate this Nightowl although haven’t seen any advertised locally.
Either DH washes the car or we do it as a team, but it doesn’t happen as often as it should do.
whitewave we have never paid a builder or a decorator or a plumber etc in cash.In most of those cases it would involve huge wads of cash anyway.

You may not lemon but millions do, you can be quite certain of that. Any transaction that involves cash invites these takings to be suppressed, either partially or wholly. Whether large or small overall they make up a very substantial percentage of tax not paid.

Some have mentioned slave labour. I hope that you never have the misfortune to see Close hand the conditions that migrant workers are living and working in in Andalusia. Not only are their working conditions horrendous, they actually live in these poly tunnels. It is pitiful.
All so that a third of Europe can have its fresh fruit and veg.

We too have used one of the local car washes where around 10 people clean the car with speed but a good finish for £7.50 or £10.50 if you have the inside done too. DH likes it because they do a good job. Then we read in the newspaper about people being forced to work for low money an d wondered if this was the case at our local car wash. We have used the same place with roughly the same staff for 2 years. Last time we went there was a totally different crew and a big boss sitting in a chair who took the money. Now we are wondering what happened that made all the staff leave and be replaced by other workers. This lot didn't do a good job so not going back again.

whitewave

I accept what you say about the Black Market but hells bells there is a vast difference when the topic is widened to money laundering, slavery, illegal immigration, prostitution, forced labour surely.

Of course pogs

BBC London has just covered the issue of slavery which is now very widespread in our country, worse in London, encompassing everything from domestic servitude to young women being tracfficked here to work in brothels, they didn't touch on car wash outlets. Albania and Nigeria were identified as two of the worst countries responsible in these crimes. God sometimes it seems we have been transported back to a bygone era, when did it get this bad? Was it around when we were growing up and we just weren't aware? or is it one of the downsides of free movement?

Not only are their working conditions horrendous, they actually live in these poly tunnels. It is pitiful.
I have heard reports that people working for Amazon are living under nearby bridges.
Whether that is true or not I do not know

And that they have given birth in the lavatory or that might be sports direct?

Of course this is supposedly with all the vast regulations imposed on us by the EU. Just think what it will be like when we have left.!

I first heard this 2 years ago but here is a more up-to-date report:
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/amazon-rugeley-minimum-wage-bus-costs_uk_59c12317e4b0186c2205c5ff

I was present at the launch of the campaign to 'Stop the Traffik' in 2006 and have since educated myself about modern slavery and exploitation. It has hugely influenced my thinking and transformed the way I now buy and use goods and services.
The Salvation Army has a number you can call if you think someone may be enslaved:
www.salvationarmy.org.uk/human-trafficking

Last year we went to our local Indian restaurant with friends and were greeted by Immigration Officers fronting a row of sorry looking Asian gentlemen. We were advised to try the pub for our meal as our chefs were on their way home to Bangladesh. A pity as they were really good cooks. No idea where they were living, but it wasn't in our little town. I do wonder how big our population really is.

There have been a number of newspaper articles suggesting that many of the Eastern European men cleaning the cars are exploited and are effectively modern slaves.

They are not paid the minimum wage and are housed in over-crowded inadequate buildings. I would never use them.