The “Eastern European” carwash

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.

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.

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

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

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.!

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

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?

Of course pogs

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

whitewave

Who said the black market started with the European Car Wash trade?

We know there is money laundering and people trafficking going on and not just in businesses run by Eastern Europeans. I was told that little is done about it because of police and local authority cuts.

The black market did not start with these businesses it has been alive and doing very well for donkeys years, way before we ever thought of Eastern European car wash

I have made my opinion known on a few threads over time that I really have an issue with this type of business.

Not only is their exploitation of labour there are other considerations such as legitimate businesses in the area who pay tax and give employment rights to compete with cheal labour and there is of course the environmental issue of where the water/trade waste goes.

I know there are posters who on this and other threads in the past said they use these 'businesses' but please do your homework and see the pitfalls of paying cash in hand to these outfits .

As long as there willing customers there will be a continued source of cash that is flowing into what can only be called a shady economy, a black market .

I meant to add I agree with what you have said about trafficking nightowl, it's so depressing to read that we now have more slavery/enforced labour than before slavery was abolished. It made my blood run cold to read that some of the young African men who are making the perilous journey to Europe have been sold and resold at slave markets in Libya.

We have a very good car wash attached to a petrol station near us, staffed by Eastern Europeans. They do an excellent job (£5 a wash ) and are very polite, friendly and efficient. They have been there for perhaps ten years.

We know some are from Romania as one of them lodged with a friend of ours, he was sending money back to his wife. There was a police raid on them a year or so ago and they have now improved the safety equipment and clothing. I don't suppose they are paid much. Are they working for low wages for a gang master? Perhaps, but it seems they can make better money here than they could at home in Romania or similar places. So it works for them.

We would miss them if lack of EU immigrant workers post-Brexit meant they had to close.

nightowl, I agree it really depends how cosmopolitan the area you live in is. I can only assume if you haven't stumbled across this not so new phenomonen of the Eastern European car wash, where you live is rural. I wouldn't be able to recognise the nuanced differences between the Eastern European languages, although Russian does have a very clear tone and there are lots of them in London. I agree with Petra these languages tend to be harsh sounding and lack the attractive lilt of romantic languages, such as French/Italian/Spanish. I did read that Romanian is different because it has evolved from Latin, maybe because Roman soldiers on retirement were given tranches of land in Dasha (modern day Romania). I live in South West London and I'd say our area has been awash with Eastern Europeans since the UK granted permission for free movement back in the noughties. When they first started arriving their languages stood out, not anymore though, they're everywhere now. My husband always chats to the guys where he goes for his car wash, even if they have a rudimentary command of English, where they originate from tends to be the topic of a conversation.

We have a Paul and Sue - £10 for wash and hoover and dust.
£30 for complete valet including wax and polish.

Car is washed every month and waxed about twice a year.