Leave voter faces ruin without EU workers

The first of many to start shouting ‘that’s not the Brexit I voted for’ and the answer is ‘oh yes it is!’. ?

I think we actually had a thread on this story three years ago. It was very similar to this one...

Anyway, our Home Sec has got it all sorted now. All of the retired contingent on Gnet are going to have a lovely summer holiday in Surrey with a bit of light fruit picking in the fresh air to while away the time. Caravan accommodation provided... We'll even get a bit of pocket money..

Leave voters get the first chance to join the holidaymakers...if you voted Remain don't be disappointed if you don't get a place on the trip..I'm sure your turn will come..

Are we allowed to eat as many as we pack?

I can’t be bothered commenting on a news article from the Indie (always anti-Brexit anyway, same as the Graun), from 3 years ago! Jeez.

Well, you just did, Ug ?

Since when was reporting the truth 'anti Brexit'?

Have you signed up for the fruit picking holiday yet?

Call, you can eat as many as you like...

Trying to look on the bright side, perhaps this policy will force employers to pay people proper wages. Of course,it's not guaranteed that this will address the shortage of workers, and it would not be an instant solution in any event. It will also mean that either farmers go out of business or consumers will have to pay significantly more than at present. That will be an annoyance for the reasonably comfortably off but a disaster for the growing number of people living hand to mouth.

It is also worrying that the care sector is warning of an escalation in staff shortages. I think wages would have to be significantly raised in order to attract people to what is a very demanding and responsible job, which is described - unfairly I think - as "low skill". The cost of residential care is already enormous so I wonder whether care companies will wish to continue in a market whose profits will be even more seriously squeezed. Likewise the hospitality industry.

Although I would like to be optimistic, I feel that little preparation and planning has been made to address these problems. If EU workers gradually withdrew from Britain perhaps it would not be such an issue but there are already reports of serious shortages of workers and I feel it is unlikely that these gaps can be filled with the degree of urgency that will be required.

On top of that, highly skilled EU workers, such as engineers, scientists, medical and nursing staff, technologists, etc, are reportedly feeling they are less welcome in Britain and are no longer considering taking up employment here - and some of those who had intended to stay are thinking of moving elsewhere.

Will all this really help Britain to "unleash its potential"?

It seems to me that plenty of people say foreign workers take lower wages. Well we do have minimum wage levels here so I don't really understand that.

I do of course understand that minimum wage is really minimum - but surely our EU workers are simply on minimum wage like so many shop workers, council employees and factory workers?

If EU workers are not being paid the minimum wage, surely that's an offence and the employer should be prosecuted.

Payments will be reduced by 5-25% next year for farmers in England, the government has confirmed.

farmers are aready going under in droves- so they lose access to Labourers and lose part of their subsidies - what then?

I know, I know, Urm and some will say 'wait and see' ...

Looks as if this company is still going strong

Still going strong but sold on last year. Owners getting out before the going got bad?

www.fruitnet.com/fpj/article/179715/hhp-sells-majority-of-operations-to-agri-fund

Does anybody know the future regulations for foreign companies employing their own staff from abroad?

Surely apart from Embassies, they’ll all need visas?

Maizie I think they still own three farms but the operation became huge and I think has been sold on to an agrifund, which happens a lot worldwide.
The same fund has bought up farms in Australia.

Perhaps the family wanted to get back to a more personal, hands-on operation.

Indeed, Callistomen, but, according to the article I linked to, they sold the greater part of the business. Which will no doubt have given them sufficient to live on when they can't get workers to pick their fruit...

Which will no doubt have given them sufficient to live on when they can't get workers to pick their fruit...

If you read your link you will see the business is now under the control of a massive agrifund which clearly has grea tfaith in the business

I saw that too Oopsminty, which puzzles me. Presumably the agrifund knows what it's doing and thinks it can get staff from somewhere. I read somewhere that agencies will still be able to employ foreign workers, but I can't find anything about it now. If that's true, the agencies will still be able to pay pittance wages to seasonal workers. The holding company will presumably be registered overseas, so will probably escape British tax.

I've been reading about the probable future of British farming. The general prediction is that small farms won't be sustainable, so will sell out to big agrifunds, which will probably mean that out farms are owned directly or indirectly by Chinese or American investors. I hope I'm wrong.

We always used to have seasonal workers visas, and a lot of students used to earn money here in the summer. I think a lot of EU workers were probably offered lower than minimum wage and cash in hand, and tent accommodation so they can be paid less and so on....
Perhaps we should pay the going rate for our fruit, so farmers can pay proper wages to the pickers.

What would the going rate be? Do you honestly think that tens of thousands of British people are going to be available for a few months of the year and be willing to relocate? Admittedly, the work is likely to last for more months of the year with glasshouses, but I still can't see it happening, unless people are really desperate - maybe it's the intention that people will be really desperate.

growstuff, sorry, you misunderstood. I am saying that if the price of fruit increased due to farmers paying a proper wage, there would be no shortage of foreign workers coming here to pick fruit (who would have short term visas, as happened years ago) and also UK students would do the work. It would also suit parents to work around school hours. The problem is that farmers want to pay slave labour rates and have very long hours, because people want cheap fruit.

Community orchard?
does anyone know one, or how it works?

Farmers do not want to pay slave labour rates. They too are governed by minimum wage rules.

I think the minimum wage for agricultural labourers is higher than minimum wage, but I’ll have to look that up.

agricultural wages

Turkeys voting for Christmas
A lot of farmers voted leave with their hearts without regard for the downside. They simply did not want to be told what to do by foreigners, despite over the years most have done well.

Smaller vegetable farmers are going to have a tough time if migrant Labour become difficult, larger producers will not be affected as much because they have overseas operations in Europe and North Africa, that they can expand.

The National Farmers Union was solidly remain in their advice, but “you can lead a horse to water, you cannot make him drink”

Plethora of clichés!

Sorry to be such a pedant!