Pick For Britain

[studio150]

So who is signing up, to work all hours for minimum wages, outdoors in all weather?

Victorian workhouses spring to mind.

 

[BLOCK F]

So who is signing up, to work all hours for minimum wages, outdoors in all weather?

Victorian workhouses spring to mind.

Hmm, I reckon the unfortunate inmates of Victorian workhouses would have welcomed this kind of work!

 

[oldboyroy]

Website crashed so can't even look

 

[KZNSeagull]

Website crashed so clearly there are a lot of people willing to do some seriously hard work. Or at least enquire anyway.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Another idea not thought through. They want furloughed workers to "top up their income". If I take a second job that has any crossover with the times of my job then I need to resign. Given I work Monday to Friday 8:30 to 5:00 and I am on call some weekends, all weekend, does anyone know where these farms are that will let me work for them at midnight?

 

[darkwolf666]

Yep, website is dead...

 

[BLOCK F]

Another idea not thought through. They want furloughed workers to "top up their income". If I take a second job that has any crossover with the times of my job then I need to resign. Given I work Monday to Friday 8:30 to 5:00 and I am on call some weekends, all weekend, does anyone know where these farms are that will let me work for them at midnight?

Sounds like it may not be for you then, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been 'thought through'.It may suit plenty of others.
I have no idea whether or not your services would be required at midnight or not these days, but you may be surprised; however, I can recall several of my student mates working night shifts in the fields picking veg back in the late '60's........ a long time ago but not quite Victorian workhouse times tho'.

 

[RossyG]

Myself and another North Stand Chatter lost our jobs because of Covid so this might be good for us, but yes, dead as a dodo.

Anyone would think they don’t want locals doing this.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Sounds like it may not be for you then, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been 'thought through'.It may suit plenty of others.
I have no idea whether or not your services would be required at midnight or not these days, but you may be surprised; however, I can recall several of my student mates working night shifts in the fields picking veg back in the late '60's........ a long time ago but not quite Victorian workhouse times tho'.

I believe an awful lot of furloughed people have the same terms - you can volunteer but not take another paid job. It will certainly help those made unemployed but they didn't reference that - they specifically referred to furloughed staff.

 

[vegster]

I will have a look if/when the website is up and running again. The problem is that there isn't a large area of Sussex given over to fruit and veg that need manual picking. It's mostly Wheat/Barley, Rape or Sweet Corn which is all machine harvested or Grazing.

I looked about a month ago, when this finally got flagged up by the Tory press as a potential problem ( rarely mentioned as a Brexit side effect of course) , and found that there's a place just past Chichester that may need some staff but it was pretty unspecific.
As I recall the wage was not brilliant and they expected you to commit to a short term binding contract. Not good if you are, doing your bit but don't see fruit picking as a career option and get an interview /start date for a better paid job.

 

[vegster]

I believe an awful lot of furloughed people have the same terms - you can volunteer but not take another paid job. It will certainly help those made unemployed but they didn't reference that - they specifically referred to furloughed staff.

I believe that you can take another job while furloughed, just so long as it does not throw up conflicts of interest whereby your temp job is with a business rival in the same field, excuse the pun!

 

[Springal]

I believe an awful lot of furloughed people have the same terms - you can volunteer but not take another paid job. It will certainly help those made unemployed but they didn't reference that - they specifically referred to furloughed staff.

Yep this is common. Although with highest unemployed numbers since records began there should be ample numbers to choose from. Although is the low pay, cost of travel, tax etc worth it vs job seekers ?

 

[Dick Swiveller]

I believe that you can take another job while furloughed, just so long as it does not throw up conflicts of interest whereby your temp job is with a business rival in the same field, excuse the pun!

It is the same terms as taking a second job were you not Furloughed. At the discretion of the employer and obviously no overlap time wise

 

[vegster]

It is the same terms as taking a second job were you not Furloughed. At the discretion of the employer and obviously no overlap time wise

Yep, pretty much this.

I could have a look and see if its possible, the official "Furlough " goes til Oct 1st I believe ? I can't see my company wanting me back at any time before that, our sales are negligible and unlikely to improve much in the coming months and the franchise directors will probably immediately cut jobs ( probably mine ) the moment government support is withdrawn. As I recall, there may be some jobs going near Chi/Bognor/Selsey but I really wouldn't enjoy the 40 mile daily commute to do it.

 

[Justice]

Fruit pickers in the UK have mostly been abused by their employer, unfortunately the supermarkets turn a blind eye in turn for more profit.

 

[beorhthelm]

Fruit pickers in the UK have mostly been abused by their employer, unfortunately the supermarkets turn a blind eye in turn for more profit.

is this a fact or an opinion? there are 10's of thousands of workers who come here for work, year after year, odd behaviour if they are being abused.

 

[vegster]

Managed to get on to the website, it's pretty much that same as when I looked about 6 weeks ago, a loose conglomeration of specialist fruit growers and employment agencies specialist and general. Very few actual " Jobs " to be seen, you need to sign up and wait and see if there is a need for you and they will get in touch, hopefully.

When I Googled the site it rather spoilt the idyll by suggesting " The For Britain Movement " on the right side of my search ( no pun intended) does this indicate a kind of Hitler Youth movement of lazy people being driven back to the fields for the patriotic good of the nation ?

The website name and tagline has been skewed to look like its the Patriotic Duty of anyone furloughed to " Do their Bit " in a Dad's Army style, are there White Feathers to follow if we don't sign up ? " Pick For Britain, Keeping Britain's Farms Staffed "

 

[Justice]

The

is this a fact or an opinion? there are 10's of thousands of workers who come here for work, year after year, odd behaviour if they are being abused.

They hire foreign workers put them up in accommodation if you can call it that and pay under minimum wage. They prefer illegals as they can get away with paying £20 a day. An immigration officer was speaking about it last night, apparently it’s all fantasy the farmers will never employ British workers & pay minimum wage for picking.

 

[nicko31]

Fruit pickers in the UK have mostly been abused by their employer, unfortunately the supermarkets turn a blind eye in turn for more profit.

There will rogues in any industry, but generally this is not the case.

You can earn good money as a seasonal picker and save a lot, its just hard graft

 

[vegster]

is this a fact or an opinion? there are 10's of thousands of workers who come here for work, year after year, odd behaviour if they are being abused.

I think that [MENTION=24827]Justice[/MENTION] is referring to the days, not so long past, when "Gangmasters " effectively supplied the labour for farms and the farm owners were pretty unconcerned about the pay and conditions of the actual labourers doing the graft. The farms didn't ask too many questions as long as the work got done as their contract was with the gangmasters which subsequently meant they were not responsible or liable. Think Morecombe Bay Cockle pickers, if you like. Modern Slavery Legislation is now in place to help prevent this but I'm pretty sure it still goes on in one way or another.