Is this the end of lockdown

[Desert Region]

Are you local, DR?

Attachment 194341

I feel 'local' will reply to that one, two / too!

This is a wistful but interesting "oldie"...

(Joni Mitchell.)

[said]

I feel 'local' will reply to that one, two / too!

This is a wistful but interesting "oldie"...

(Joni Mitchell.)

Local may deny that emphatically!

Put another way - you sense that you are local, but you are not! That right?

[Desert Region]

Attachment 194341

That reminds me of Mr B S Sniffer .

[Snig's foot]

I don't usually do advertising...but available locally!
"Southport
Full-time, Part-time, Contract
£8.72 an hour

Harvest Workers

Rate: £8.72 per hour

Do you enjoy working outdoors? Are you looking to secure short term work over the summer period?

We have a number of opportunities for Harvest Workers to join us during late April as the UK Farming Season gets underway

If you enjoy working outdoors, rain or shine, we want to hear from you. We are looking for keen, enthusiastic and reliable individuals to join our Harvesting Team and help harvest our crops, picking and grading our premium produce to help feed the nation.

General harvesting duties will include, but will not be restricted to crop picking, collecting, sorting and loading selected produce ready to be transported to factories.

Key Responsibilities

Harvesting designated crops
Grading as per required standards
Loading trays onto trailers as appropriate

Requirements

Required Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Own transport*
Previous picking or harvesting experience an advantage, training provided
Reliable
Punctual
Reasonable level of fitness
Effective team player

* Own transport would be an advantage, but not essential"

[said]

It's a skilled job, not pick your own punnet of strawberries.

Get skilled workers in or lose the harvest. Got absolutely sod all to do with a lock down. Any more than other people's jobs that are necessary.

There are lorry loads of freight coming into the country too. Food, medicine etc. Probably lots of those are foreigners driving.

I'd hope they are training up Brits to do the job next year, personally. Or kiss your fruit and veg ta-ta.

Skilled in this case means speed! It takes no brain power, no degrees - just speed!

It would take ages for me to get pictures to explain this - so you will have to just read the words.

We are told that we have a particularly virulent virus, a pandemic! We are told to keep our distance from people, to wash our hands constantly, only to travel in emergencies and even then not to venture outside our local area. We are told that we have to remain indoors to do other wise could lead to many deaths. Our NHS is under huge pressure from all the cases of this virus that they are having to deal with - that there are many shortages of equipment, that people have to stay safe! Is that not right? That is what you people have kept saying, you have staunchly held those rules - and have criticised anyone who broke them! That is right? Yes?

Then how do you relate this very serious world emergency - to allowing a number of planes into the UK, bringing a large number of foreign people from a foreign country, where the pandemic is still raging and also killing people, allowing them to sit close to one another in the closed confines of a plane, to here in the UK where we are still on a strict lockdown and the NHS are having problems dealing with the people already in the UK? We are talking of a number of about 1200 additional people, here, who may or may not be carriers of this virus. So sod all to to with a lockdown, is it? Then why are we British people on a lockdown then?

So someone is lying! Either it is a very serious, deadly pandemic - or it is not!

There are people here in the UK desperate for work. Morrisons had an open day today from 9am - 4pm to take on new staff. They had to turn applicants away at 11pm because they were overwhelmed. The NHS requested additional help - they were swamped with thousands of applicants - they too had to turn people away. So you are telling me that there are no workers for the farms?

[Ceam]

Skilled in this case means speed! It takes no brain power, no degrees - just speed!

Speed, fitness, Ability to use a blade without chopping ones hand off, Reliability, work ethic, team player.

Skills are skills no matter where they are learnt.

[said]

Speed, fitness, Ability to use a blade without chopping ones hand off, Reliability, work ethic, team player.

Skills are skills no matter where they are learnt.

In which case, every single person is skilled then. The yobs handle blades on a regular basis without causing themselves any injury, they can be relied on to cause trouble anywhere, they have a great work ethic when working with the gang - and are obvious team players.

[sandGroundZero]

Referring to said's post #20:

As someone who has first-hand experience of harvesting commercial food crops in the UK and elsewhere, I can tell you that it is not work that just anyone can pick up with a few hours worth of practice. Commercial growers are intensive agri-businesses. The hours can be gruelling. The pay is typically dependent upon output.

"Skilled in this case means speed! It takes no brain power, no degrees - just speed!"

…not quite accurate; it takes dexterity, endurance and resilience, too.

Growers, under demanding and often exclusive contracts with supermarkets, are squeezed from above — in 'normal' times lapses of quality can result in loss of their market. Consequently, they have become pretty hard-headed and often, ruthless towards pickers and packers. Also, they are rarely conveniently located; a motor vehicle is usually a requirement, else living in on-site accommodation, not always particularly pleasant. The days when working class Londoners could attend Kent's hop growers and think of it as a pleasant change of scene are past.

So, the fact that growers are demanding exceptional measures and that the government is prepared to accede does NOT signify that this virus and its containment is less than deadly serious.

The government for its part, cannot discount the possibility that some misjudgment may result in a turn for the worse — another wave of new cases, this time with genuine shortages of fresh fruit and vegetables into the mix! I believe you could fairly describe the importation of east Europeans to do this work as a calculated risk; but one they must take. Government will have weighed carefully in the balance the possible risks and benefits. Growers' negotiators have everything to gain by playing hardball! Recruiting inexperienced agricultural labourers at this time would almost certainly result in losses of crops and income.

.

[Ceam]

In which case, every single person is skilled then. The yobs handle blades on a regular basis without causing themselves any injury, they can be relied on to cause trouble anywhere, they have a great work ethic when working with the gang - and are obvious team players.

God you talk some crap.

[said]

Referring to said's post #20:

As someone who has first-hand experience of harvesting commercial food crops in the UK and elsewhere, I can tell you that it is not work that just anyone can pick up with a few hours worth of practice. Commercial growers are intensive agri-businesses. The hours can be gruelling. The pay is typically dependent upon output.

"Skilled in this case means speed! It takes no brain power, no degrees - just speed!"

…not quite accurate; it takes dexterity, endurance and resilience, too.

Growers, under demanding and often exclusive contracts with supermarkets, are squeezed from above — in 'normal' times lapses of quality can result in loss of their market. Consequently, they have become pretty hard-headed and often, ruthless towards pickers and packers. Also, they are rarely conveniently located; a motor vehicle is usually a requirement, else living in on-site accommodation, not always particularly pleasant. The days when working class Londoners could attend Kent's hop growers and think of it as a pleasant change of scene are past.

So, the fact that growers are demanding exceptional measures and that the government is prepared to accede does NOT signify that this virus and its containment is less than deadly serious.

The government for its part, cannot discount the possibility that some misjudgment may result in a turn for the worse — another wave of new cases, this time with genuine shortages of fresh fruit and vegetables into the mix! I believe you could fairly describe the importation of east Europeans to do this work as a calculated risk; but one they must take. Government will have weighed carefully in the balance the possible risks and benefits. Growers' negotiators have everything to gain by playing hardball! Recruiting inexperienced agricultural labourers at this time would almost certainly result in losses of crops and income.

.

Hey! We are not talking about our local farmers here! Those who run the picker/packer companies are mostly overseas businessmen without much knowledge of farming. They came over to Europe due to the very generous EU grants paid to land owners. Our own farmers did not get a look in! These prepacked produce do not have as long a shelf life as unpacked produce that we used to have - and the management of these fast grown products is so inefficient that there are many losses due to waste - that, we all have to pay for in the higher costs!"

[said]

God you talk some crap.

Takes one to know one!

[seivad]

Before migrant workers, before picker packers - the farming industry had ample workers drawn from the student population who needed to fund their education.

You claim to have lived on a farm, possibly one of your dad's occupations after you left the Nissen Hut commune? If so, you must surely be aware that produce is ready for harvest at different times of the year, and those times don't all coincide with student's holidays.

Students have never constituted a large enough workforce for farmers. And British farmers have always relied on migrant workers, even going back as far as the 14th century. After WW2 my grandparents always brought Irish labourers over to work on their farm. They housed and fed them. As a child in the 50s I loved them because they always bought sweets for my brother and I.

As I previously mentioned, the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme was introduced in 1945. Most of the migrant workerss who came to Britain under this scheme were Eastern European and Russian. The scheme was only cancelled in 2009 when it became apparent that there were more than enough EU workers available to fill agricultural jobs.

[sandGroundZero]

Regarding said's post # 25:

"Hey! We are not talking about our local farmers here!"

My remarks certainly include commercial growers in West Lancs. among those who supply the bulk of UK grown fresh fruit and veg. Which farmers are you talking about?

"Those who run the picker/packer companies are mostly overseas businessmen without much knowledge of farming. They came over to Europe due to the very generous EU grants paid to land owners. Our own farmers did not get a look in!

You introduce fanciful notions in a fruitless effort to vindicate your wrong-headed assertions. Grow up!

"These prepacked produce do not have as long a shelf life as unpacked produce that we used to have - and the management of these fast grown products is so inefficient that there are many losses due to waste - that, we all have to pay for in the higher costs!"

Do a quick search. Perhaps you can find some text to copy & paste that will support your claim. It is evident you do not have experience of any part of the supply chain in question.

[Toodles McGinty]

We are told that we have a particularly virulent virus, a pandemic! We are told to keep our distance from people, to wash our hands constantly, only to travel in emergencies and even then not to venture outside our local area. We are told that we have to remain indoors to do other wise could lead to many deaths. Our NHS is under huge pressure from all the cases of this virus that they are having to deal with - that there are many shortages of equipment, that people have to stay safe! Is that not right? That is what you people have kept saying, you have staunchly held those rules - and have criticised anyone who broke them! That is right? Yes?

Of course that's right. Don't you believe this is happening? Are you completely unaffected by it? You don't know of anyone that's died of it? Then count yourself extremely lucky, and spare a thought for those of us who have. Spare a thought for those vulnerable folk who are terrified by this virus and are under complete lockdown. The rules are clear, if you aren't a key worker or you can work from home, you don't go out. Simple enough to understand. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Then how do you relate this very serious world emergency - to allowing a number of planes into the UK, bringing a large number of foreign people from a foreign country, where the pandemic is still raging and also killing people, allowing them to sit close to one another in the closed confines of a plane, to here in the UK where we are still on a strict lockdown and the NHS are having problems dealing with the people already in the UK? We are talking of a number of about 1200 additional people, here, who may or may not be carriers of this virus. So sod all to to with a lockdown, is it? Then why are we British people on a lockdown then?

Because the country, the world, has to continue for all of our sakes. The country hasn't ground to a halt. People just aren't on the streets or socialising. Key workers are still emptying our bins, delivering food and medicine. Key workers are still ensuring water treatment plants are delivering fresh water to our homes. Maintaining nuclear power plants. Running care homes. Teaching kids of other key workers. Key workers are keeping our communications running, internet, newspapers, phone lines, mobile, TV. Key workers are keeping councils running, GP surgeries open, delivering petrol to petrol stations. Ensuring crime is kept off our streets, putting out fires. And doing everything else to keep life as normal as humanly possible.

That includes harvesting and processing food from our farms. Just as foreigners, as I've already said, bring food and medicine to our country from Europe and the rest of the world. Not sure why you won't accept this when other posters have told you already, but picking fruit and veg is a skill. Not, as you inanely put it, the same as carrying a knife around like a kids in a gang. Who, if you haven't noticed, die with alarming regularity. Skilled work. And time sensitive. We have to get the best available in the time available.

And as far as Romania is concerned, given the statistics, they are taking a far greater risk coming here than we are letting them in.

You sound like a petulant child. 'Other kids are going out, so why can't I?'. Grow up.

[Lorquinho]

A touch more grist to the mill.

Grower G group has recruited around 500 British workers over the last 3 weeks and is flying in 180 skilled Romanian workers to train the new recruits.

This is from a BBC Cambridgeshire report, not some wacky website in said's list of dubious sources.