glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
The growers and gangs have got too big to manage them effectively
I worked on a farm in Western Australia, the farmers father came over to Oz from Buckinghamshire, and apparently got his start unloading bags of corn off the railway for a penny a bag. Others worked for a few days, then when they a wedge of money went off to the pub and stayed there until it was all spent. James said his father saved every penny, and used it for a start to buy his first land (I think his three sons farmed about 20 000 acres)My late father did peace work on the forestry commission they had a range of jobs he said first week on a job you made nothing but basic second week you made a little bonus third week you made a wage you were happy with , 4th week they moved you onto something else as it was costing to much in wages , he described it as great fun/camaraderie but really was white slavery .
Not read the article, but and as it is the Telegraph how many of their readership are picking field vegetables? Let alone willing to do so.
I’m sure MR Simmons could put you up in a static caravan with 10 other Lithuanians who have hot water for 10 minutes in a morning too spread between them all and charge you £500 a month each for the privilege.. that is the real reason there’s no brits picking on these fruit and veg farms… they pay bloody well but then claw there money back in accommodation expenses and they can’t do that with locals!As @delilah says, what happens if you don't live close enough for a reasonable commute (cars are expensive for young people to run) where do you live and how much does it cost?
I have limited experience of orchards but I did pick apples at a local one for two months this year as they were short and were willing to allow people to do school hours. Obviously us locals were on minimum wage (which is pretty good really) but there were a few 'professional pickers' from the islands, who we were told were on bin rate and could make a fortune, so I watched them with interest. The supervisor told me the bin rate and what they needed to do but none got close as far as I could see.No different than here with piece rates for orchard work, those that are prepared to put the effort in earn a good rate, equivalent to the one quoted in the article.
Well done
Your own business or for someone else?
Always amuses me when some kid onasomeone else's Fendt thinks he higher up the pecking order than me.
I don't mind manual work at all, a lot of farms I worked on when I was younger did a lot of manual stuff, but it was different to just doing the same thing all day, picking fruit and veg, the variety broke it up.My own crops, but would be happy to work for someone else but too busy.
Always amuses me when some kid on a Fendt thinks he higher up the pecking order than me.
Including the ability to pass an English language test set at a doctor level ?I never saw Brexit as having anything to do with preventing foreign workers from coming here. In fact au contraire we should now be free to welcome workers from wherever we like including the commonwealth and I am sure this will happen once the dust settles. Most importantly we will manage immigration to fill vacancies as we see fit, not as Brussels sees fit.
Yes our plan now is to allow only high skilled workers in, like doctors, scientists, nurses,engineers etc, thus depriving the countries they were trained in (usually poorer countries than the UK) the benefit of that training. Saves us from the expense of training our own!I never saw Brexit as having anything to do with preventing foreign workers from coming here. In fact au contraire we should now be free to welcome workers from wherever we like including the commonwealth and I am sure this will happen once the dust settles. Most importantly we will manage immigration to fill vacancies as we see fit, not as Brussels sees fit.
Orchards are different as are the pickers, some orchards are easier than others and some pickers are better than others, a good picker can earn very good money during the season a poor (idle) picker would struggle to earn the minimum wage. Back packers are generally very good, they do tend to have youth on their side though.I have limited experience of orchards but I did pick apples at a local one for two months this year as they were short and were willing to allow people to do school hours. Obviously us locals were on minimum wage (which is pretty good really) but there were a few 'professional pickers' from the islands, who we were told were on bin rate and could make a fortune, so I watched them with interest. The supervisor told me the bin rate and what they needed to do but none got close as far as I could see.
After a lot of questions the supervisor gave in and said although the bin rate had been made easier because of the poor crop, the pros were getting topped up to minimum wage most days.
I believe their accommodation came out of that too.
The hours were 7.30 til 5.30 6 days a week, 2 ten minute breaks and half an hour lunch. 30+ degrees some days, mostly ladder work under nets.
I'm sure other orchards are different.
Still going on today, crap wages, long hours, worst death rate than any other industry by a country mile.I think part of the problem is also agriculture has had a bad name for so long for poor wages and conditions , it’s hard to shake that off .
Many years ago alot of us went fruit-picking during the holidays, for uni [motocross] funds etcI have done that sort of work nearly all my life. I am too old and fat now but I can do £30 an a hour speed, only for 6 hours though. I have met a lot of good workers also capable of that kind of speed both British and foreign, it is very rare to come across one that can do it beyond 6/7 hours. Pretty much all the fast workers I have known have stopped after 6 hours even if they had more work in front of them.
It would be 6 days a week, or maybe 6 and a half, but yes the good workers could do it every day
My dentist is Romanian. He was here before BREXIT and he is still here after BREXIT. He is doing further training at a university hospital here as he can’t get that level of training in Romania.Yes our plan now is to allow only high skilled workers in, like doctors, scientists, nurses,engineers etc, thus depriving the countries they were trained in (usually poorer countries than the UK) the benefit of that training. Saves us from the expense of training our own!