Many of the new wave of Polish builders and tradesmen claim to be hard working and reliable and I’ve no doubt that the majority are skilled and honest. The knock on effect which several of my friends have noticed who work the building trade is they are losing jobs and work in general as the influx of immigrant tradesmen continues. Mercenary employers are of course reaping the benefit of a new market of readily available and cheap labour willing to work around the clock if need be. Companies who employ Polish tradesmen can obviously charge the same prices but pay their Polish workers less, the Polish are of course happy as they earn more money here than back home but resentful as they know they don’t earn as much as British tradesmen normally do.
So, employers are happy, the Polish tradesmen are happy and you’d think the punters would be happy too – not always!
Take Surrey based graphic designer Nita Bowers for instance, who hired Polish decorators to work in here newly acquired Dockland flat, which she bought for £215,000 with a view to rent.
At first all seemed fine until she visited the flat with her estate agent to find the Polish workers had changed the locks. She was then presented with a crude document which looked liked it had been copied from the internet that stated the Polish tradesmen were demanding squatter’s right. The police were informed but said they could take no action as it was a civil matter (of course police would be much happier handing out traffic tickets for minor offences). Fortunately the tradesmen left soon after, but not until after causing damage to the property.
In closing Polish prime minister Lech Kaczynski who visited Downing Street a couple of weeks back said ‘Britain was now the destination of choice for his “feckless” countrymen’. Sounds like the Polish government are as apathetic as ours with dealing with the current situation then as its recent been revealed that many coming here to work are claiming benefits back home as well as here.
So, employers are happy, the Polish tradesmen are happy and you’d think the punters would be happy too – not always!
Take Surrey based graphic designer Nita Bowers for instance, who hired Polish decorators to work in here newly acquired Dockland flat, which she bought for £215,000 with a view to rent.
At first all seemed fine until she visited the flat with her estate agent to find the Polish workers had changed the locks. She was then presented with a crude document which looked liked it had been copied from the internet that stated the Polish tradesmen were demanding squatter’s right. The police were informed but said they could take no action as it was a civil matter (of course police would be much happier handing out traffic tickets for minor offences). Fortunately the tradesmen left soon after, but not until after causing damage to the property.
In closing Polish prime minister Lech Kaczynski who visited Downing Street a couple of weeks back said ‘Britain was now the destination of choice for his “feckless” countrymen’. Sounds like the Polish government are as apathetic as ours with dealing with the current situation then as its recent been revealed that many coming here to work are claiming benefits back home as well as here.
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