Polish workers strike in UK

MakeEmLaugh

Thousands of Polish workers in the UK are preparing to go on strike on Thursday 20th August. It's a strike in protests of, according to The Independent (UK), “discussions on Polish internet forums by people angry at immigrants being blamed for Britain's economic problems.”

They have even printed t-shirts which say 'Enough! Stop Blaming Us!'

It is supported by some, such as the weekly Polish-language newspaper the Polish Express. However, Tadeusz Stenzel, chairman for the Federation of Poles in Great Britain, was against the idea.

Others such as lawyer George Byczynski, coordinator of the British Poles Initiative, are suggesting people donate blood instead of going on strike. So did Joanna Dabrowska, chair of the Conservative Friends of Poland, and Ella Vine, chair, Labour Friends of Poland.

How do you feel about this idea? Personally, while I'd rather they didn't strike, I do have sympathy for them as people who are subject to constant abuse, when all they did was move to a country in an entirely legal fashion, paying all the requisite taxes, because they wanted a better life for themselves.

Gatling

Idiotic idea .

dodderangler

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

Thousands of Polish workers in the UK are preparing to go on strike on Thursday 20th August. It's a strike in protests of, according to The Independent (UK), “discussions on Polish internet forums by people angry at immigrants being blamed for Britain's economic problems.”

They have even printed t-shirts which say 'Enough! Stop Blaming Us!'

It is supported by some, such as the weekly Polish-language newspaper the Polish Express. However, Tadeusz Stenzel, chairman for the Federation of Poles in Great Britain, was against the idea.

Others such as lawyer George Byczynski, coordinator of the British Poles Initiative, are suggesting people donate blood instead of going on strike. So did Joanna Dabrowska, chair of the Conservative Friends of Poland, and Ella Vine, chair, Labour Friends of Poland.

How do you feel about this idea? Personally, while I'd rather they didn't strike, I do have sympathy for them as people who are subject to constant abuse, when all they did was move to a country in an entirely legal fashion, paying all the requisite taxes, because they wanted a better life for themselves.

I won't lose sleep over it.
Considering the signs that used to outside the construction sites in Poland that said irish need not apply and no irish.
If we done that to them years ago there'd have been an uproar over it

EDit

What a phenomenally stupid thing to suggest/do. The point of striking is to force your employer to agree to concessions, but what can these peoples employers do about things said on an Internet forum. Also, I am pretty sure that if I arbitrarily took a day off to strike because I was offended by something on the Internet, my company would have grounds for my dismissal.

Minderbinder

so they're making the people who gave them a job and held no prejudices against them suffer for society having prejudices against them?

maybe they should have a polish pride parade and do more to introduce their culture if they want a positive response from society.

society is blaming immigrants who aren't working. obviously it's unfortunate that working immigrants are sometimes given a hard time but that happens to immigrants everywhere.

pickarooney

"They took our jobs and aren't even doing them!"

Sunnyisland

Polish the pole dancers

RichardCeann

Yeah, that'll really help get public opinion onside. This is a bad tactic. The Polish have a good reputation with UK employers. This could sully it somewhat and as this Independent article mentions, they may not be legally entitled to go on strike for such arbitrary reasons.

And Jason Heyes, Professor of Employment Relations at University of Sheffield, warned: “The idea of a one-day strike is fraught with difficulties. The minimum necessary conditions for lawful strike action, including the existence of a trade dispute, would not be present so any workers deemed to be striking would not have the protection that is extended to workers taking lawful strike action.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/thousands-of-polish-workers-to-take-part-in-the-first-ever-migrant-workers-strike-in-britain-10445970.html

Sunnyisland

Haven't a clue what that even means

shane9689

Bah, Britain is a different basket of problems compared to here. Unfortunate they feel that way, theyre probably the best immigrants you could have, they work hard keep quiet and are culturally not far off.

Streetwalker

shane9689 wrote: »

Bah, Britain is a different basket of problems compared to here. Unfortunate they feel that way, theyre probably the best immigrants you could have, they work hard keep quiet and are culturally not far off.

Worked with a group of them before they are no harder workers than Irish people. How is "keeping quiet" an good thing?

Herb Powell

Not quite sure I understand what's going on here.

speedboatchase

Streetwalker wrote: »

Worked with a group of them before they are no harder workers than Irish people. How is "keeping quiet" an good thing?

I would rather people who "kept quiet" and obey the law while assimilating over immigrants who want new laws enacted that conform to their religious beliefs/ethnic background.

Of course it's all the fault of immigrants. It's hardly the fault of wealthy British business people and their politicians who want immigrants in large numbers in order to keep competition going among workers and thus keep wages down? Not to mention that the immigrants will not exactly be living in the same areas as the aforementioned wealthy - put the immigrants in the same area as the people whose jobs they "take". Inspired social engineering.

It's a preposterous idea for British poor people to blame British rich people. And the tabloid media, owned by rich British people, will make sure those foreigners are blamed. Scapegoats rule.

For Forks Sake

Streetwalker wrote: »

How is "keeping quiet" an good thing?

Have a look at the locals reactions to large influxes of Irish in certain parts of Australian cities for an idea.....

Nodin

dodderangler wrote: »

I won't lose sleep over it.
Considering the signs that used to outside the construction sites in Poland that said irish need not apply and no irish.
If we done that to them years ago there'd have been an uproar over it

The ones that there was never any proof of, those ones.....

gctest50

shane9689 wrote: »

Bah, Britain is a different basket of problems compared to here. Unfortunate they feel that way, theyre probably the best immigrants you could have, they work hard keep quiet and are culturally not far off.

i think you are mixing up immegrants and slaves

work hard ? i'd prefer to see a few of them set up a good business and relax a bit

culturally not far off ? it'd be better if they didn't turn into teletubbies and lash on teh fake tan

Kevhog1988

they do get some stick here in the uk. The tans are always giving out about them tbh.

Herpes Cineplex

Deleted User wrote: »

Of course it's all the fault of immigrants. It's hardly the fault of wealthy British business people and their politicians who want immigrants in large numbers in order to keep competition going among workers and thus keep wages down? Not to mention that the immigrants will not exactly be living in the same areas as the aforementioned wealthy - put the immigrants in the same area as the people whose jobs they "take". Inspired social engineering.

It's a preposterous idea for British poor people to blame British rich people. And the tabloid media, owned by rich British people, will make sure those foreigners are blamed. Scapegoats rule.

Looks you nailed it.:)

RichardCeann

theemigrant wrote: »

they do get some stick here in the uk. The tans are always giving out about them tbh.

Emigrate to the UK. Refer to the natives as 'tans'.

Good man.

suicide_circus

Thread needs a pole

wilhelm roentgen

Is Mr Muscle Polish?

Je suis tres mal

wilhelm roentgen wrote: »

Is Mr Muscle Polish?

No, it's cleaner.
You need Mr Sheen.

Kevhog1988

RichardCeann wrote: »

Emigrate to the UK. Refer to the natives as 'tans'.

Good man.

They are the Benefit class.... the reason im there is because there is a job market for guys like me. The indigenous guys refuse to work... i have offered them work in the past and they say "its against my religion". I live in one of the poorest areas of the uk and still we struggle to hire lads who actually want to work.

wilhelm roentgen

theemigrant wrote: »

They are the Benefit class.... the reason im there is because there is a job market for guys like me. The indigenous guys refuse to work... i have offered them work in the past and they say "its against my religion". I live in one of the poorest areas of the uk and still we struggle to hire lads who actually want to work.

where? there's quite a few TBH

For Forks Sake

theemigrant wrote: »

they do get some stick here in the uk. The tans are always giving out about them tbh.

"dey et er swans"

Kevhog1988

For Forks Sake wrote: »

"dey et er swans"

haha they do say stuff like that!!!

Nodin

wilhelm roentgen wrote: »

Is Mr Muscle Polish?

No, that's Mr Muzkle you're thinking of.

Das Reich

Polish are just a scapegoat because they are white, same thing in other countries (Albanians in Greece, Romanians in Italy, Ukrainians in Spain etc). If you blame eastern European nobody will call you a racist (a word everybody is affraid to be called).

The fact is that they are better immigrants Ireland could have as they not want to change the local religion or culture but only save money to go back home.

Galwayguy35

Nodin wrote: »

The ones that there was never any proof of, those ones.....

I work with Poles and they told me this themselves, just because in your sunshine and lollipops world it would seem inconceivable that such a thing would happen doesn't mean that it didn't.

Galwayguy35

The strike might end up making the atmosphere between the Polish and the British even more strained than it was before.

Nodin

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

I work with Poles and they told me this themselves, just because in your sunshine and lollipops world it would seem inconceivable that such a thing would happen doesn't mean that it didn't.

People have told me all sorts over the years that their friends, relatives, wives and dogs in the street have all told them. The vast majority aren't true. In the age of the poxy cameraphone, when no pictorial evidence arrives, it says little for the story.

That being said, if somebody said some Poles were reluctant to hire non-Poles it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Galwayguy35

Nodin wrote: »

People have told me all sorts over the years that their friends, relatives, wives and dogs in the street have all told them. The vast majority aren't true. In the age of the poxy cameraphone, when no pictorial evidence arrives, it says little for the story.

That being said, if somebody said some Poles were reluctant to hire non-Poles it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Well I'm only going on what the man told me, don't see why he would lie about it, he made the point that Polish jobs should be for Polish people first.

The irony seemed to be lost on him that he was telling this to an Irish guy on a building site here.