Bulgarian workers/Keelings - read OP (threadbans listed)

McGiver · 16-04-2020 11:03PM

Tenzor07 wrote:

The rest of Ireland is for dairy farming and meat production etc. We're a net exporter of livestock and meat products. The lands are less suitable for fruit production in the West and more rain etc. etc.

Ah no. Highly subsided inefficient uneconomic waste of land that is the bovine industry. Lazy, backward, low tech farming. Use greenhouses and its irrelevant what land there is. Climate is extremely suitable for it here, very mild.

Diversify. Look at Holland how it's done. Automate, use greenhouses, use smart solutions, use less water, use less space, do more production. At least the East and the South could copy what Holland are doing. Supply domestic market with fruit & veg and export the excess. West maybe too windy rainy, that's probably right, but greenhouses could work there too.

On topic - cheers to Keelings as long as they isolate the lads for 2 weeks and house them on site.

Tenzor07 · 16-04-2020 11:04PM

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

Actually why is alcohol still for sale?
Lets see how they would cope if alcohol is deemed non essential.

Just wait until people realise that the ingredients for the beer they can freely buy and drink every day is grown on the land in Ireland then probably harvested by foreign workers!! :eek:

Scotty # · 16-04-2020 11:04PM

People seem to be under the impression that Keelings have no Irish staff. Keelings employ hundreds of Irish staff.

Thelonious Monk · 16-04-2020 11:06PM

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Just wait until people realise that the ingredients for the beer they can freely buy and drink every day is grown on the land in Ireland then probably harvested by foreign workers!! :eek:

As far as we know we don't grow any hops in Ireland, they're hard to grow apparently I looked into it for my home brewing!

howiya · 16-04-2020 11:07PM

Scotty # wrote: »

The picking of fruit and maintaining the food chain is essential. Therefore, this seems to be the part you don't grasp... travelling to pick fruit is essential travel.

Travelling to pay your respects at funeral is not essential.

Once again read the post. I said if I want to travel across Europe to pick fruit there's no problem. That implies a choice and a non-essential journey.

Its a very simple proposition. I'm surprised you can't grasp it.

NIMAN · 16-04-2020 11:07PM

I see a lot of posts about these folk getting paid a couple of Euro per hour.

Are foreign workers not protected by our minimum wage rates once they are working in the country?

Surely these workers are all above board and going through the books? It's not a cash in hand, black market job?

Atlantic Dawn · 16-04-2020 11:08PM

Scotty # wrote: »

The picking of fruit and maintaining the food chain is essential. Therefore, this seems to be the part you don't grasp... travelling to pick fruit is essential travel.

Travelling to pay your respects at funeral is not essential.

Strawberries are not an essential food item, they could rot in the ground and not a single person in the country would suffer any malnourishment, the only loss would be the lining of Keelings pockets.

Jinglejangle69 · 16-04-2020 11:09PM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Strawberries are not an essential food item, they could rot in the ground and not a single person in the country would suffer any malnourishment, the only loss would be the lining of Keelings pockets.

And what about alcohol?

Richard Hillman · 16-04-2020 11:09PM

NIMAN wrote: »

I see a lot of posts about these folk getting paid a couple of Euro per hour.

Are foreign workers not protected by our minimum wage rates once they are working in the country?

Surely these workers are all above board and going through the books? It's not a cash in hand, black market job?

They may have to pay for accommodation and only end up with X Euro

Tenzor07 · 16-04-2020 11:10PM

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

As far as we know we don't grow any hops in Ireland, they're hard to grow apparently I looked into it for my home brewing!

Not in large amounts no, some of the smaller craft guys do, e.g. Wicklow wolf.

We do grow other grains.

Markcheese · 16-04-2020 11:10PM

It's probably (from a contagion point of view ) safer to use the Bulgarian pickers ,they live on site .. they don't have their grannies with them ,so can't pass anything on to them ,probably all a youngish demographic ,so less risk to themselves ,and they'll be out working in fresh air most of the time ...

Graham · 16-04-2020 11:10PM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Strawberries are not an essential food item, they could rot in the ground and not a single person in the country would suffer any malnourishment, the only loss would be the lining of Keelings pockets.

What else will you stop production/harvesting of now then?

Beer/Wine
Chocolate
Those small yoghurts for the kids
Biscuits
Cakes
Coffee
Tea

All non essential.

You really want to start down that road?

Markcheese · 16-04-2020 11:10PM

It's probably (from a contagion point of view ) safer to use the Bulgarian pickers ,they live on site .. they don't have their grannies with them ,so can't pass anything on to them ,probably all a youngish demographic ,so less risk to themselves ,and they'll be out working in fresh air most of the time ...

Danno · 16-04-2020 11:11PM

blacklilly wrote: »

I am sickened by all the commentary on this.

Firstly keelings is an indigenous Irish company that directly and indirectly employs thousands of people. They produce top quality fruit and are a household name.

Secondly, show me the que of Irish people applying for jobs to pick fruit with them? The Irish are too above themselves (in the majority) to do this work. Simple as.

Thirdly, this is showing the Irish to be discriminatory and in part racist too. All the so called anger is entirely misplaced. Keelings are doing what the do every year to ensure they can supply our food chain with their produce.

The government are still allowing flights into and out of Ireland, what are keelings to do? Let their fruit crop die and rot?

I will make a point of buying keelings a this weekend.

I’ve no affiliation to Keelings whatsoever but the response to this has made by blood boil.

Calls Irish people lazy fcuks.

Then squeals racism.

Folks, you couldn't make this muck up. :rolleyes:

Atlantic Dawn · 16-04-2020 11:12PM

NIMAN wrote: »

I see a lot of posts about these folk getting paid a couple of Euro per hour.

Are foreign workers not protected by our minimum wage rates once they are working in the country?

Surely these workers are all above board and going through the books? It's not a cash in hand, black market job?

Could be receiving a salary through a shell company in Bulgaria, highly unlikely a single one of them will be employed here as a PAYE worker by Keelings.

Alrigghtythen · 16-04-2020 11:12PM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Strawberries are not an essential food item, they could rot in the ground and not a single person in the country would suffer any malnourishment, the only loss would be the lining of Keelings pockets.

Can you give us a list of essential food products. If I see someone in the supermarket with non essential items do.i call them out for putting the cashiers life at risk?

Scotty # · 16-04-2020 11:12PM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Strawberries are not an essential food item, they could rot in the ground and not a single person in the country would suffer any malnourishment, the only loss would be the lining of Keelings pockets.

Strawberries are part of the food chain and as such are essential. Like apples, mushrooms, salmon, orange splits... all food, all essential.

Thelonious Monk · 16-04-2020 11:13PM

If it was Irish people they would be going back to families and interacting with the community more. This is actually the safer option.

Atlantic Dawn · 16-04-2020 11:13PM

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

And what about alcohol?

No chain gangs are being imported in to the country to create cans of beer.

whisky_galore · 16-04-2020 11:13PM

Danno wrote: »

Calls Irish people lazy fcuks.

Then squeals racism.

Folks, you couldn't make this muck up. :rolleyes:

Can you be racist against your own race?
How does that work?

Tenzor07 · 16-04-2020 11:13PM

howiya wrote: »

Once again read the post. I said if I want to travel across Europe to pick fruit there's no problem. That implies a choice and a non-essential journey..

The workers flown in would work for an agency with a pre-existing contract signed with the growers, so you can't just rock up at the border of some country and say you're gonna try find work picking fruit... Apart from the fact there's no scheduled regular flights, most airlines have shut down apart from cargo in passenger jets and government arranged repatriation flights, private jets and charters. Of which the authorities can turn around like the Billionaires turned back when they tried to land for a party in Southern France.

Covid19 · 16-04-2020 11:14PM

Scotty # wrote: »

Strawberries account for about 1% of what Keeling process. Almost all fruit and veg on supermarket shelves is processed by Keelings. Having a workforce to do that is essential. With all due respect...

I completely understand that, but your missing the point of the original outcry. Cut away the usual racism, bigotry which come hand in hand in these threads and you get to the bones of why folks are enraged. It's optics. The Company have made a huge error in the way they have managed this response to the original outcry.
Especially given the stress that front line workers are under and the growing restlessness among those under continuous lockdown.

whisky_galore · 16-04-2020 11:14PM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

No chain gangs are being imported in to the country to create cans of beer.

They're not attached by chains.

Atlantic Dawn · 16-04-2020 11:14PM

Graham wrote: »

What else will you stop production/harvesting of now then?

Beer/Wine
Chocolate
Those small yoghurts for the kids
Biscuits
Cakes
Coffee
Tea

All non essential.

You really want to start down that road?

Which of these are importing staff?

Graham · 16-04-2020 11:15PM

The whole fuss is a knee-jerk reaction by people who really haven't thought through the consequences of limiting food to "essential items only".

If such a thing were even hinted at, there would be riots in Donnybrook Fair in the morning.

Tenzor07 · 16-04-2020 11:16PM

Covid19 wrote: »

The Company have made a huge error in the way they have managed this response to the original outcry.
.

The company response was in line with the Government guidelines, so what do you mean specifically/factually?

Covid19 · 16-04-2020 11:16PM

Scotty # wrote: »

Strawberries are part of the food chain and as such are essential. Like apples, mushrooms, salmon, orange splits... all food, all essential.

Thank Christ you were not around between 1939 and 1945.

Atlantic Dawn · 16-04-2020 11:16PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

They're not attached by chains.

Ok, can Keelings confirm each is taken on as a PAYE worker?

Danno · 16-04-2020 11:16PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

Can you be racist against your own race?
How does that work?

Are you assuming their race now?

blacklilly · 16-04-2020 11:16PM

Danno wrote: »

Calls Irish people lazy fcuks.

Then squeals racism.

Folks, you couldn't make this muck up. :rolleyes:

So show me the que of Irish people that would do this work?

Bulgarian workers/Keelings - read OP (threadbans listed)

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