Irish workers

thebaz · 30-06-2010 10:49AM #1

In these days of record unemployment I find it strange when i walk into any McDonalds, Coffee shop, Domino that way over 50% of the staff are non Irish - Chinese/Eastern European/Indian - is it that Irish people are not applying or Eastern Europeans/Chinese are perceived as better workers and will work for less - I am puzzled

Superbus · 30-06-2010 10:51AM

The latter.

easyeason3 · 30-06-2010 10:51AM

I'm guessing that whoever is employed there is good at what they do & are kept on.
Don't think the colour of your skin or your origin has anything to do with it.

PaddyBomb · 30-06-2010 10:56AM

But what if my mates see me working in McDonalds? I'd be like a failure!

So I'll stick to my succesful life of living off the dole.

Mike 1972 · 30-06-2010 10:56AM

OP are you just trolling or are you seriously suggesting these companies suddenly turn around and sack experienced and competent people who may have been with them over 2 years solely to employ new, unknown staff (probably without the necessary skills/experience) solely for reasons of nationality.

Such a thing would be highly illegal and racist but most of all would be pure idiocy.

Being Irish doesnt mean someone is owed a living.

30-06-2010 10:57AM

thebaz wrote: »

In these days of record unemployment I find it strange when i walk into any McDonalds, Coffee shop, Domino that way over 50% of the staff are non Irish - Chinese/Eastern European/Indian - is it that Irish people are not applying or Eastern Europeans/Chinese are perceived as better workers and will work for less - I am puzzled

Irish people didnt want these jobs and can I have fries with that?

Gyalist · 30-06-2010 10:59AM

They certainly don't work for less as they have to be paid at least the statutory minimum wage.

TheZohanS · 30-06-2010 11:00AM

thebaz wrote: »

In these days of record unemployment I find it strange when i walk into any McDonalds, Coffee shop, Domino that way over 50% of the staff are non Irish - Chinese/Eastern European/Indian - is it that Irish people are not applying or Eastern Europeans/Chinese are perceived as better workers and will work for less - I am puzzled

During the Celtic Tiger when we had full employment(4% unemployment is classed as full employment btw) in the country it was these non-Irish workers that took up the jobs that nobody else wanted. Any worker that proved themselves to be hard workers ware kept on, slackers were cut free, allowed to run through the medows.

Why the hell should they be let go now that the unemployment rate has increased? That would be racist. You're not a racist are you?

thebaz · 30-06-2010 11:00AM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

OP are you just trolling or are you seriously suggesting these companies suddenly turn around and sack experienced and competent people who may have been with them over 2 years solely to employ new, unknown staff (probably without the necessary skills/experience) solely for reasons of nationality.

Such a thing would be highly illegal and racist but most of all would be pure idiocy.

Being Irish doesnt mean someone is owed a living.

No , not all , but the likes of McDonalds and Dominoes would have a huge turnaround in staff - not sure what you mean by "being irish doesnt mean someone is owed a living"

I just find it strange in high unemployment that there is not at least a 50 50 breakdown

4zn76tysfajdxp · 30-06-2010 11:01AM

TheZohan wrote: »

Why the hell should they be let go now that the unemployment rate has increased? That would be racist. You're not a racist are you?

I am. Grrrr.

thebaz · 30-06-2010 11:04AM

TheZohan wrote: »

During the Celtic Tiger when we had full employment(4% unemployment is classed as full employment btw) in the country it was these non-Irish workers that took up the jobs that nobody else wanted. Any worker that proved themselves to be hard workers ware kept on, slackers were cut free, allowed to run through the medows.

Why the hell should they be let go now that the unemployment rate has increased? That would be racist. You're not a racist are you?

No I'm not a rascist , just find it strange - I believe in equality for all

phill106 · 30-06-2010 11:05AM

While it was predominantly foreign works 2-3 years ago, I am seeing a slight swing towards more irish working in fast food/retail. While not racist at all, i did find it a tad annoying when staff were shouting back and forth in their native language in the course of the work, ie at the till.
Coming from places that had huge amount of foreign workers, nearly all places had a company policy that english would be spoken language of the company, and would be used for all work communication.
Breaks you can speak what you like (though i had friends who were against that even!).

eightyfish · 30-06-2010 11:06AM

thebaz wrote: »

I just find it strange in high unemployment that there is not at least a 50 50 breakdown

Why?

plein de force · 30-06-2010 11:08AM

well a couple of years ago irish people wouldn't want to work there, the foreign workers were the ones who mostly applied, people still want dominos, supermarkets etc. therefore they're still working there, not really that much behind it.

thebaz · 30-06-2010 11:08AM

eightyfish wrote: »

Why?

well if i went to Warsaw to McDonalds and found over 50% of workers were Irish , i'd find that strange

Greyfox · 30-06-2010 11:09AM

PaddyBomb wrote: »

But what if my mates see me working in McDonalds? I'd be like a failure!

So I'll stick to my succesful life of living off the dole.

Anybody who see's someone working in McDonalds as a failure is an ignorant idiot. ANY job is better then been on the dole!

Gyalist · 30-06-2010 11:10AM

I have a friend who owns a small chain of coffee shops who only employs Portuguese. His rationale is that they have a better understanding of the concept of service and they don't blow off work just because it is a warm day and they have other plans with their friends, neither do they mind working unsociable hours.

AnonoBoy · 30-06-2010 11:12AM

I've seen a lot more Irish people in service industry jobs lately.

But I suppose some Irish people might be still a bit snobby about working behind the counter in a chipper.

denballs · 30-06-2010 11:15AM

if your going to ask a question .......you could at least ask a good one:(

a couple reasons.........

Irish workers tend to go for careers as specialy trained staff....and then stick to that career .....ive heard of many unemployed builders.....but no trained builders working in mcdonalds......

The managers of these places are usually foreign so hire their or other staffs foreign friends and family...........

If we sent 50 euro a week to our family it wouldnt feed them for a week.........

The majority of those working in such .......servitory.........positions do not have the legal right to either be in this country or to get the dole so as soon as they set foot on irish soil they need a job or there homeless.........

Also.....irish prefer foreign nationals to prepare/serve food......we mistrust other irish doing it as we assume they are somewat mentally inefficient.

easyeason3 · 30-06-2010 11:17AM

denballs wrote: »

if your going to ask a question .......you could at least ask a good one:(

a couple reasons.........

Irish workers tend to go for careers as specialy trained staff....and then stick to that career .....ive heard of many unemployed builders.....but no trained builders working in mcdonalds......

The managers of these places are usually foreign so hire their or other staffs foreign friends and family...........

If we sent 50 euro a week to our family it wouldnt feed them for a week.........

The majority of those working in such .......servitory.........positions do not have the legal right to either be in this country or to get the dole so as soon as they set foot on irish soil they need a job or there homeless.........

Also.....irish prefer foreign nationals to prepare/serve food......we mistrust other irish doing it as we assume they are somewat mentally inefficient.

I...think...you...could...be...wrong...

Mike 1972 · 30-06-2010 11:19AM

thebaz wrote: »

No , not all , but the likes of McDonalds and Dominoes would have a huge turnaround in staff

Perhaps the turnaround rate among foreign staff is lower ?

phill106 wrote: »

, i did find it a tad annoying when staff were shouting back and forth in their native language in the course of the work, ie at the till.

Why would it annoy you given that they werent speaking to you ?

PaddyBomb · 30-06-2010 11:20AM

Greyfox wrote: »

Anybody who see's someone working in McDonalds as a failure is an ignorant idiot. ANY job is better then been on the dole!

That was a joke. I taught this was posted in After Hours....

Oh wait... This IS After Hours.

munchkin_utd · 30-06-2010 11:22AM

thebaz wrote: »

well if i went to Warsaw to McDonalds and found over 50% of workers were Irish , i'd find that strange

youre not listening

this is a legacy issue from the boom times.
Irish people during the boom were only prepared to take cushy non customer service type jobs.
Irish people were also not prepared to put up with the arrogance and attitude (of the new irish rich) that you encountered from customers at the height of the boom in service industries.

now people are happy to have a job. But the non irish that were working in service industries are still there.

For example, my sister works in a coffee shop in the IFSC for the past 4 years. Shes the only irish one there.
Why? 'cos there were NEVER any irish applicants until a couple of years ago till all went belly up economy wise. And the foreigners are still there after years of working there.

The only way to "redress" the balance is to layoff the foreigners who have been working in these positions for years and years.

Is that what you want?

thebaz · 30-06-2010 11:26AM

denballs wrote: »

if your going to ask a question .......you could at least ask a good one:(

I think it is a valid question - and before the usual rascist jibe - let me qualify when i confronted 4 BNP skins on a tube last Easter about racist abuse - the politically correct were politically silent - i know that was london - but at least i stood up to real racism

AnonoBoy · 30-06-2010 11:29AM

denballs wrote: »

The majority of those working in such .......servitory.........positions do not have the legal right to either be in this country or to get the dole so as soon as they set foot on irish soil they need a job or there homeless.........

You're talking rubbish. If they're not legally entitled to be here then McDonald's aren't going to hire them.

eightyfish · 30-06-2010 11:39AM

thebaz wrote: »

well if i went to Warsaw to McDonalds and found over 50% of workers were Irish , i'd find that strange

We're not in Warsaw, though. We are in an EU country which had, until very recently, a thriving economy with plentiful jobs. Poland is part of a common labour market. With Cadbury's, Waterford Crystal, Dell and many other companies moving their manufacturing to Poland recently, don't be surprised if you start seeing Irish moving over there.

Mike 1972 · 30-06-2010 11:43AM

eightyfish wrote: »

With Cadbury's, Waterford Crystal, Dell and many other companies moving their manufacturing to Poland recently, don't be surprised if you start seeing Irish moving over there.

Actually under a little known piece of EU legislation known as TUPE When a company relocates within or between EU member states any workers who are facing redundancy may be entitled to transfer instead.

But this is rarely made clear.

marco_polo · 30-06-2010 11:50AM

thebaz wrote: »

well if i went to Warsaw to McDonalds and found over 50% of workers were Irish , i'd find that strange

Poor comparison really, a better one would be: Would you have found it equally strange to walk into to a bulding site in London in the 1980s and find say 50% of the workers were Irish?

The Waltzing Consumer · 30-06-2010 11:51AM

thebaz wrote: »

In these days of record unemployment I find it strange when i walk into any McDonalds, Coffee shop, Domino that way over 50% of the staff are non Irish - Chinese/Eastern European/Indian - is it that Irish people are not applying or Eastern Europeans/Chinese are perceived as better workers and will work for less - I am puzzled

I think you have forgotten one other reason. Many of these services are franchises, and many many of these, especially in city centre hire non-Irish because they can pay below minimum wage, get the staff to work under very tough conditions which Irish people will not work under. This means a high turnover of staff and they continue this trend as there are plenty of people to replace them. Irish people, if they have worked for a few years, can claim social welfare, so they will not put up with a manager who is breaking employment law because they are better off on the dole.

I have lots of foreign friends who have worked in tons of places around Dublin city centre for a few days to a few weeks and eventually leave because they get exploited so much and they can only do it for so long.
It is all about saving money on employment costs, so I don't blame Irish or non-Irish employees, I blame greedy managers looking to save as much money as possible. They will never get caught and they dont give a sh*t.

thebigbiffo · 30-06-2010 11:51AM

the OP asked what i think it a very valid question and opened an interesting discussion,

what really annoys me is the fact that at the first hint of someone talking about nationality the're accused of racism and the thread gets f'ucked over.

the PC holier-than-thou brigade out there can go f'uck themselves.

phill106 · 30-06-2010 11:52AM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Perhaps the turnaround rate among foreign staff is lower ?

Why would it annoy you given that they werent speaking to you ?

Because if they are in a position to be dealing with the public, they should be speaking the spoken language of the company in question.
Think of the reasons why a person would go against said policy, and speak their own language for a conversation.

1. They don't know specific words in english. No problem with that. Use those words in own language, and continue on in english.
2. They dont care about company policy and choose to ignore it. If they ignore one policy, they can ignore others, from cash handling to hand washing, too not sneezing on your gloved hands and asking me would i like a flake on my icecream or not.
3. They don't want customers to know what they are saying.

Again, these are only in english speaking establishments. I do not expect my local purveyor of oriental cuisine to speak english all the time.

Irish workers

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