“Thousands apply for fruit and veg picker jobs..”

[niknak_123]

They think they are too good for them.



As long as that?

I’d last about an hour. Bloody hard work

 

[ShieldsBlackCat2015]

Didn't know that, not right that a furloughed worker can make more money than they would normally.

Assuming you refer to people in the "picking and packing" industry, given what they earn, which can be counted in pence rather than pounds, what is so wrong with those type of people earning a more money than they normally would given that it is still nowhere close to an income that they can live on. Presumably even adding the furlough payments (if that is what it is called) to the wage of two companies, what they get in wages as picker or packer is so low that what they get in total still probably won't be enough to live on.

Why does society in general think these pickers and packers who work hard on farms to put food on the table of people who are not even grateful or thankful for the hard work they did or even know how it got there, don't deserve to have any kind of a decent income? Is the prospect that these people may actually earn a decent amount of money that much of a threat to people who earn far more for a far easier job?

I’d last about an hour. Bloody hard work

Wimp.

 

[Qwerty]

Assuming you refer to people in the "picking and packing" industry, given what they earn, which can be counted in pence rather than pounds, what is so wrong with those type of people earning a more money than they normally would given that it is still nowhere close to an income that they can live on. Presumably even adding the furlough payments (if that is what it is called) to the wage of two companies, what they get in wages as picker or packer is so low that what they get in total still probably won't be enough to live on.

Why does society in general think these pickers and packers who work hard on farms to put food on the table of people who are not even grateful or thankful for the hard work they did or even know how it got there, don't deserve to have any kind of a decent income? Is the prospect that these people may actually earn a decent amount of money that much of a threat to people who earn far more for a far easier job?


Wimp.

Are you saying theses farms don't pay the minimum wage?

 

[CatRyan]

Assuming you refer to people in the "picking and packing" industry, given what they earn, which can be counted in pence rather than pounds, what is so wrong with those type of people earning a more money than they normally would given that it is still nowhere close to an income that they can live on. Presumably even adding the furlough payments (if that is what it is called) to the wage of two companies, what they get in wages as picker or packer is so low that what they get in total still probably won't be enough to live on.

Why does society in general think these pickers and packers who work hard on farms to put food on the table of people who are not even grateful or thankful for the hard work they did or even know how it got there, don't deserve to have any kind of a decent income? Is the prospect that these people may actually earn a decent amount of money that much of a threat to people who earn far more for a far easier job?


Wimp.

I don't believe he was referring to furloughed fruit pickers... they are not furloughed. He was referring to furloughed bankers say who are then doing fruit picking for extra cash.

Profiteering from a global crisis was upsetting to that poster as it comes off rather like carpet bagging.

 

[ShieldsBlackCat2015]

Are you saying theses farms don't pay the minimum wage?

It’s the money, stupid

Many believe there’s a simple explanation: money. Growers pay a pittance and only workers from deprived parts of Eastern Europe are desperate enough to accept their poverty wages, they argue. If growers paid decent money, they’d be able to hire British workers.

But what’s the reality? There are no official figures for average wage rates, but feedback from the industry suggests the average wage for fruit pickers typically sits at or just above the national living wage (currently £7.50), with opportunities to earn more dependent on hours worked and productivity bonuses.

Laurence Olins, chairman of British Summer Fruits, puts average pay at between £8.50 and £10.00 depending on speed of work, while Steven Munday, CEO of trade body British Apples & Pears, says in his sector it is on average £300 and £350 a week based on 40 hours worked at £7.50 to £9. “Many can earn more by doing up to 60 hours or piece work. We have a good number earning over £500 per week on a 48-hour week,” he adds. Supervisors also earn more.

Many employers also offer additional benefits such as subsidised accommodation, free transport and medical support and sports and recreational facilities.

Why are so few Brits prepared to pick fruit?

The UK fruit & veg sector is at risk because Brexit has made it harder to hire seasonal workers from Europe - and Brits don't want to do the job. We explain why it's so hard to hire British workers for seasonal jobs, and what to do about it.

www.thegrocer.co.uk

I don't believe he was referring to furloughed fruit pickers... they are not furloughed. He was referring to furloughed bankers say who are then doing fruit picking for extra cash.

Profiteering from a global crisis was upsetting to that poster as it comes off rather like carpet bagging.

I see. I don't know what carpet bagging means but I will take you at your word.

That is disgusting if true. Are they so greedy for money they are prepared to take that job away from someone who struggles to live working all hours of the week? It isn't just a case of carpet bagging or indeed using a global crisis to earn more money than they deserve.

 

[CatRyan]

Why are so few Brits prepared to pick fruit?

The UK fruit & veg sector is at risk because Brexit has made it harder to hire seasonal workers from Europe - and Brits don't want to do the job. We explain why it's so hard to hire British workers for seasonal jobs, and what to do about it.

www.thegrocer.co.uk

I see. I don't know what carpet bagging means but I will take you at your word.

That is disgusting if true. Are they so greedy for money they are prepared to take that job away from someone who struggles to live working all hours of the week? It isn't just a case of carpet bagging or indeed using a global crisis to earn more money than they deserve.

That is what carpet bagging is. Derived from the American Civil War and men who set out to profit from that war by coming down from the north to the south which was on its knees to buy up land and political positions.

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

Assuming you refer to people in the "picking and packing" industry, given what they earn, which can be counted in pence rather than pounds, what is so wrong with those type of people earning a more money than they normally would given that it is still nowhere close to an income that they can live on. Presumably even adding the furlough payments (if that is what it is called) to the wage of two companies, what they get in wages as picker or packer is so low that what they get in total still probably won't be enough to live on.

Why does society in general think these pickers and packers who work hard on farms to put food on the table of people who are not even grateful or thankful for the hard work they did or even know how it got there, don't deserve to have any kind of a decent income? Is the prospect that these people may actually earn a decent amount of money that much of a threat to people who earn far more for a far easier job?


Wimp.

The furlough is there to stop people going into financial ruin.

If people can do another job to get themselves by, they shouldn't be given £2k of taxpayers money while they're at it.

 

[Goat Eyes]

The furlough is there to stop people going into financial ruin.

If people can do another job to get themselves by, they shouldn't be given £2k of taxpayers money while they're at it.

That’s not true. It’s there to encourage companies to not pay workers off with no prospect of gaining another job. There’s a subtle difference.

It’s a job retention scheme not a benefits scheme

 

[Lefty Frizzell]

It's a hard job, but not the worst. I had some shitty summer jobs as a young'n and picking fruit on the farm wasn't even close. Fit a fiddle, outdoor and the odd bit of free fruit. If your options are limited in terms of employment, worth a try at least if your body is up to it.

 

[Qwerty]

I don't believe he was referring to furloughed fruit pickers... they are not furloughed. He was referring to furloughed bankers say who are then doing fruit picking for extra cash.

Profiteering from a global crisis was upsetting to that poster as it comes off rather like carpet bagging.

You're correct, fruit pickers can't be furloughed if fruit needs picked. I was saying furloughed workers in other industries shouldn't be able to receive up to £1900 a month of tax payers money and then do another job. Others posters were suggesting it would be OK.

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

That’s not true. It’s there to encourage companies to not pay workers off with no prospect of gaining another job. There’s a subtle difference.

It’s a job retention scheme not a benefits scheme

Point still stands. If people can get the money by working another job in the interim then they don't need tax payers money and therefore shouldn't get it (at least not all of it).

 

[Goat Eyes]

Point still stands. If people can get the money by working another job in the interim then they don't need tax payers money and therefore shouldn't get it (at least not all of it).

What if you already had a second job and get put on furlough from your first job?

 

[DoctorMick]

Point still stands. If people can get the money by working another job in the interim then they don't need tax payers money and therefore shouldn't get it (at least not all of it).

Given we’re going to desperately in need of people do do these farm jobs it’s lucky it is incentivised, can you imagine many people doing it when the alternative is to sit at home and make the same amount of cash?
In some cases, taking these jobs will only make up the shortfall in their salary anyway.

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

What if you already had a second job and get put on furlough from your first job?

If you adjust hours so you are earning more than the furlough payment then no, you shouldn't get taxpayers money either.

 

[Mickdundee]

Point still stands. If people can get the money by working another job in the interim then they don't need tax payers money and therefore shouldn't get it (at least not all of it).

What if you’re getting 80% of your wage through the furlough scheme, and the second job on minimum wage doesn’t even make up the 20%? Someone on £30k a year who takes on 20 hours a week mw fruit picking for example.

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

Given we’re going to desperately in need of people do do these farm jobs it’s lucky it is incentivised, can you imagine many people doing it when the alternative is to sit at home and make the same amount of cash?
In some cases, taking these jobs will only make up the shortfall in their salary anyway.

I'd rather see the cash/jobs go to those who are currently receiving nowt, or indeed used for other vital services. Remember all of this is going to need to be paid for so will need to be balanced alongside NHS funding etc. in the future.

What if you’re getting 80% of your wage through the furlough scheme, and the second job on minimum wage doesn’t even make up the 20%? Someone on £30k a year who takes on 20 hours a week mw fruit picking for example.

If we're spending the money on that, what are we not spending it on? NHS, schools, local councils? Need to come from somewhere.

 

[Mackem DJ]

Given we’re going to desperately in need of people do do these farm jobs it’s lucky it is incentivised, can you imagine many people doing it when the alternative is to sit at home and make the same amount of cash?
In some cases, taking these jobs will only make up the shortfall in their salary anyway.

You want to get on the phone to the worlds leading scientists and tell them they’ve got it wrong marra, they don’t agree with your theory but obviously you know best.

 

[DoctorMick]

You want to get on the phone to the worlds leading scientists and tell them they’ve got it wrong marra, they don’t agree with your theory but obviously you know best.

You realise that makes no sense right?

I'd rather see the cash/jobs go to those who are currently receiving nowt, or indeed used for other vital services. Remember all of this is going to need to be paid for so will need to be balanced alongside NHS funding etc. in the future.

I’d like to see unemployed get priority as well but it looks like there are going to be far more jobs than applicants. It’s going to be critical that fruit and veg isn’t left to rot in fields.

 

[mickb2112]

I suspect, you suspect incorrectly.

I suspect that your suspicion is correct

 

[Ciro_DiMarzio]

Surely it should affect your furlough payments.

Work have told us we aren't allowed to take any other paid work while on furlough like.