Before I begin to write about migrants, I think it only fair to declare a bias: meeting a migrant worker changed my life.
At the time, he was a cleaner at the college where I worked. I tried to impress him with my strong work ethic by staying as late as he did. He eventually asked me if I “just worked really slowly?”. And that was that. Two kids, lots of study, and a relocation later, we couldn’t be happier (however, I suspect our happiness index will go up a level when the schools can be opened safely again).
My life is infinitely richer thanks to immigration, and it is clear to me that it is ‘A Good Thing’. It is also apparently clear to the sector. Farms have relied on itinerant workers from ‘abroad’ for hundreds of years. And while some British workers were engaged in seasonal labour up until relatively recently, this supply has waned dramatically (to be explored in another blog).
Obviously, the current restrictions, combined with the changes coming due to Brexit, mean that a lot of farmers are facing a very uncertain future. The work of many organisations (including ourselves) to try to meet this labour shortage is ongoing and I have been heartened by the number of applications our new Skills Matching Service has received.
It will not be easy though, by any means. Some farms and land-based businesses have been overwhelmed by emails from job-seekers and are struggling to work through them before the season begins. Others are holding out on advertising vacancies in case the travel restrictions ease, concerned that locals won’t be able to cope with the kind of work involved, whilst the migrants are ‘happy to get on with it’.
I would encourage you to read some of the comments (which I would never normally do!) on the BBC’s Facebook page under the article about flying in Romanian workers to pick fruit.
Nearly 9k comments at the time of writing this unfortunately don’t paint a pretty picture. For example, there were several from Romanians themselves. Some of whom were appalled at what they felt was rejection by Britain because of Brexit, then the next minute being encouraged to fly here on chartered planes.
Whilst it is undeniable that many migrant workers will endure worse conditions than perhaps some ‘city dwellers’ might, that does not mean that migrants are ‘happy’ to work in this way, rather they are less likely to complain.
Or perhaps just can’t.
Over the past ten years, the number of victims trafficked for forced labour globally has increased, and in a 2018 report by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the UK is described as being one of the main destinations of trafficked workers in Europe.
Workers in several sectors may be erroneously labelled as self-employed, meaning they have little or no workplace rights and may be experiencing significant hardship. With restrictions on activity and movement being in place, there are of course also fewer opportunities for potential victims of human trafficking to be reported to the Police and partner agencies.
SPARC (Scotland’s Partnership against Rural Crime) are asking all of Scotland’s communities to be vigilant to the possibility that people in their area are being exploited and to help them tackle it. They ask that you look out for the following:
• Groups of people waiting to be collected for work or dropped off where this was not previously apparent.
• Houses of multiple occupancy where potential victims may be living
• Sudden increase in homelessness
If you think any of these things are happening, please contact: Police Scotland on 101, Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 121 700 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
There is of course a big difference between people who choose to come to work in the UK, and those who have been forced to do so. But regardless of their country (or county!) of birth, we have an obligation to treat our workers fairly. My other half endured some terrible treatment by employers but just ‘got on with it’, feeling that no one cared about it anyway.
This is by no means the norm of course, and I know that many in our sector were early (and proud) adopters of Fair Work practices.
Although not always easy to implement for workers, it is clear such approaches bring increased financial security and better health and wellbeing. For businesses, it brings more engaged, committed and adaptable staff, who are better problem solvers, are able to offer insight and ideas for business improvement and create value. Fair Work approaches can be used to improve organisational reputation and recruitment, reduce staff turnover, and lead to diverse workplaces rich in talent and ideas.
However, we also know that we need to do more to engage with and support employers who need to recruit, encourage, train and support a more permanent workforce, regardless of where they are from. How we do this might have to look very different in the future, so we are working with our partners to find new ways to make it happen, and I strongly encourage anyone with strong views (or even vague notions!) of what this should look like post COVID19 to get in touch with us at scotland@lantra.co.uk
Before the current restrictions, Lantra had already started working on an Induction pack for those new to forestry. It may be that other sectors would benefit from something similar, but in the meantime I would highly recommend that temporary workers read a guide from the Farm Safety Foundation for staying safe.
Personally, I think that moving forward our skills system will need to be more flexible, more responsive to the needs of regional areas and to work more efficiently. I would like our apprentices to be able to complete their training in different ways. To accumulate ‘packets’ of learning designed to suit the sector, and to be able to access training and support, regardless of age or where they are from.
I know that there is also ‘an ask’ for start dates of courses to be more flexible – to suit the nature of the work, not the ‘academic season’. This will not be easy to do , but it is vital if we are to engage industry and effectively unleash the creativity, talent and skills of all of ‘our people’, whether they come from Edinburgh, Estonia or Eastbourne!
As I write this, I find myself again working late, alongside my other half as two of our nation’s home workers. His days of cleaning (well, being paid for it at least), are far behind him. He now has a maths degree and works in a complicated job that I don’t really understand but which I do know involves spreadsheets. In immigration terms, he was an unskilled worker, but clearly this is not a permanent definition.
We should always try to buy local (Scotland’s Food and Drink’s new register will be a great aid in this process), but there is absolutely no doubt that a significant proportion of that produce is the product of a collective and international effort, and it is important we continue to recognise, celebrate and support the benefits that brings to our economy, community and our country.