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UNSKILLED LABOUR

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The recent announcements about the Government’s points-based immigration proposals have prompted some discussion among a number of my Facebook chums on how, exactly, one job’s worth can be compared with another.  Care workers, for example, are often cited in this regard.

Well, there are instruments for evaluating the relative worth of jobs – I myself used to be a licensed practitioner of these.  They might centre on the level of accountability, the physical demands of the job, the number of staff under supervision, the independence of decision-making or the extent of budgetary control.  Not objective, of course, but nevertheless pre-agreed as criteria with the trade unions or workers’ representatives.

My own assessment of “unskilled” is a little more rudimentary these days.  I would gauge an activity “unskilled” if I or anyone else could do it with no training or previous expertise.

Like poetry, for example.

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Comments

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John Coopey

Mon 16th Mar 2020 07:40

I am not sure agricultural machinery is capable of replacing all unskilled manual activities, MC, or that all of those on benefits are physically capable of unskilled work or in the right location when the need arises.

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M.C. Newberry

Sun 15th Mar 2020 21:28

I am curious about the "unskilled labour" used for rural picking and
planting etc. The average farmer seems well enough equipped with
expensive machinery designed for just about anything that a bent
back and a pair of hands could do. Also - local authorities should be
examining the jobs and the wages offered and be comparing the finances involved with those public funds paid out to the unemployed
in their areas, with the appropriate government department(s) overseeing how the two can be brought into some sort of progressive
profitable alignment.

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John Coopey

Sun 15th Mar 2020 10:43

The funny thing, Po, is that they could understand the Scots who spoke in that guttural aggressive bark of Glasgow, completely unintelligible to me, but struggled with my English.

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John Coopey

Sun 15th Mar 2020 10:24

I worked on a contract near Glasgow some years ago, Po. The Company had about 200 employees of which around 50 were East European, mostly Polish. When I asked why they didn’t employ local labour instead they told me all the jobs had been locally advertised but there’d been no takers. Several of the Immigrant workers had been promoted onto the management ladder and had forged permanent family life in Scotland.

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John Coopey

Sat 14th Mar 2020 23:33

Certificate available for £29.99, Po.

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John Coopey

Sat 14th Mar 2020 20:44

Many thanks, fellas.
Brian - it is a familiar position for me.
Po - I too am what is known in Barnsley as “a good all-rounder at nowt”.

<Deleted User> (18980)

Sat 14th Mar 2020 19:16

Careful John...they'll be scratching your eyes out!

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