Ianevs

Anybody see the programme tonight about Eastern European migrants working in England ("can`t come in today I`m not feeling well") Said the doley Englishman, I know it could have been all staged just for the sake of entertainment but it makes you think.

Pollyana

And your point is?

Sounds to me like a statement made by people the world over when they don't feel like going to work! Nothing particularly English about it

spartacus

Other than perhaps sloppy punctuation, I can't see a great deal wrong with the above. No 'Booker Prize' nominee though I agree . . .

paulry

It was a programme on the box last night called "The day the immigrants left"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...migrants_Left/

They trialed several long term unemployed people in typical Eastern European immigrant jobs. About 50% threw sickies and 50% of the remainder couldn't hack it. It seems that a lot of local people have lost the willingness to work since the late 90s.

kporte

I lost the willingness to work in the late 80's. I should have retired at 65, my own fault

paulry

CEM

I think the point was that all these locals were moaning about the Eastern Europeans coming over and 'taking all our jobs'. However, when they were given the opportunity to try out the jobs, most just couldn't, or wouldn't cope with the demands -waitering, potato packing and asparagus picking. The lad who couldn't go in because he wasn't feeling so good had actually sent a text at midnight the night before he was due to go into work saying, "I've just got in and I'm not feeling so well, so I won't be in tomorrow." Kind of begs the question why he'd just got in and from where. I suppose at least he let them know - the others just didn't turn up!!

I did feel sorry for one young lad who tried being a waiter in an Indian restaurant. He was given half a days training then was left to it, which wasn't very fair. I think the point the producers were trying to make with that one was that the govt is trying to limit immigration from outside Europe, but that we need proper Indian people working in Indian restaurants because British people can't do it, which is obviously rubbish, providing decent training is given. That poor lad didn't know how to spell most of the orders he was expected to take and why should he?

It was a predictable programme, but slightly worrying how many people (50% of the locals chosen) would rather find an excuse not to work. Not a peculiarly English thing though, you're right, except that the Eastern Europeans seemed to turn up on time, work really hard and efficiently and didn't moan about their lot.

Dreamy

Obviously I haven't seen the programme - but producers of programmes like this are going to pick the people who appear according to their own criteria.

I mean - Wife Swap wouldn't be very interesting if they didn't pick people with polar opposite views and attitudes to life, love and children. Similarly, the producers of the programme mentioned wouldn't pick people who they believed WOULD turn up and give their all!

sonlymewalter

Exactly. It wouldn't give them the same story.

Lazyness is not unique to the English.