Migrant
worker | | Migrant
workers - essential to the economy? |
The South West's economic
landscape is changing. The region is ever more dependent on migrant labour
with an influx of workers from eastern Europe and the Baltic countries. But
are we showing our guests the hospitality they deserve?
What are living
and working conditions like for migrant workers when they arrive in this country? We'd
like to hear from you if you're a migrant worker.
Email insideout@bbc.co.uk
with your experiences of living and working in the South West, good and bad.
The
new workers A generation ago Cornish men and women laboured in
the fields - today the workers are more likely to be from Lithuania or Poland.
Kestutis Klapatauskas arrived four years ago He's now a permanent
manager for Southern England Farms, who produce vegetables for supermarkets all
year round.  | | Migrant
workers - essential to the economy? |
They employ 170 Lithuanians.
Many
of the workers take home £15,000 after paying tax and National Insurance. Even
a low British wage goes a long way in Lithuania. The company also provides
accommodation in seven berth caravans. A recent survey of more than 500
Cornish employers shows that this reliance on foreign labour is not unusual. No-one
knows how many migrant workers there are in the South West, but one expert told
Inside Out that there could be as many as 50,000. Jobs
for the locals?
The asylum seekers who arrived in our fields
10 years ago attracted bad publicity.
Many came illegally and had to
be deported, but the current crop of foreign workers are EU citizens, and are
in the UK by right. We asked Cornish job-seekers why they turn down work
which their European cousins are happy to do.
 | | Police
checks in progress on a Cornish farm |
Most said that it was
because of low pay rates and better offers of work. But there are concerns
about working conditions for migrant workers on some farms. We spoke to
one migrant, Aurimas Urbonavicius, who told us that conditions have improved since
he started three years ago. But the Cornish authorities have organised a
week of surprise checks on 50 West Cornwall farms employing migrant labour. We
watched the inspectors as they visited a daffodil grower employing 120 Poles and
Lithuanians. Officials found no evidence of malpractice on this farm, but
checks will continue in future - as they will at other farms. Gangmasters At
one time gangmasters were used to supply staff but most workers are now employed
directly.  | | Police
- checking on workers' conditions of employment |
Smaller farms
are more likely to rely on gangmasters. The responsibility for checking
on their working conditions lies with the newly created Gangmaster Licensing Authority
- the GLA. Inside Out was on hand to watch the week of farm checks in Cornwall. Despite
some concerns over fire precautions, the inspection team are reassured that conditions
for most migrant workers are improving. But it's a mixed picture and GLA
investigations will continue as
Sergeant Graham Claybourn explains: "The
County is determined to protect its migrant workforce. "Government
research shows that the economy is improving because it is here."
Putting
down roots
The Eastern European community is putting down roots
in South West England. Rita Rucinskas left the fields to set up a shop
in Camborne, selling goods from Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Russia. It's
been so successful that she's having to move to bigger premises.  | | Diversity
- local shops produce from Lithuania and Poland |
in the meantime
some of the farm workers have also decided to stay in England. Kestas Klapatauskas
has moved out of his caravan and into a house in a nearby village with his girlfriend,
Yulita. He has no plans to return to Lithuania.
Despite the influx
of workers, we're likely to see less Lithuanians in the future because their own
economy is improving.
But some foreign workers are here to stay - if we
want a successful local economy, can we afford to be without them? Links
relating to this story:The BBC is not responsible for
the content of external websites | 
Inside
Out - South West: Friday February 16, 2007
