I back this strike !!

[BlasterBates]

It seems to me that suffering unknown consequences is a bit 'suck it and see'. I have no problem with this approach as long as the person telling me that isn't hitting me with a big stick saying there is no alternative.

There's always an alternative, like employing UK workers on a UK based project. If there is nothing to prove or disprove this is the best way to go forward, no-one can tell me (or more importantly, those UK workers), that they are wrong...

As long as you're prepared to live with Brits losing their jobs working on European projects.

It isn't one way.

George Bush bowed to pressure to the steel lobby to save a few thousand jobs. He introduced steel tariffs and then faced the prospect of around ten times the number of jobs being lost by all the companies that used steel in their products to export. Needless to say the tariffs were repealed pretty smartly.

That is the problem with protectionism.

[M_B]

Let's leave the EU outside this (even if it obviously isn't).

For decades you destroyed most industries in your country to a point where you have acute skill shortages more or less everywhere apart from civil servants and finance jobs. Now isn't it a bit too late after countries like Germany or Italy financed most of these sector with their own taxes? Isn't it a bit hypocritical saying that now you have to save "british jobs" for british workers? The same jobs that you, yourselves, dismantled abroad because deemed of not being enough lucrative.

I think the point of the strike is that there is sufficiently skilled labour in the local area, but it is not being utilized. Therefore there is no skill shortage in this example as you describe. If anything there is an abundance of Italian labour willing to work at cheaper prices because the downturn has hit the Italian labour market.

[Cyberman]

There are plenty of Brits working all over Europe. The idea that Italians are all put up in the same B&B paid crap, is complete and utter tosh. The Italians are paid well.

It's not an idea !! They are all put up on a barge, and this story was in the news two weeks ago and I posted on it, but most chose to ignore it. I am very pleased that we are now taking action but knowing the way that our unions operate it could unfortunately lead to violence.

[Mich the Tester]

It's not an idea !! They are all put up on a barge, and this story was in the news two weeks ago and I posted on it, but most chose to ignore it. I am very pleased that we are now taking action but knowing the way that our unions operate it could unfortunately lead to violence.

You really don’t like free market Economics do you?

[KentPhilip]

I think the local workers have a moral duty to halve their pay to equal the immigrant workers. Then the local workers can be employed.

Will they do that? Will they f***

[Cyberman]

You really don’t like free market Economics do you?

I don't see what employing 100% Italians in the UK without any attempt to employing one British person has to do with a free market. Surely in a free market everybody has an equal chance of supplying their labour. This was a 'fait accompli' and totally immoral.

[Mich the Tester]

I think the local workers have a moral duty to halve their pay to equal the immigrant workers. Then the local workers can be employed.

Will they do that? Will they f***

Or perhaps resign en masse, band together into one company and offer better or cheaper services to potential customers. But don’t go thinking the world owes you a living just for being born in the right place.

[Cyberman]

I think the local workers have a moral duty to halve their pay to equal the immigrant workers. Then the local workers can be employed.

Will they do that? Will they f***

I think the least HMG should do is to find out what these Italians are being paid and the full reasons why British workers are second class citizens in their own country.

[Cyberman]

Or perhaps resign en masse, band together into one company and offer better or cheaper services to potential customers. But don’t go thinking the world owes you a living just for being born in the right place.

The French, Germans and Italians believe this, so why shouldn't we !!

[Mich the Tester]

I don't see what employing 100% Italians in the UK without any attempt to employing one British person has to do with a free market. Surely in a free market everybody has an equal chance of supplying their labour. This was a 'fait accompli' and totally immoral.

The contract was put out to tender. The customer chose from the tenders and selected a supplier, then signed a contract. Now it is up to both parties to fulfil their part in the contract. That’s how business works. If you want preferential treatment for native workers and businesses, then the best way is to nationalise industry and keep all work in-house. I would suggest you vote for these chaps at the next election. Heaven knows why anyone calls you CyberTory.
I'd sooner say Cyberscargill.