Reply to: Strawberries and Cream

[_V_]

Dunno, some bright spark...Speech by Margaret Thatcher to United Nations General Assembly (Global Environment) 11/8/1989 - UNEP

She was looking to introduce "green" taxes I suspect. Way ahead of her time for stealth taxes...

[darmstadt]

Really?

Dunno, some bright spark...Speech by Margaret Thatcher to United Nations General Assembly (Global Environment) 11/8/1989 - UNEP

[DodgyAgent]

with climate change giving the northern regions good hot summers

Really?

[OwlHoot]

AGROBOT - Strawberry Harvesters - Home

I actually met a couple of Germans in the pub after they were commissioning an Asparagus picking bot down south a few years ago.

its all coming, what we need are brighter workers not more of them.

Well said! These old fogies (in outlook if not in years) who go on about the lazy youth of today are increasingly out of touch.

I mean who in their right mind would want to do any minimum wage job, unless maybe it was cash in hand with _no_ effect on their taxes or benefits?

[vetran]

How about designing a robot that can pick strawberries?

I mean how hard can it be to program something to detect a large red lump in the middle of a load of greenery, and transfer it to a basket?

Also, robots could clamber up trees and pick things like cherries or apples.

AGROBOT - Strawberry Harvesters - Home

I actually met a couple of Germans in the pub after they were commissioning an Asparagus picking bot down south a few years ago.

its all coming, what we need are brighter workers not more of them.

[OwlHoot]

I'm sorry, but this is just a little bit too much fear: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-farmers-union

Surely there is some way that job seekers or the long term unemployed could be enticed to do this work, I don't know how but it would get them moving at least.

Well you're just going to have to find a way (chain gangs anyone?)

How about designing a robot that can pick strawberries?

I mean how hard can it be to program something to detect a large red lump in the middle of a load of greenery, and transfer it to a basket?

Also, robots could clamber up trees and pick things like cherries or apples.

[LondonManc]

Minimum wage? Hardly.

I remember an excellent programme on the Beeb a few years ago "The Poles are coming to Peterborough" where the reporter bowled up outside the local Job Centre and addressed the assembled cider drinkers:

Reporter: Hey lads, fancy a job that pays £9 an hour? Unlimited overtime if you want it?

Lazy feckers: Yeah great, sounds good, what?

Reporter: Picking fruit and veg

Lazy feckers: Nah, no chance, feck orf

Indeed. Anything involving graft or without good benefits and many are not interested. The other side of the coin is those that can only take 16 hours a week because they'll be far worse off on 35 hours per week. It's a different world to the fortunate one where we're on per month what they're on per year.

[Platypus]

Minimum wage? Hardly.

I remember an excellent programme on the Beeb a few years ago "The Poles are coming to Peterborough" where the reporter bowled up outside the local Job Centre and addressed the assembled cider drinkers:

Reporter: Hey lads, fancy a job that pays £9 an hour? Unlimited overtime if you want it?

Lazy feckers: Yeah great, sounds good, what?

Reporter: Picking fruit and veg

Lazy feckers: Nah, no chance, feck orf

[LondonManc]

Not required. They are usually always covered by rolls of fat

FTFY

[DimPrawn]

How about students? Many years ago, students used to bugger off to warm climes to do a bit of fruit picking to build up their funds (and suntans.) Surely now with student fees being extortionate and with climate change giving the northern regions good hot summers this could be a viable alternative? Perhaps offer it as some form of incentive to cut down the payments on their loans?

Students are too busy on twitter dreaming up hashtags and playing Pokemon Go.

[FatLazyContractor]

put some suntan lotion on your plums next time!

Not required. They are usually always covered by someone

[vetran]

Strawberries and Cream in my world means something else

put some suntan lotion on your plums next time!

[Malcolm Buggeridge]

Surely there is some way that job seekers or the long term unemployed could be enticed to do this work, I don't know how but it would get them moving at least.

I'm sure this would be enough enticement for me:

[darmstadt]

How about students? Many years ago, students used to bugger off to warm climes to do a bit of fruit picking to build up their funds (and suntans.) Surely now with student fees being extortionate and with climate change giving the northern regions good hot summers this could be a viable alternative? Perhaps offer it as some form of incentive to cut down the payments on their loans?

[SueEllen]

well if they didn't penalise those on benefits for finding temporary work that might be a start.

If you take work and it turns out to be temporary then it takes 3 months to get your benefits back. Combine that with the pay being minimum wage and its hardly appealing.

^^^This

It's well known why many on benefits refused to do this work kind of work and zero hours contracts in factories etc.