What is going on in London?

[Quillan]

I remember a few years back a reported on C4 interviewed some lads outside one of these 7/11 shops, they were drinking extra strong lager from can's. He offered them a job which paid double per hour than the equivalent dole money. Everything was OK till he told them what the job was, picking fruit or veg (I don't remember exactly which) they then said it was too much like hard work and anyway they wouldn't work with immigrants because they stole jobs from 'British' people! I thought that they probably read The Sun or the DM (both of which publish this immigrates taking jobs rubbish) but then it occured to me they probably couldn't even read. [:D]

[Théière]

[quote user="LAiffricaine"]

I don't care the builder is Polish or from Mars or Neptune. I just care that the local unemployed is not hungry enough to get up, find a builder and be on that payroll. The dole cheque is far too easy to obtain.

[/quote]

As you are neither resident in the UK or have been out of work recently you are as usual talking from years previous, times have changed and it is very difficult to get much of any help outside of £65 pw. This is probably why they went looting in the first place, not that it is justified but with so many football players etc two a penny celebrities earning ridiculous income for barely doing anything and MP's dipping their grubby hands in the pot that is the environment modern life has created.

As I said before some of the looters in the block I look after have jobs, and their own properties, just looting for the hell of it.

No doubt you would also be the first of many to chime in "cowboy builder has only been doing the job 3 days, just trying to make money out of the unfortunate victims blah blah blah"

The problem with your simplistic view, once someone comes off unemployment benefit (they may be on other too) and commences a temporary job it takes a lot of waiting and re application to get the benefits back at the end of the temp job thus it becomes easier to stay one side of the fence or the other.

EDIT: sadly Q you may be correct, it is a sad indictment that in these times some people haven't learned to read or write, if that is the case then help should be offered to correct that if the crime rate is really to fall as it won't otherwise. In the UK you cannot discriminate on age so a new disguised form of ageism exists. Almost every reasonable job demands a degree and has people who have been working in the same field of work for 30 years have the necessary experience to adapt to a similar role they are unlikely to have degrees compared to the modern applicants who all seem to get them now then it is hard to get into a work position at around 50

[Frederick]

[quote user="pachapapa"]

The yank'll fix it.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bratton_in_talks_for_uk_police_job_EAjmLxveoK6KtTQ3YO96KM

 

[/quote]

 

He is supposed to be giving his advice for  free.   But after he has gone home ....Will the company he works for be sending high paid advisers  over under contract to advise .

http://waronyou.com/topics/freemason-william-bratton-working-for-former-kroll-inc-ceo-in-federal-government-security-firm/

[Quillan]

[quote user="Théière"]Almost every reasonable job demands a degree and has people who have been working in the same field of work for 30 years have the necessary experience to adapt to a similar role they are unlikely to have degrees compared to the modern applicants who all seem to get them now then it is hard to get into a work position at around 50[/quote]

Sadly degrees amongst the young are two a penny these days what with Labours 'drive' to get all youngsters in to university and thus not on the dole. The thing is however that for some jobs, IT etc, a degree is not enough, you need to be accredited by the Likes of Microsoft etc, that can cost thousands more of debt if you can't find a company to sponsor you.

[Simon-the-censored]

I've edited my original post here because I quite obviously didn't make my point clearly and ended up rattling a few cages. So here goes (again) .....

The UK Government are missing a trick - they have a huge workforce of 2.45 million at their disposal - in fact they pay for them already - the 'unemployed' drawing benefits.

If we assumed a 'fit & able' figure of around 80% - that's a heck of a lot of people available to do a days work. Work such as sweeping the roads, cleaning the streets, upkeep of public areas, working in hospitals and schools - in fact most of things that local councils are really struggling with due to budget cuts.

I know it's not a radical view but...I just don't understand the volume of free handouts in return for absolutely nothing in an economy that can't even support itself.

Simon :-)

[Quillan]

I have to say that apart from them not being able to sort out a job for me (not much call for and Ex RAF navigator) my experience was slightly different in that I was given redundancy and because of that I was technically not sacked and therefore they wouldn't give me any money. Mind you in fairness that was back in 1983 and things may have changed since then. I walked round Kingston (upon Thames) and saw a job that gave me a new car, it was in computing. Applied, had an interview and got the job so I was only out of work for about three weeks and I got a nice new shiny car to boot, happy days.

[NormanH]

That form of looting known as corporate larceny continues to rage

unchecked. Economic scavengers bring the world to the brink of ruin. We

don't need the discrepancy between rich and poor laid out in

percentages, we see the brute fact of it with our own eyes in the shops

and on the roads and in the restaurants of our richest cities. One

medium-sized banker's bonus would probably pay for all the trash that's

been looted this past week. And we don't even have the decency to

conceal the extent of this legalised pillage from those for whom,

without sentimentalising them, a pair of trainers is a treat. The Sunday

Times publishes its Rich List, celebrity magazines trumpet wealth,

television fetishises unmerited success and, since we've mentioned

trainers, you tell me, reader, who the young get the idea of their

desirability from. Even in Tottenham you are not born needing trainers. A

craving for trainers is not inscribed in the DNA of the poor. There's

an irony in the sight of those peddling tat to people who can't afford

it being the first to have their windows smashed.

From http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/howard-jacobson/howard-jacobson-they-may-be-criminals-but-were-the-ones-who-have-created-them-2336895.html

[NormanH]

Reminds me of the young lad coming home with a bad school report.

When his father confronted him he asked " Do you think it is the fault of my upbringing or is it just in my genes?'

[Rose]

[quote user="Quillan"]

I know 5E, believe me if he wanted to 'have a go' he would have

[/quote]

Sorry to go off topic here but... well... I'm so sorry ... but I always thought 5E was a she - I have absolutly no idea why... but how wrong could I be!  [8-)]

[Russethouse]

 Me too, Rose [8-)]

[Russethouse]

 Whatever it was I think it best deleted, it doesn't seem worth losing a forum contributer over......

[audio]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Simon - I know 5E, believe me if he wanted to 'have a go' he would have. [;-)]

[/quote]

He or she? someone is telling porky pies

[audio]

[quote user="Russethouse"] Whatever it was I think it best deleted, it doesn't seem worth losing a forum contributer over......[/quote]

A bit late now, the damage has already been done.

[nomoss]

If 5E is female, before she tells the tale again (I'm sure it is a favourite one), she should think about what the caller was doing while she was talking to him [:D]

Edit: Grammar

[Gardian]

I'd just like everybody to know that (the last time I looked) I was definitely a he. [:D]

[Quillan]

Just to say it was late last night and I called a she a he by accident, I was rather tired, a slip of the fingers as it were and she has been around on the forum a .long time, no offence intended to 5E. Sorry for the confusion.

[NormanH]

[quote user="Gardian"]I'd just like everybody to know that (the last time I looked) I was definitely a he. [:D][/quote]

And what were you doing at the time ?? [6]

[Benjamin]

I'm a bit surprised that the human rights lobbyists haven't been squawking on with all these CCTV shots being shown.

Doesn't "Imelda" look pleased with herself?   [6]

[LAiffricaine]

[quote user="Théière"] [quote user="LAiffricaine"] I don't care the builder is Polish or from Mars or Neptune. I just care that the local unemployed is not hungry enough to get up, find a builder and be on that payroll. The dole cheque is far too easy to obtain. [/quote]

As you are neither resident in the UK or have been out of work recently you are as usual talking from years previous, times have changed  ....[/quote]

Théière  [:D] ... A word of warning  [:(] I am sensing a certain assumption reading between the lines from your reply.

I am French but I have lived in the UK since 1976. I have always worked since leaving school aged 16, except when taking a voluntary 10 yearbreak to raise my 2 children. Even then I still worked, be it unpaid and receiving no benefits, helping my husband run his farm. I am back in full time employment for a good 15 years now and have also the misfortune of having to work more years beyond 60 to get my full pension since the reworking of pensions as per the bill of 2011. I would love to give my job to a local person so I can get on with more personal projects. Unfortunately my job requires to speak French and learning another language is not something that Brits are reknowned for. Most of my colleagues don't want to entertain the idea of learning even the basics.

My experience IS that in the very many places I have worked, whenever there was  a vacancy to fill in, 3 out of 5 applicants were foreigners. These foreigners were always presentable with a clean shirt on their back, on time at their interviews and on time at work. They were willing to do anything for a roof over their heads and a full stomach. Any local applicants once they'd managed to get to an interview quite often late, in a somewhat dubious attire, then heard of the work to do, in some cases of the unsociable hours and the wages, would just go away saying it's much easier on the dole. 

Do not get me going on the welfare state. I do sympathise on very few cases where the benefits are due to the individuals in genuine hardship. BUT I have also witnessed the system being blatently abused over and over again. It is far too easy to obtain with no accountability or responsability on the part of the receiver.  

I definitely do not read the Daily Wail, which IMO is on par to defunct N.O.t.W. 

I do know that times have changed. My children, nephews and nieces are forever telling me so. A few things remain timeless though : The individual's pride, decency and responsibility towards society at large.

Rant over and genuinely no rancour [:D]                                                                     

As usual [;-)]

 

 

 

[ebaynut]

[IMG]http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk77/ebaynut/dave/behindyou.jpg[/IMG] Dont worry everyone, Dave has it "sorted".

[Benjamin]

The little monkeys.  [:-))]

[Théière]

[quote user="LAiffricaine"]

[quote user="Théière"] [quote user="LAiffricaine"] I don't care the builder is Polish or from Mars or Neptune. I just care that the local unemployed is not hungry enough to get up, find a builder and be on that payroll. The dole cheque is far too easy to obtain. [/quote]

As you are neither resident in the UK or have been out of work recently you are as usual talking from years previous, times have changed  ....[/quote]

Théière  [:D] ... A word of warning  [:(] I am sensing a certain assumption reading between the lines from your reply.

I am French but I have lived in the UK since 1976. I have always worked since leaving school aged 16, except when taking a voluntary 10 yearbreak to raise my 2 children. Even then I still worked, be it unpaid and receiving no benefits, helping my husband run his farm. I am back in full time employment for a good 15 years now 

Rant over and genuinely no rancour [:D]                                                                     

As usual [;-)]

[/quote]

As I said you are 15 years out of date, Job seekers allowance as it's called now is not means tested so payable to everyone even to the foreigners who haven't contributed to our UK country, no wonder they can afford to look smart on our money with their lower cost of living countries. I have friends who cannot compete with six people sharing one room (only one applicant sees the landlord) for £70pw. Do I want my standard of living brought down to that level NO. I sincerely hope the eastern Europeans and other cheap working foreigners get jobs in accounts, purchasing, IT, and upset the other people who think it's so clever to hire the cheapest workers, but I digress.

To continue to qualify for job seekers allowance you must now complete a log of jobs applied/researched and present this whenever required and that is not a regular appointment. Appointments are at all different times and days so people cannot be working on the sly. On the other hand I have been self employed for 20years after many years previously as an employee and I cannot claim anything although I have contributed to the system [:@] Last year when I was unable to work through ill health I received a tiny bit of assistance with my council tax for a short time, if I had been employed within the last 2 years I would have qualified for some assistance, bloody marvelous system we operate!

We don't teach language or science properly in the UK so will end up the cheap workers of Europe before too long, what has just taken place in England has left many feeling disgusted so will bring about some change but in typical English style too little too late.

Theses are a couple of pictures I took of North end Croydon where I had my first flat, Kids did this, luckily I am not anything to do with government or the perpetrators would never be seen again. Croydon or Sarajevo? 

[IMG]http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww13/picturebouquet/IMAG0246.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww13/picturebouquet/IMAG0247.jpg[/IMG]

[Russethouse]

 Talk about sweeping generalisation, 2 or 3 years ago I might have agreed with you, but  I think the days of people sharing rooms like that have gone, the jobs that made that attractive seem to have petered out, around here anyway. Also I'm told decent  clothes in Eastern Europe are expensive, so its likely the items were bought here at the same price as everyone else. I've said this before so I'm not going to labour the point - my mother is looked after by carers in her own home - the one who is head and shoulders above the others as far as care and work ethic are concerned is a Bulgarian girl, she's the one who has got herself through heavy snow and flood in order to look after my mother....and for what ? £2 a call !!! She is happy to do what she thinks is needed where as the others, British born, often  just want to get out the door as soon as possible and do the minimum

My daughter was on Job Seekers for 7 months and far from her appointments being at different times they were usually the same within an hour or so.....yes she had to keep a log of jobs she applied for and would have been able to claim interview costs in some circumstances (she didn't)  

[Chancer]

Théiére

Forgive me for asking but I didnt follow what you were trying to say:

No wonder they can afford to look smart on our money with their lower cost of living countries. I have friends who cannot compete with six people sharing one room

Compete with/for what?

 

[Pommier]

I think Théière is a bit confused about JSA.

From the government's website

'There are two types of Jobseeker's Allowance, 'contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance' and 'income-based Jobseeker's Allowance'.

Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance

You may be entitled to claim contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance if you have paid enough National Insurance contributions (NICs). Jobcentre Plus can pay this for up to 182 days. Generally, self-employed contributions will not help you qualify for contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

This is based on your income and savings. You may get this if you have not paid enough NICs (or you've only paid contributions for self-employment) and you're on a low income.'

This means that for those people who haven't paid sufficient NI contributions, JSA is indeed means tested.