General Chat

It'd be a much smaller kitchen then Rose.

and evidently someone who has never tasted my cooking Teresa lol it is not my forte :-D ( not sure I have one actually ! ).

Its always the same. Immigrant workers get the blame for eveything. Well its a croc. If it wasnt for immigrant workers we wouldnt have an NHS. And to talk about special tax offices at Heathrow - well, theres a tax reclaim office in every airport in the world! To insinuate that its for Egyptians to rip us off by tax evasion is utter unbelievable nonsense!

Racism is never far beneath the surface in the UK. If these myths are repeated often enough they become fact. Note how they are almost always related in the third person. Sorry, but hearsay isnt admissable.

I don't think any one is actually blaming immigrant workers

It's more the fact that some do take our system and use it for their own gain, much the same as other people in this country do and it's not all based on myth or hearsay?

I worked for a company you no the type?

one of those agricultural ones who said they needed migrant workers because the Brits think it's beneath them to do manual labour?

They employed over 150 full time and 150 through an employment agency, All where local with in 20 miles,

over night the 150 agency workers where replaced with migrant workers and over the next 12 months the 150 full time workers were reduced to just a hand full of management and the rest replaced with migrant workers

So over 260 people where put out of work who the company/management had been happy to employed for years,

And that is fact

I worked along side migrant workers at that company and this info i am adding is first hand and not from a third party, my job took me to other agricultural companies and they in the main did the same thing with their workforce and before any one thinks this is sour grapes on my part i left the company on good terms and only last week the MD rang me to ask how i was doing and that if ever i wanted a job to ring him first because in his words people like me are hard to find so he would always find me something to do, I worked for him for 11 years and left their 4 years ago


They prefer migrant workers not just because on some occasions they will work for less money but more because they have no idea about our employment law or health and safety rules so just do as they are told without question,


and as i said in my other post when i mentioned migrant workers this is not a dig at them and nothing to do with Racism,

We the Brits did much the same in the 70's/80's whilst working in Germany for top wages and then sending the money home so not spending it in the German economy

But i do dispute how politicians have justified the idea that we NEED ALL these migrant workers

because of the EU migrant workers convention and Free movement of workers within the EU we have no choice but to allow them to come and work here and thats the real reason they are here and not what the politicians want you to believe eg Brits are work shy So we need them, although to many Brits are work shy but thats because they are allowed to get away with it by the state

So i do dispute what the politicians say about this,
Just the same as i would dispute the benefits and down fall of having a minimum wage

Roy

We reclaim the VAT at the airport when we leave the UK just as people do when they leave our international airports.......or is that different because I'm not Egyptian or whatever......sheesh!!

SueMaid, Well blow me down, I used to fly regularly and never noticed that was happening, so it must work the same as any company who are exporting/importing goods?

So what AnnCardiff said was not utter unbelievable nonsense
and the way i read her post she said (at the time she was their it was mainly Egyptians) so i don't think this does insinuate it was only them but she merely stated what she saw


Roy

Yes it was nonsense. Total nonsense. A case of putting the wrong slant on an everyday thing that happens all over the world for reasons that are evident or findable in seconds using.....google.

This link took me all of 4 seconds to type and get the result.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/sectors/consumers/overseas-visitors.htm

Eldrick, Just because it took you 4 seconds to find the link does not mean that AnnCardiff should have to follow you example before posting some thing she saw,
She as every one else is entitled to say what they saw, as they sees it.

Roy

Absolutely. In the same way that I am entitled to point out the nonsense of it. All I am saying is that it would be better to do a few seconds in finding out the truth rather than propagate a racist myth, whether intentionally or otherwise.

You see, when all these apocryphal tales about immigrants and asylum seekers are examined with the benefit of the truth of the matter, most of them fall flat on their faces. But it is politically expedient to keep them going, as it acts as a foil for all of the parties to use in their sordid quests for votes and power.

Be honest - how many times have you heard the comment - 'these illegal immigrants are taking all the jobs' or 'asylum seekers coming here to claim benefits'. Neither of those situations exist, but can you get anyone to believe it?

I do agree with most of what you say but i think that some times it comes across in a manor that can intimidate some people so think that you could be a little more tactful in how you put your point over,

But i have noticed that tact is not your best attribute

so as i said in my earlier post i do dispute what the politicians say about this because they always manipulate the public in one direction whilst they head off in the other

Roy

Their was a day many years ago when politicians actually had beliefs and stood by them,

Now days politicians change their beliefs according to what will give them votes and power

Believe me, I am very tactful! Don't mistake directness with lack of tact, lol.

Politicians always have - and always will be - corrupted in their quest for power. Whilst there may well be some honourable MP's, they are lost from view. As long as a system favours collective responsibility and party whips, it is never going to be truly representative and we are stuck with what we have got, warts and all. One is as bad as the other.

I agree with Muffy - there used to be the practise of pregnant women returning from all parts of Commonwealth and USA to give birth here - was cheaper - friend did all the way from Aus to N.Ireland and birthed twins in June 1958. Returned to Aus in 1959 and came back to give birth in August 1960

Even today if we on holiday anywhere outside UK are expected to pay for medical treatment - however the same does not appear to apply here to non-nationals.

Pensioners - we have paid our taxes, if able to save, we saved hard for retirement. Labour got in - in first mini budget removed the clawback of tax from dividends for non- taxpayers (lots of us had been encouraged to buy shares in BT, Gas, Water etc). Next budget - removed the tax relief from private medical insurance for the over 60's and then wondered why the hospital waiting lists shot up!!!!

Then dear Gordon sold off our gold when price was at its lowest.

Pensioners used interest on savings to help pay their bills etc - lowest rates ever - better under mattress.

Mortgages lowest ever - can recall in early 80s when it was around 14% - 18%
wonder how todays borrowers would cope. Savings interest was good - if you had any after paying the mortgage.

On the bright side it was annnounced in small print that we shall no longer be paying millions of a yearly grant to India (who has said they do not want it and it is peanuts) however we shall continute paying this until 2014. WHY? especially when they neither need it or want it.

well said. :-D

not totally true ref free medical care for non uk residents

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/your_family/health_index_ew/nhs_charges_for_people_from_abroad.htm

In the EU it is reciprocal - ie when we go to Benidorm and dive into an empty swimming pool whilst off our faces on drink and smack, they will treat us.

I have my European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for when i go abroad but still take out private insurance because i had a heart attack 7 years age so normal travel insurance does not cover every thing and most travel agents will not give cover for my condition

About the EHIC
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) allows you to get state-provided health care in all European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland at a reduced cost or sometimes free of charge.

You can apply for the card free of charge on the official EHIC website (www.ehic.org.uk). Other unofficial websites may charge you if you apply through them.

The card is valid for up to five years.

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Roy

Eldrick - beg to differ - friend was hospitalised nr/in Alicante some 7 yrs ago and in spite of having the E111 form or whatever it was - had to cough up and claim back from insurance. Plus over there in Spain/Majorca I do know that relatives are supposed to stay with patient in hospital and take care of them.

Friend's OH had to sleep in chair for 12 nights.

I think the E111 will gain you basic treatment in Europe but will not pay to get you home if you need special treatment en route etc. Nor will it pay to repatriate a body. That is why you also need to take out holiday insurance.

chris of wessex , I think it all depends on the hospital? other eu hospitals are like ours not all state run, and before you agree to treatment you need to establish if the hospital is state run or private, my friend was in Spain last year and involved in a road traffic accident, he was taken by the ambulance to one hospital and his passenger to another the passenger was treated for free but he ended up in a private hospital and had to pay.

You need to question the ambulance crew about where they are taking you to make sure you go to the state hospital,
and best to research these things before you go on holiday because even parts of the same countries can give a different result

Its not called the E111 any more it changed about 5 years ago

and i don't think our NHS covers repatriate a body

Roy

Roy - when you are ill enough that you require an ambulance the last thing on your mind or that of your friends/relatives is what type of hospital you are going to. Has it not crossed your mind you may not be even conscious or because of level of pain not really coherent??

It is even worse when there is a language barrier - friend's OH was tired trying to contact Consul for services of an interpreter - to no avail. Medical and nursing staff very little english and his spanish did not cover medical terms.

When I mentioned Form E111 I did say it was 7 years ago.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I wonder who, if any (apart from perhaps yourself) when booking a holiday in EU for example, would check on status of hospitals in your chosen holiday area.

As to repatriation - my friend did pass away suddenly and I had to handle that from here with the assistance of a funeral director until her OH returned by which time everything was in process.

I did only referr to medical treatment nothing else.

Which is why travel insurance gives a lot of peace of mind. Most policies cover the use of an interpreter as well as a helpline number.

Saves the traditional English approach of speaking to pesky foreigners who should be able to speak English - which is to raise the voice and speak slower with exagerated hand signs, like a sign language speaker in slow motion. Hilarious to watch :-)