Article from the Times Online discusses the influx of workers from eastern EU to the UK. Not as many plumbers as they worried about, but "skilled laborers" did include 10 circus performers. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1748221,00.html


August 24, 2005

Few Polish plumbers, but eastern influx tops 230,000
By Richard Ford, Home Correspondent


MORE than 230,000 Eastern European migrants have applied to work in Britain since the expansion of the European Union last year, according to a government report published yesterday.

The figure is 18 times higher than estimates given in a Home Office study predicting the number of people from the former Soviet bloc states who would seek work in Britain.

But the much discussed phenomenon of the �Polish plumber� � partially blamed for the defeat in France of a referendum on the proposed EU constitution � appears to be little more than a myth.

The study shows that only 95 plumbers and heating engineers were among the hundreds of thousands arriving in Britain to take low-paid and low-skilled work. The arrival of mainly young, single people from eight Eastern Europe countries has caused a small, but significant, increase in unemployment among the native British population.

(read the rest of the article online: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1748221,00.html

Good self employ Polish Plumber ,dont need a job in West Europe ,he will more likely make the same money in Poland ,without going true all that stress of relocation etc.Good trade people make good money these days everywhere .Just the less skilfull fellows ,need job and look any place they can find.

Hello Joe, I guess you're right but it's walking on thin ice in the Polonia-based discussion forum <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Joe, Hi. Welcome to the forum.
A lot of Polish plumbers have emigrated to the UK and the views of people expressed in the national newspapers has been that they are more easily and quickly available than English plumbers, they do a good job of work, they do not hang around and their charges as not as exorbitant as those of many UK plumbers. I have friends who have used their services and the one occasion that I needed their services, I was completely satisfied - as were my friends. We are short of many tradesmen (and other occupations and professions) in this country and they are more than welcome from Poland. Many, even at lower rates, make sufficient to send money back to their families in Poland and still have money left on which to live. We say 'Thank God' for the Polish plumber,and many the many other Poles with other skills who have come here and are helping our labour market.
Leslie

***The study shows that only 95 plumbers and heating engineers were among the hundreds of thousands arriving in Britain to take low-paid and low-skilled work. ***

There was actually a discussion in Polish mass media about it. The typical manual jobs which were so much in price until the last 70-es are not more in Poland. There are less and less people who are turners, carpenters or plumbers.

Recently... even in Poland there is a demand for these workers, but there are just too few.

Jaga
Could it be something to do with a pay differential?
Leslie

Leslie,

I believer that people who are professional carpenters, turners etc - can earn quite good money but there was a time when there was an overproduction of people with these qualifications - since many large industrial plants were being closed in a short time. Not anymore!

Since labor in Poland is cheaper than in majority of developed countries blue collar workers are in demand!

Hi A_dam

Honestly I dont know much about the whole issue .Just when I was in Poland last year ,talked with few trades people and they were quite happy with the money they were making .
No plans to go to another country for more .But that is only few people.Not the whole country .
Well if Polish plumber could get to Canada and get job with some good union company ,he might be pay 40$ per hour with no sweat .That money he won't make yet in Poland for sure ,it just the problem ,is not easy to get job like that from far a way country .Some day this wage gap will disapiar.Just is hard to say how fast.
Joe

Oh yes you're probably absolutely right and the problem is more complicated than just the raw wages gap. Ie. the plumber that looks after all this magical pipe machinery in my house did leave for the three-months reconaissance in the UK (and we were almost in panic - our house IS old - that something happens and I will have to look for a new plumber <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> He camr back and said that he'll never move there: he did earn more, but he did spend more. And he was away from his wife, his pierogi, his armchair opposite his Polish-speaking tv set and so on and so on...
And this is the way it is in Poland, no matter what your profeesion is, be it a plumber or univeristy professor: if you do have a job - you don't move for good anywhere.

Would the Polish plumber in Britain be required to use British plumbing techniques, or would he be allowed to work the way he does in his native Poland? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I once met a British tourist in Petersburg who probably did not use the toilet for a whole week. Even in her upscale hotel in downtown Petersburg, the Soviet 1970s plumbing scared her! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Eric
I have not found POLISH plumbing ineffective anywhere I have visited. In UK a Polish plumber could use any techniques that suited him and the job, as long as he used the excellent materials available and his work was up to the standard required. If it wasn't he would have to redo it, or not get paid, and/or other people would be warned (including the industry watchdogs and the Trading Standards) - so he might never work again except on cut-price, on the quiet,take your chance jobs.
For central heating work, later this year all materials and installation have to reach an approved level - by law. There already is a standard - Corgi approval - that is a seal to good work - I would never employ a man on my central heating who did not have this approval.
Even the French hole in the ground toilet has given way to up to date fittings!
Is it still as scary in Russia? [{:--)))
Leslie

Well Leslie
Polish plumbing is efective everywhere .I got the proof for that .One time I was working as a engineer on Ice Breaker in Beauford Sea in Arctic .So all the plumbing problems belong to engineers.Plumbing on ships lot harder then at home especialy on Icebreakers ,vibration breakes pipes all the time .One day we lost electric preheater to main engine and we had no spare one .But seating in ice on stand by ,you need to keep the engines worm ,either way you preheat them or keep engines iddling ,which is bad practice for injectors .
So my British Chief said to me,Joe you got your night watch and you figure out how solve this problem by morining ,if not I will throw you to arctic sea .So I got my brain to work and fix the problem .Run all kinds of robber and garden hoses back and for from Generator to Main Engene on deck and use hot water from generator to worm the big engine.It worked .Once Big Chief came in the morining ,he looked and said what the heq is this some kind of Polish Plumbing or what,hoses everywhere.Luck of meterial I had to use micky mouse set up.I said Cheif not happy ,lets do British way .Then he said ,British way is to make Polak to do it .I asked ,what happen to you chief if there will no Polak on ship ,you will be in big trouble .
You right I better keep you around ,just in case of more problems ,because my 2nd engineer is British too ,so what we will do without Polish plumbing .
Joe

Hi Joe, your life IS interesting. If you remember some more of your adventures please do share with us here, I like your story VERY much!. Thank you.

Plumbing in Russia can either be very-very scary, or world-class. You just have to know where to go to find what you're interested in. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hi Adam
Well you go around the world by ship then you will windup with all kinds advanture I had lot of funy situation in that marine life.Could write the book if I could find someone who knows how to write in Polish or English '
But now I am busy with the stock market ,need to make lot of dineros if I would like to retaire in Poland some day.I would like to buy a castle somewhere there and ask my Queen Elisabeth the II to naminate me to Knighthood.Well what about SIR Joe, it will look nice on resume.Well if that plan does not work ,then I will buy some hobby farm somewhere in around Mazowsze or Bieszczdy ,closer to poor slovaks, and then do my own cheaken ,pigs and rabbits .
Simple live is best to reduce the stress ,couse by stock market.
Sir Joe
(I like that name )

Sir Joe,

My best wishees for success in buying that castle near the slovak border! It would be great to slip across the border and pick up a Polish chicken or two from your collection. That would save me money I could invest in good Slivo and further toasting to your good health!

I suggest that you farm out the pig farming to the neighbors in the neighboring valley, and make it down stream of the river sections that float through Slovakia! Pig farming on a large scale seems to generate a lot of odoriferous waste. There is too much danger you will pick up a distinct smell from the enterprise, or worse, that the border police will be able to find me in the dark, with my good Polish chickens, simply by following their noses.

I can see the flood of canned Polish hams and bacon coming on the market. On a more serious note, I used to buy Polish canned bacon for living in the bush or long camping trips. It was a great way to keep the bacon without refrigeration.

Ok, it is Sir Joe and not Farmer Joe. If you make your fortune in penny/pinny stocks and move to the Pieniny area would be known as Pieniny Joe?
If I ever need a key to the castle I can try to locate a mercenary Tatar to steal one for me.

kai the poor slovak

Dear Sir Joe,
with the sense of humour you present you'll surely win many friends, be it poor or wealthy Slovaks, Poles or any other majority or minority among us or our dear neighbours. As to the stock market - did you already consider investing at the Warszawa Stock Exchange - please do thibk of it, as prsently your shares here might multi-duplicate much faster than your future rabbits at the Mazowsze farm.
My best personal regards, oh noble Joe.

Sorry fellows ,it is not going to be SIR Joe ,rather Farmer Joe I send email to her Majesty the Queen and she unswered ,sorry joe you buying castle in Poland ,no good that is not my juristictions .Diffrent story if you bought castle in Scotland I could make yuo easy Sir Joe McBarski
Well hell with it ,I still like more Polish hills then those in Scotland ,too green for me .Bieszczady could be best bet .Close to lot of diffrent nationalities ,few hours to Bratyslava ,Viena ,Budapest ,Lwow ,good corner .
Now ,my farm has to have intrnet access and fast one not that old one .A dam has that work in polish country side ,I will hate idea to live near the city .I poor Slovak Kai ,we make him rich ,just has to buy farm somewhere near by ,and we get him to stocks.
Now Warszawa Stock Exchange ,well I have to say they impress me ,dont follow as close as I should ,but they did good job ,If I need to play I will have to follow that for a year or so .I am more into these 'canacki Junior Junkies'
Best stocks for me .Now I have to admit ,I dont know Polish stock market language ,shame on me .On my last visit in Poland I met my cusin who is good on polish stocks and we have hard time to comunicate When I left Poland there was no stock market so I had to learn everything in Engish .Boy o boy that did not take much time ,if my English can be bad in any matter not in stock terminology .Here I can talk by hours ,no mistake madeJust have to read few Polish books about stocks and will work .Now the qustion is how polish promotors are ,if they are as croocked as canadian are ,then I am at home .
Hey Adam do you speculate on the market ,if you do give me some tips to follow up on WSX .With my current accounts I can not buy any stocks from Poland ,only those who trade in London or Nasdaq.But I dont know of any like that yet.
My Storm Cat (SME) I call it wild cat is going to jumb from 2.7 to 5 or so ,my cristall ball is telling me that ,in the matter of weeks now.
Well I had tough week ,last week ,wife drives me crazy ,custormers do same (some)Need the vacations .

Farmer Joe

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