Shetland's cultural diversity and integration

[in_vacanza]

Whatever is happening in Shetland today.

We are not racist, but feel we should look after our own first.

we know for a fact this is not happening, as foreigners are getting jobs over our own,

also a council job, a (grass cutter) came in the Shetland times.

Guess who got the job-not one of our own but a council worker from down south,who will have to be rehoused here.

We do not think this is fair.

please,please look after your own first.

They will all disappear and we will be left to pick up the peices.

Come on Shetlanders, stand against this injustice.

Anon.

 

I wish you wouldn't use the word 'we' so much. It suggests that you think your speaking for Shetland.

[anon]

i agree, its is really hard for young and old to get jobs, houses etc.........i do believe that its is good to be open to incomers but when we shetlanders are struggling to get these all important jobs it is crucial that we support our own first, trying our hardest to keep these youngsters here....its not that i disagree with foreigners getting jobs but its when they take over and with regards to the gardening job, its outrageous that someone from south was needed to fill this position which i am sure many shetland based people were capable of doing.

 

anon

[in_vacanza]

when we shetlanders are struggling to get these all important jobs it is crucial that we support our own first

 

Why?

[Ghostrider]

<--snip--> also a council job, a (grass cutter) came in the Shetland times.

Guess who got the job-not one of our own but a council worker from down south,who will have to be rehoused here. <--snip-->

 

I'm not disagreeing with the basic thrust of your post, however I don't buy The Times, so don't know who was offering this job, or what terms and conditions were associated with it. Therefor, I have to ask, is there any proof than any prior Shetland resident actually applied for it. As it is stated on a previous thread on this forum by some posters, that they would not consider applying for any job with one of the contractors who currently hold a S.I.C. grass cutting contract, due to the, in their opinion, unacceptable terms and conditions offered by that contractor.

[abraxas]

THis sort of thing gets on my wick, sorry, but its verging on BNP fodder. The sort of crap you hear from fat blokes in a pub spouting their guff about "they come over here and take our jobs". Fact is, most immigrants come here and take jobs that a lot of others think are beneatn them and are willing to graft at them, instead of just doing as little as they can for the same wage. Good on them, I say. THey work every hour that God sends for little wages often for very little or minimum wages and often will have more than one job. Not because theyre greedy, its because they are supporting families in their countrys of origin. Can you blame them for that?

 

They could just sit on their arses and claim dole and benefits like some others I know, so give them credit for at least wanting to support themselves and contribute to Shetland in doing so.

 

If there are so many folk in Shetland desperate for these all important jobs, where are the queues at the jobcentre? Why dont the get off their arses and do something about it, like asking in stores and companies if there are any jobs, no matter how meniel, if theyre that desperate to work?

 

DNA proves theres not a single "original" Brit left in these Isles, and that will include Shetland. How far back do you go and where do you draw the line in your issues with immigrants?

 

Nuff said. For now.

[Styles]

Somthing that worries me is that all the immigration is lowering the wages in the country as immigrants are willing to work for less. seems to be a big problem in the building industry down south, with Poles etc being hired instead of UK citizens as they will work for less. Immigration just seems to help big buisness in my opinion as it gives them cheap labour.

 

Benifits in the UK are too generouse, im all for them being stopped if its obviouse some folk just cant be arsed so that they will have to do any job they can get even if it is low paid.or viewed as not desirable, that would soon fill all these jobs that people go on we need immigrants for.

 

I dont see how a Shetlander can get prefirence over another UK citizen for a job unless they are totally even and thats the decideing factor. But Im all for UK citizen getting prefference from anyone out with the UK for a job if they are qualified.

[in_vacanza]

Somthing that worries me is that all the immigration is lowering the wages in the country as immigrants are willing to work for less. seems to be a big problem in the building industry down south, with Poles etc being hired instead of UK citizens as they will work for less. Immigration just seems to help big buisness in my opinion as it gives them cheap labour.

This is true. I think the solution is to pay immigrants the same as a UK citizen. Not to stop people coming here.

 

I dont see how a Shetlander can get prefirence over another UK citizen for a job unless they are totally even and thats the decideing factor. But Im all for UK citizen getting prefference from anyone out with the UK for a job if they are qualified.

I don't see why we shouldn't give people from other countries equal opportunities. I would see a persons country of origin as irrelevant when employing.

[Medziotojas]

It is unfair to blame immigrants for the lower rates of pay. At least one or two factories I know of haven't had a wage increase for five years or so.

 

Yes, a lot of workers come over and take up employment in these factories as the turnover of staff is so high and locals don't seem prepared to take on these jobs for any length of time. The conditions are diabolical, the breaks are short and the wages (which incidentally used to be very lucrative) are only just over the national minimum.

 

I once again stress that the fault does not lie with immigrant workers, but the mangement of said factories seriously need to review their policies. They have a responsibilty to the community as well as, if not more so than, their shareholders!

 

I welcome any workers who choose to come over and take up employment, just as I am working in Eastern Europe now.

[Kevin]

I'm sure mind hearing on one of my visits that Faroe has some sort of law that gives Faroese people 1st choice on jobs. I'm not 100% certain though, does anyone know anything about this?, I couldn't find anything online about it

[wastmania]

well faroe is essentially a country in its own right, at least more so than shetland.

 

But I do think that there are restrictions in Faroe as there are no shetland people allowed to work on the Norrona for example. I know someone who tried to get a job there and was immediately turned down becaue he did not have a Faroes/Danish passport.

 

so if you consider our laws as a country (ie uk) then people who apply for visas will only get one if the job they are applying for cant be filled by a local person.

 

so we cant stop people fom the mainland getting jobs...

[wastmania]

btw - I agree with mags... our ancestors had to travel to get work and we hope they were well received and treated well wheerver they went .. and we should do the same to folk coming into shetland...

[Guest Anonymous]

As a Shetlander who recently found work in Norway, I can only hope that the Shetland people can show the same fairness, friendliness, and good will towards incomers who are prepared to work, in whatever job, as has been shown to me in Norway.

 

Cheers,

Da Auld Een

[trout]

Is Faroe not a self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark and not actually part of the European Union - thereby not having to abide entirely with European employment laws?

 

We can't stop European Union migrant workers taking jobs in Shetland - and quite frankly - why should we?

 

Modern day gangmasters and illegal migrant workers on the other hand should be stamped out.

[JustMe]

The initial posting in this thread raised an interesting point. If the post was for a "grass cutter" then I presume that the job would be offered to the "best" candidate first and then to other suitable candidates until someone accepted the job. What I would not expect to happen would be the job being offered to a "council worker from down south" on terms better than those offered to Shetland candidates (relocation package and housing etc.) unless there was no one in Shetland suitable for the job.

 

There is just one little idea floating around somewhere deep in the back of my memory which is that there is/was some sort of scheme where council staff could transfer to another council while preserving all their pension rights and so on. Could this be what happened in this case?

[wastmania]

when i said about the EU i meant in terms of shetland, no that faroe is part of the eu.

 

but even from shetlands point of view i think its unfair to stop people from being able to come to shetland and have a job. we need more people in shetland, and the more we have the better our facilities (like links to the mainalnd) will be