The Centre for Social Justice is calling on Priti Patel today to honour her promise to restore ‘integrity’ to UK immigration. The call from Iain Duncan Smith and The Centre for Social Justice is demanding that all immigrant workers, EU and Non-EU, must earn at least £36,700 after Brexit.
The Centre for Social Justice also publish a report today where they highlight various woes from a surge in immigration. The report claims that two thirds of the UK public think current immigration levels are too high and record levels of low-skilled immigration in recent years have pushed wages down for those born in the UK on lower salaries. A clear call to Brexit Party voters in the forthcoming general election.
Regular readers will know that we have published many articles on this subject in recent times where we have pointed to the fact that the foundations of the UK hospitality industry workforce are made up of EU and Non-EU immigrant workers. Here’s just one example with a video report from the BBC’s Nick Robinson out and about trying to identify ‘lazy immigrants’ – Waiter where’s my waiter.
In the simplest possible terms, the facts are that businesses employing most chefs, waiters, waitresses, kitchen porters as well as many other jobs in hospitality and catering cannot pay people, UK nationals or others, £36,700 a year.
Employment in the UK hospitality industry is currently highly reliant on EU nationals, making up between 12 -24% of its total workforce. Regions and sectors within the industry vary with waiters and waitresses in London for example making up 75% of the total workforce.
The Government’s Office for National Statistics shows the number of job vacancies in the UK is at its highest since records began.
The Government’s Office for National Statistics in a recent report on employment in the UK also shows – that employment is at its highest since comparable records began in 1971 and that unemployment is at its lowest since 1975.
So, a record low in numbers of people unemployed – a record high in numbers of people employed – and a record high in numbers of job vacancies available – all at the same time.
Closing the door to EU Nationals who want to come to the UK, and in many instances do the jobs that people born in the UK are reluctant to do, is sheer madness. And yes, we need to admit that many people born in the UK see working as chefs, waiters, waitresses, kitchen porters as well as many other jobs in hospitality and catering as beneath them. Sad but true.
If, and it seems likely now, that a no deal Brexit takes place on the 31st October and the government’s immigration plans with a £36,700 job threshold are implemented, the UK hospitality industry will see shortages in its workforce like never before.