Comments on: White faces in the day labour queue http://futurismic.com/2009/11/11/white-faces-in-the-day-labour-queue/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Nancy Jane Moore http://futurismic.com/2009/11/11/white-faces-in-the-day-labour-queue/comment-page-1/#comment-53850 Nancy Jane Moore Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:33:55 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=9531#comment-53850 You don't have day laborers in the UK? Really? Of course, you all probably have fewer limits on who can collect unemployment payments (the dole) than we have here. In the US, you can only get unemployment if you lost your job through no fault of your own, and it's only for a limited period of time. In some states, you don't qualify if you worked part time or if you hadn't been working very long. So if you're out of work and not drawing unemployment, you have to do something. In the US, there are frequently local controversies about locations where people gather seeking work, usually framed as concerns about traffic problems, though there's generally an underlying element of "we don't want this kind of people in our town." But people hire them, because they work cheap. And for some people -- especially undocumented immigrants -- it's the only work they can get. There used to be -- and perhaps there still are -- official services that sent people out for day jobs (like temporary work agencies, only for people with more minimal job skills), but the informal process tends to be cheaper for the person hiring. And while it would be nice to think that shared misery would help break down barriers among people of different races and backgrounds, don't hold your breath. You don’t have day laborers in the UK? Really? Of course, you all probably have fewer limits on who can collect unemployment payments (the dole) than we have here. In the US, you can only get unemployment if you lost your job through no fault of your own, and it’s only for a limited period of time. In some states, you don’t qualify if you worked part time or if you hadn’t been working very long. So if you’re out of work and not drawing unemployment, you have to do something.

In the US, there are frequently local controversies about locations where people gather seeking work, usually framed as concerns about traffic problems, though there’s generally an underlying element of “we don’t want this kind of people in our town.” But people hire them, because they work cheap. And for some people — especially undocumented immigrants — it’s the only work they can get.

There used to be — and perhaps there still are — official services that sent people out for day jobs (like temporary work agencies, only for people with more minimal job skills), but the informal process tends to be cheaper for the person hiring.

And while it would be nice to think that shared misery would help break down barriers among people of different races and backgrounds, don’t hold your breath.

]]> By: Ian Sales http://futurismic.com/2009/11/11/white-faces-in-the-day-labour-queue/comment-page-1/#comment-53840 Ian Sales Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:19:26 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=9531#comment-53840 Day labourers gathering in parts of the city in the hope of work were a common sight in the United Arab Emirates. Many of them were there illegally. In the late 1990s, the authorities declared an amnesty, and everyone living in the country without the necessary paperwork was sent home. Fifteen percent of the population left. Day labourers gathering in parts of the city in the hope of work were a common sight in the United Arab Emirates. Many of them were there illegally. In the late 1990s, the authorities declared an amnesty, and everyone living in the country without the necessary paperwork was sent home.

Fifteen percent of the population left.

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