23rd April 2010, 08:54 AM
Kevin - think you've slightly missed the thrust of what I've been getting at (although lots of interesting stuff in what you wrote above, most of which I fully agree with)
There isn't a problem now, there's been an exchange of diggers across the EU (and wider) for decades, no problem with that, a lot of my colleagues are from beyond the UK shores, and equally I know plenty of British diggers who work abroad (often for considerably lower money but with the benefits of sun and adventure).
My concern is 'British' diggers unionising/forcing big pay deals/better hours/better conditions/career dvelopment etc etc, all laudable aims which I fully endorse (personal reservations about the unionisation, but that's for another day/thread), to the point where it's far too easy (and indeed increasingly worthwhile) for clients to just get someone cheaper! If you can get any new arrangements to apply to everyone within the EU (and wider) and generate a level playing field then all's well, if not then then there's the potential for major probems 10 years down the line?
There isn't a problem now, there's been an exchange of diggers across the EU (and wider) for decades, no problem with that, a lot of my colleagues are from beyond the UK shores, and equally I know plenty of British diggers who work abroad (often for considerably lower money but with the benefits of sun and adventure).
My concern is 'British' diggers unionising/forcing big pay deals/better hours/better conditions/career dvelopment etc etc, all laudable aims which I fully endorse (personal reservations about the unionisation, but that's for another day/thread), to the point where it's far too easy (and indeed increasingly worthwhile) for clients to just get someone cheaper! If you can get any new arrangements to apply to everyone within the EU (and wider) and generate a level playing field then all's well, if not then then there's the potential for major probems 10 years down the line?