hiring

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EX-PAT BRITISH TRUCKERS (INTERACTIVE)
41

The first big wave of eastern Europeans working in the UK haulage industry came in about 2006. The British government estimated 5000 to 15000 eastern Europeans were going to seek work, the reality was (so the government tell us) 300,000 to 600,000 and when the Pound began to fall in Value in 2008-09 some stayed some went back home.

The ones who stayed here have worked hard, and have now climbed out of their trucks and into management jobs, also many eastern European girls have worked their way up from ‘menial’ office tasks and have become part of the ‘management’ at many of the places I load and tip at, and this is especially noticeable in the Norfolk, Suffolk and South East…(well…everywhere actually!)

I used to drive trucks in eastern Europe in the 80’s and 90’s, corruption was part of their daily lives, from the menial shop worker to the highest government official… if you wanted something quickly (Truck Paperwork, Carnet stamped or 2 day border crossing queue jumping) you had to ‘pay’… Money, Cigarettes, (Marlboro or Kent) Whiskey, Soap, Chewing Gum…, paracetamol tablets, aspirin, Head and Shoulders shampoo was like liquid gold, and Levi’s jeans… I used to drive through eastern European villages and would get ‘stopped’ by Military or Police or some dodgy government official who wanted Cigarettes or Whiskey.

Now many of these people, with a mindset on the system above are working here in the UK, right now…

I have ‘hired’ my driving services out for 27 years (and had the odd driving job in between) but unless I cut my rates by another 20% my work will drop off… unless I pay the ‘right person’ to get work… and no guesses needed as to where they are from.

In late 2013 the UK will allow the free movement and be fully ‘open’ to allow Romanian and Bulgarian drivers to work here, and I know many eastern European drivers from other countries who are dreading this!

So i guess the second big wave of eastern European drivers is going to be 2013… and that’s when i think the ■■■ ■■■ will hit the fan, and many British drivers will have to take a pay cut and with the minimum UK rate at £6.19p per hour, it just isnt worth it anymore.

P.S. If i was eastern European i would also come to the U.K… the pay is great in comparison, free hospital, medical, prescriptions, eyewear, good police protection, lax-a-daisy easy to get around tax rules and regulation’s… working family tax credits… easy to get credit… they would be mad not to come here… and the Pound is currently strong compared to the Euro.

42

contractdriver:
The first big wave of eastern Europeans working in the UK haulage industry came in about 2006. The British government estimated 5000 to 15000 eastern Europeans were going to seek work, the reality was (so the government tell us) 300,000 to 600,000 and when the Pound began to fall in Value in 2008-09 some stayed some went back home.

The ones who stayed here have worked hard, and have now climbed out of their trucks and into management jobs, also many eastern European girls have worked their way up from ‘menial’ office tasks and have become part of the ‘management’ at many of the places I load and tip at, and this is especially noticeable in the Norfolk, Suffolk and South East…(well…everywhere actually!)

I used to drive trucks in eastern Europe in the 80’s and 90’s, corruption was part of their daily lives, from the menial shop worker to the highest government official… if you wanted something quickly (Truck Paperwork, Carnet stamped or 2 day border crossing queue jumping) you had to ‘pay’… Money, Cigarettes, (Marlboro or Kent) Whiskey, Soap, Chewing Gum…, paracetamol tablets, aspirin, Head and Shoulders shampoo was like liquid gold, and Levi’s jeans… I used to drive through eastern European villages and would get ‘stopped’ by Military or Police or some dodgy government official who wanted Cigarettes or Whiskey.

Now many of these people, with a mindset on the system above are working here in the UK, right now…

I have ‘hired’ my driving services out for 27 years (and had the odd driving job in between) but unless I cut my rates by another 20% my work will drop off… unless I pay the ‘right person’ to get work… and no guesses needed as to where they are from.

In late 2013 the UK will allow the free movement and be fully ‘open’ to allow Romanian and Bulgarian drivers to work here, and I know many eastern European drivers from other countries who are dreading this!

So i guess the second big wave of eastern European drivers is going to be 2013… and that’s when i think the ■■■ ■■■ will hit the fan, and many British drivers will have to take a pay cut and with the minimum UK rate at £6.19p per hour, it just isnt worth it anymore.

P.S. If i was eastern European i would also come to the U.K… the pay is great in comparison, free hospital, medical, prescriptions, eyewear, good police protection, lax-a-daisy easy to get around tax rules and regulation’s… working family tax credits… easy to get credit… they would be mad not to come here… and the Pound is currently strong compared to the Euro.

The UK used to be a good place in way or another ,but now it is FULL of Europeans /ect ect …you will be hard pushed to find a British trained doctor /dentist !!!
As far as Driving all over Europe goes been there done that liked it alot . But GETTING back on track is there any jobs in Canada anywhere /firms please FFS :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

43

upandatem:
The UK used to be a good place in way or another ,but now it is FULL of Europeans /ect ect …you will be hard pushed to find a British trained doctor /dentist !!!
As far as Driving all over Europe goes been there done that liked it alot . But GETTING back on track is there any jobs in Canada anywhere /firms please FFS :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Caaaaaalm down now driver… :grimacing:

all the current Canadian jobs you could ever wish for below (and a few you probably wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy!)

wowjobs.ca/BrowseResults.asp … &si=A&Dup=

Ask if they have LMO (no LMO means you’re going nowhere).

Complete their online form (as best you can) or request a job application form and send them a Canadian Truckers CV (Google it!), you will need to spend £45 on an ACRO police report… wait for emails to come flooding in!
(LMO and PNP employers pay for your outbound and return flight and sometimes for your acommodation for a few weeks)

Good luck! :smiley: :grimacing: :grimacing: :grimacing:

44

contractdriver:

upandatem:
The UK used to be a good place in way or another ,but now it is FULL of Europeans /ect ect …you will be hard pushed to find a British trained doctor /dentist !!!
As far as Driving all over Europe goes been there done that liked it alot . But GETTING back on track is there any jobs in Canada anywhere /firms please FFS :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Caaaaaalm down now driver… :grimacing:

all the current Canadian jobs you could ever wish for below (and a few you probably wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy!)

wowjobs.ca/BrowseResults.asp … &si=A&Dup=

Ask if they have LMO (no LMO means you’re going nowhere).

Complete their online form (as best you can) or request a job application form and send them a Canadian Truckers CV (Google it!), you will need to spend £45 on an ACRO police report… wait for emails to come flooding in!
(LMO and PNP employers pay for your outbound and return flight and sometimes for your acommodation for a few weeks)

Good luck! :smiley: :grimacing: :grimacing: :grimacing:

I thank thee…will have a look…
I used to do Romania in 90’s hanging garments the good old days ,belly tanks ,Bucarest ring road with sheep on it ,micky mouse police cars ,great stuff :smiley: :smiley:

45

LMO’S don’t mean a paid flight. It’s up to the company if they want to pay. I know H&R pay the flight but you pay for accommodation and training.
Any if the smaller firms with LMO’s I think you will have to make your way out there and sort everything yourself.
I don’t think another eastern invasion will be as bad in Britain for drivers this time as there isn’t a driver shortage now.
Perhaps the Canadians think we have carved the job up here too so perhaps we shouldn’t be to harsh.
As you say if you are living in a hovel in Bucharest or somewhere the chance to work in Britain isn’t to be sniffed at. Same as us who have moved to Canada the chance was there so we took it.

46

All jobs offered to me, even from small trucking companies offered all of this below…

Employers must also meet the following provisions of the Pilot Project:
Sign an employment contract outlining wages, duties, and conditions related to the transportation, accommodation, health and occupational safety of the foreign worker;
Cover all recruitment costs related to hiring the foreign worker;
Ensure that there is suitable and affordable accommodation for the worker;
Pay the foreign worker’s airfare to and from Canada;
Provide medical coverage until the worker is eligible for provincial health insurance coverage;
Register the worker under the appropriate provincial workers’ compensation and/or workplace safety insurance plans; and
Indicate on the contract, when an offer of employment is for longer than 12 months, that wages will be reviewed and adjusted, if necessary, at the end of a year to ensure prevailing wage rates are being respected.

The Govermental (Service Canada) LMO rules website below for us ‘special needs’ drivers… :open_mouth: or as the Canadian government puts it: Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training… :grimacing: :grimacing: :grimacing:

hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceski … _tfw.shtml

Maybe different provinces have different LMO rules■■?

47

contractdriver:
All jobs offered to me, even from small trucking companies offered all of this below…

Employers must also meet the following provisions of the Pilot Project:
Sign an employment contract outlining wages, duties, and conditions related to the transportation, accommodation, health and occupational safety of the foreign worker;
Cover all recruitment costs related to hiring the foreign worker;
Ensure that there is suitable and affordable accommodation for the worker;
Pay the foreign worker’s airfare to and from Canada;
Provide medical coverage until the worker is eligible for provincial health insurance coverage;
Register the worker under the appropriate provincial workers’ compensation and/or workplace safety insurance plans; and
Indicate on the contract, when an offer of employment is for longer than 12 months, that wages will be reviewed and adjusted, if necessary, at the end of a year to ensure prevailing wage rates are being respected.

The Govermental (Service Canada) LMO rules website below for us ‘special needs’ drivers… :open_mouth: or as the Canadian government puts it: Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training… :grimacing: :grimacing: :grimacing:

hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceski … _tfw.shtml

Maybe different provinces have different LMO rules■■?

Quite right.

These are all legal requirements (for the Alberta APNP scheme)
You will still see people posting what THEY THINK is the real deal, but is just mis-information, I’m fed up of correcting people, so I won’t bother anymore.

48

Same in MB. drivers going to small hauler up here in the boonies flights paid ( 2month back).
jimmy.

49

Yes… i know it’s ‘The Daily Mail’ :unamused: but this is what I have just read today and was on about in my earlier post with Romania and Bulgaria above.

I doubt if all 29 million will come across… :open_mouth: (well… not for the first few weeks :open_mouth:)

I think it will make a huge difference for us as drivers and as employees as employers need to cut costs to survive, and these people are needing work and money.

The economic difference between Poland (Huge thriving economy) to Romania and Bulgaria (err… not so thriving) is huge.

50

Hi all.It always makes me smile when i see pictures of ‘‘deprived areas’’ in Eastern European countries.They all complain they ‘‘ain’t got a pot to ■■■■ in’’ but almost every house has a satellite dish and they have better cars [petrol,ins,tax] :question: than me.Mike

51

contractdriver:
Yes… i know it’s ‘The Daily Mail’ :unamused: but this is what I have just read today and was on about in my earlier post with Romania and Bulgaria above.

I doubt if all 29 million will come across… :open_mouth: (well… not for the first few weeks :open_mouth:)

I think it will make a huge difference for us as drivers and as employees as employers need to cut costs to survive, and these people are needing work and money.

The economic difference between Poland (Huge thriving economy) to Romania and Bulgaria (err… not so thriving) is huge.

We're on our way to Britain: In a year up to 29 million Romanians and Bulgarians will have the right to settle in Britain and claim benefits. And many from the gipsy community can hardly wait to get here | Daily Mail Online

One of the reasons my mate has just accepted a tramping job at £6.68 an hour, I wonder if Pat Hasler thinks that’s great?

52

fly sheet:
Lmfao at Mr Hasler, the greatest country on earth? wtf your a ballon mate if you believe that a grade A balloon…

Don’t knock it untill you have experience of others my friend. When you have achild who is sick and it costs you $25.00 for every time you take her to see the Dr (3 times a week at the moment) and thats with insurance paying the biggest part, when in reality taxes paid by ordinary people amount to abou 40% of your income but don’t show in you pay check, just the extra you pay for everything you need to live. … If my wife would agree to it I would move mack there at the drop of a hat mate. People in the UK may think they are hard done by but believe me you are all far better off than the citizens of most other countries.
When we have to pay $500.00 a month just to keep my wife alive with regular transfusions on top of the extortionate health insurance premiums we pay. When you have to suffer a toothache because you can’t afford the $750.00 these rip off people want over here just to pull it.
The grass is not greener on the other side believe me.
Nost of you guys who are moving to Canada to live the dream will sadly be very let down after a few years of not getting home for weeks on end, and getting very little family life, it may be good for some and is for the few who have done things right, I know some who are doing well and they have done it right but if you all think you are moving to the land of milk and honey you are in for a real shock to your systems.
There are a couple of friends of mine who recently made the move to Canada, they love it at the moment, but all I see is them working every hour they can and if they are lucky they can spend Christmas day in a hotel room before setting out again. Your poor wives are in now way going to love that.
I don’t intend to put the spoilers on what you want I just tell you the truth as it is, if you don’t like the truth then thats your problem.

53

i think i will stop where i am then… never realy had the balls or the time to do it …I wish you guys all a great christmas…

54

Pat Hasler:

fly sheet:
Lmfao at Mr Hasler, the greatest country on earth? wtf your a ballon mate if you believe that a grade A balloon…

Don’t knock it untill you have experience of others my friend. When you have achild who is sick and it costs you $25.00 for every time you take her to see the Dr (3 times a week at the moment) and thats with insurance paying the biggest part, when in reality taxes paid by ordinary people amount to abou 40% of your income but don’t show in you pay check, just the extra you pay for everything you need to live. … If my wife would agree to it I would move mack there at the drop of a hat mate. People in the UK may think they are hard done by but believe me you are all far better off than the citizens of most other countries.
When we have to pay $500.00 a month just to keep my wife alive with regular transfusions on top of the extortionate health insurance premiums we pay. When you have to suffer a toothache because you can’t afford the $750.00 these rip off people want over here just to pull it.
The grass is not greener on the other side believe me.
Nost of you guys who are moving to Canada to live the dream will sadly be very let down after a few years of not getting home for weeks on end, and getting very little family life, it may be good for some and is for the few who have done things right, I know some who are doing well and they have done it right but if you all think you are moving to the land of milk and honey you are in for a real shock to your systems.
There are a couple of friends of mine who recently made the move to Canada, they love it at the moment, but all I see is them working every hour they can and if they are lucky they can spend Christmas day in a hotel room before setting out again. Your poor wives are in now way going to love that.
I don’t intend to put the spoilers on what you want I just tell you the truth as it is, if you don’t like the truth then thats your problem.

AT the risk of being controversial I would have to slightly agree with Pat on a couple of things. I know people with the same rose tinted glasses who are making the move around the same time as me but the reason for these glasses is the blatent lack of research. Too many people dont look at it as doing the same thing just in a different place but think of it as a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Im fortunate that i know people over there and i also know people at the company im going to work for where i will be at home at the end of every shift. I wouldnt have moved all that way to spend time away from my family cos i can do that here.

Pat, you really need to spend a few months back over here to see what we are talking about, the country is on its knees with the government pointing a gun at its head and its only a matter of time, whilst i myself am 40 years of age, our moving to canada is all about our 9 year old son having a better life in front of him more than for our benefit, i pity anyone bringing a child into this world anymore.

55

I agree with pats point you will work a ■■■■ sight harder in Canada than you did in the Uk to make a decent living. Althoughhealthcare provision seems better here than the USA as you have a nhs type set up and lots of firms offer a private plan which will cover you for the states and up in Canada which helps as things like dentists you pay for like the Uk.
Firm I’m with you will get back every week but we only get a 36 hour reset and go again. And weekends don’t mean anything if you get back Thursday you will probably be back out Saturday.
Doesn’t matter to much to me but some people may struggle with that.

56

Pat Hasler:

fly sheet:
Lmfao at Mr Hasler, the greatest country on earth? wtf your a ballon mate if you believe that a grade A balloon…

Don’t knock it untill you have experience of others my friend. When you have achild who is sick and it costs you $25.00 for every time you take her to see the Dr (3 times a week at the moment) and thats with insurance paying the biggest part, when in reality taxes paid by ordinary people amount to abou 40% of your income but don’t show in you pay check, just the extra you pay for everything you need to live. … If my wife would agree to it I would move mack there at the drop of a hat mate. People in the UK may think they are hard done by but believe me you are all far better off than the citizens of most other countries.
When we have to pay $500.00 a month just to keep my wife alive with regular transfusions on top of the extortionate health insurance premiums we pay. When you have to suffer a toothache because you can’t afford the $750.00 these rip off people want over here just to pull it.
The grass is not greener on the other side believe me.
Nost of you guys who are moving to Canada to live the dream will sadly be very let down after a few years of not getting home for weeks on end, and getting very little family life, it may be good for some and is for the few who have done things right, I know some who are doing well and they have done it right but if you all think you are moving to the land of milk and honey you are in for a real shock to your systems.
There are a couple of friends of mine who recently made the move to Canada, they love it at the moment, but all I see is them working every hour they can and if they are lucky they can spend Christmas day in a hotel room before setting out again. Your poor wives are in now way going to love that.
I don’t intend to put the spoilers on what you want I just tell you the truth as it is, if you don’t like the truth then thats your problem.

Pat, The USA is a disgrace over health care I totally agree, I’m lucky & live in Canada as you well know, I’m also lucky that I don’t have rose tinted spectacles, I’m here to earn a living for the second time. Its one of four continents I’ve been lucky enough to work on to earn a living & if it all goes wrong such is life. This business about The UK your going on about though, Your wrong very wrong its in a bloody mess & its not getting any better, hence I have left. I still have a lovely property in a nice part of Cheshire that someone else lives in now, My four bed semi has a Chap in that can afford it as He’s in renewables, I’m living in a two bedroom flat now but its not Me being bitter I cut My cloth accordingly & thats why I’ve survived this long. The best thing You can do is get yourself on the plane & queue up in the doctors in the uk & then take a good look around You My friend, your tinted specs of the uk won’t be rosy no more believe me…

57

Without wishing to come across all daily mail the GB of 10 years ago is vastly different to it today and its not for the better.
IMHO Tony Blair and Gordon Browns governments screwed Britain especially England financially and in matters like law and order immigration and many more things. I don’t think the current lot are any different.

58

Pat, How long since you have been back to England ?

You are totally correct about the USA and healthcare. I have friends, from when I lived in Vancouver, who keep their motorhome in a camp in northern California. Most of the year round residents, who live there lost houses because of large medical biils.

Things like a heart attack, or hip transplant can easily soak up $100,000 US.

So yes I agree that healthcare is a massive issue, and a worry for you, there in the Good ole US.

England has changed, and alas not for the better.

For example in the local school, they speak 42 different languages. There is a large issue, that many male students who were not born here in the UK, will not listen to female teachers. Swear at them, spit at them, disrespect them. Treat women s 2nd class citizens. You might be able to guess where they come from ? Most things that kids take to school, are treated as disposable. if you don’t want it stolen or broken, then don’t take it.

Life in small villages in the Uk is still lovely. Jobs are harder to come by than they were. The pay rates for many occupations are actually less than they were years ago !

I can tell that you are being honest in you opinion. You raise very valid points. Just that life back in the UK has altered somewhat.

Canada has many of the benefits, of a UK type of lifestyle crossed with the convenience of USA type of service. However it does get a bit chilly, in winter in some areas…

59

Why is it ALWAYS England/England and England that is a crap place to live and tars the rest of the UK with the same brush :question:

You might find that life in Scotland/Wales and defo here in Northern Ireland is IMHO better than England :exclamation: :exclamation: :sunglasses:

60

Canada is certainly a good compromise with lots of good aspects of the uk such as a nhs system and stuff but with the good bits of American life.