Work hard lads

Those are shocking figures Jim. Where do all the Non British residents or immigrant legal and otherwise fit into this equation. Those figures must come from a government department the Labour Exchange as I used to know it. They have to be a figure of ethnic and non ethnic British citizens and otherwise. Any government that knows it is paying out money to non citizens does not justify its existance as a government. The rot is certainly there. Any government with those sort of figures should be doing something to alleviate the financial burden or starting to pack its bags. The Raving Looney Party would have been more competent. Cheers John Sabourn.

jim i fnd you hard to understand firstly you said we dont want to go back to working in the mills
i said but ive retired from the mill and my son now works there
you now say ive done well in the mill and amlooking down on you
well sorry i did allwright if id known it would have upset you i wouldnt have workedup to15 hours aday 6 or 7 days a week and bought the mill eventually and given up to 50 people jobs iwas and always will be aworking man
ps
s no union my people didnt want it they had seen wot it did to the textile trade perhapssome of the unions with t
here huge funds could create some jobs instead of living of the funds of poor buggers long dead thatll be the day
iwish you and your family all the best in the future and hope good times are coming
best wishes cappy

Cappy,I am retired and far from being on the breadline.It is the young people that I am concerned about like my grandson,he completed 2 years college,bench work,classroom and out on site,got part one City and Guilds.He now needs and employer to take him on for 12months to complete his apprenticeship,whats his chances ZERO.This is the building game he wanted to become a joiner.He would not go anywhere near the job centre and draw benefits,he was of the opinion that he would find an employer so his income for a long time was zilch living off his mum and dad and a few bob off my wife and I.It came to it where his dad told him he would eventually have to claim benefits which he has been for the past couple of weeks and believe me he hates going anywhere near the job centre,I have to laugh you have to write it down what vacancies that you have pursued since you last signed on,the question is WHAT have they done to find you a job thats what they are paid for!!!!!
Regards.
Jim.B.

Jim if your Grandson has the wanderlust like you probably had at one time, he could do a lot worse than emigrate to Australia. I built the present house I am in for retirement 12 years ago. At that time most of the brickies were over in Sydney preparing for the Olympic games on real big money. Fortuanetly I had 2 very good bricklayers, and at that time 12 years ago they were on 2 dollars a brick laid. I know a good Brickie on a straight course 500 bricks a day is not out of the question. Ambrose in the 50"s I believe held the record but forget what it was. The house next door to me was built by African bricklayers who were I think brought in special under some government scheme. It was pulled down 3 times as was not upto standard in other words the walls were cockeyed and not square, I hate to think what some of their buildings are like if that is the quality of that particular trade. Trades people are more in demand here than any fancy piece of paper from some so called places of higher learning. I think in W.A. the pecentage of non workers is below 5 percent. Some of these are quite happy with their situation of not working the same as other countries in the " Look after me countrys". Dont listen to this Bulls... That they put out on the BBC and other Documentarys, there are always people who emigrate and find it not like what they expected. And go back they are not the survivors of this world and are not satisfied anywhere. If as said your grandson really wants a better life, he should start thinking of alternatives. Cheers John Sabourn

jim i understand teh situation u are in as agrandparent it is just another of the bricks tht lifethrows at us i only hope things get better
i amsure it will but dont know when that will be
in life it appears there is always something to worry about at least the boy has grandparents who care atrue bonus
my granny took me in in the 50s when things were hard who knows what the future holds but you have my best wishes regards cappy

John,until he gets that final year of an apprentice he is not a qualified joiner so there lies the problem.Change of direction,yes thought of that, the problem being a kid is lucky if can get a job shelf stacking in the supermarket.He applied for a job in a solicitors office,filing etc junior office worker.It came back a person with a degree would be given preference.So somebody goes to UNI obtains a degree and has to take a job as office junior,maybe promotion !!!!!
Regards.
Jim.B.

Hi Shipmates, Hi J sabourn, A old house down the road bought by a buy to let land-lord , an Asian gentleman, had a team of Eastern Euorpeans so called builders doing the work a complete rebuild and a new roof, Dont know how much he was paying? But they live they as well, this was winter time . Well you think African builders are Bad ? The house fell down in a high wind and the new roof caved in, the fire brigade were called out to shore up the front, to stop it falling into the road .The eastern euopeans were no where to be found!!! The buy to let landlord was left with the bill, and had to go to court, {Big fine } he ended up paying for a proper builder to do the work, he then sold the property to pay for it all .

Jim if he came out here he would have to get Australian Qualifications in any case. This would probably be done by a short course in the trade he is at at a local College to make him aware of Australian standards. I know someone who was a plumber in UK, out here he cannot practice it until he has done I think a 3 week course. Through pig headedness he refuses to do this and now works as an orderly in a hospital on a much lower wage and unsocial hours.This is his problem, you live by the countrys laws, I had to get Australian certification which was no big deal. I wish I had my life again as would have escaped the UK when I saw it going the way it was earlier. I was 54 when I came out here and could have been working still, but decided 65 was the retiring age which I had been brought up with.
I have never regretted the move, have been back to the uk whenever felt the urge, but both the wife and myself feel more comfortable in Australian surroundings. Everyone to his own, we only have one go at it. Cheers John Sabourn

In 1958 I emigrated to Canada, Toronto. I could not get a job in cooking for love or money, even though, at visa time, told by Canada House that work was plentiful in Canada. After a couple of temporary jobs in catering and running precariously close to our last dollars, I was told about a job prospect packing radiators. I could not waste the twenty-five cents on a streetcar, so I walked...about six miles in a bloody blizzard to be told I couldn't have the job because I didn't go to UNIVERSITY. I asked what was the reverlance of a university degree to packing radiators and was told "Why not, there's a recession on son, why shouldn't I hire the best I can?" I walked back to our furnished flat to spend the twenty-five cents the next day on The Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper and the skimpy want adds. I have been successful beyond my wildest dreams, but I'm bassically a (hate the term, because business men work too) working man at heart.

Cheers Rodney

There might only be 5% unemployment here but remember that they classify anyone working a few hours a week as employed. Another political rearranging of figures. Be aware that it will also depend on where you intend to settle as to opportunity's opening for you. In construction industries a lot of work is on a casual basis as well. Having said this I still think that prospects are a lot better out here than in the UK. As for apprentices well my advice is to get in touch with Aussie house and get the facts from them as you might be pleasently surprised as to options open to a young person. I personally would not do anything without finding out all the facts from the people who will ultimatly allow it all to happen. Be aware also that there are other places than here with opportunities galore. There is also similar people out here as in the UK that are earning a living while picking up the dole or other payments. I wonder how many of those unemployed in the UK are actually legal or real people. Like others I am glad that I finished up here as I could see the future all mapped out for me if I had stayed in the UK and did not like what I saw. This has no reflection upon my family because I could not have wished for a better start in life than I got from them.