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Introduction by Jonty Bloom

  • Posted: 19th November, 2008
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Jonty Bloom is one of Radio 4's most respected reporters, Jonty reports on business and economics stories for the World Tonight.

He specialises in covering International economics and the European Union and travels extensively searching out new and interesting ways of illustrating the workings of the business world, economic trends and European politics.

Following an early career in the City, Jonty studied international relations before moving across to the BBC where he helped launch Business Breakfast.

Jonty's reports for The World Tonight has twice won him the Wincott Award for Radio Programme of the Year.

 BBC World Tonight

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  • linda kaucher said
  • 08 December, 2010 at 3:27pm

A main pathway for migrant labour now is under the control of transnational firms, bringing in labour under trade agreement provision for this, known as Mode 4.

Mode 4 concesssions allow TNCs to bring in, as ‘intracorporate transferees’ (ICTs) or send in, as ‘Contractual Service Suppliers’ (CSS) essentially cheap, controlled, temporary skilled migrant labour. Without numerical limits.

There are many disadvantages to UK workers and to the UK eocnomy and recovery.

Wages are, as you say, sent home instead of being spent here (NB Poland is not in recession). Temp migrant workers don’t pay tax or NI - a big saving, making them v attractive, but a loss to the UK economy. Skills training is disincentivised. UK workers are displaced, lives, futures and families are messed up, and the welfare bill increases.

Who has told us that migrant workers are such a plus? Mostly those who have directly benefitted (NB the Olympics has been built almost entirely with cheap migrant labour while the cost has trebled). And those who want to grow the economy with just MORE, more people, more consumption, more packets of food from Tescos, more pressure on housing, keeping prices up.

The BBC needs to tell the UK public about the secret trade deals.

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