http://www.dailyrec ord.co.uk/ news/scottish- news/2008/ 07/03/fury- after-ncr- fly-in-indian- workers-at- below-minimum- wage-after- sacking-dundee- staff-86908- 20629177/
Fury after NCR fly in Indian workers at below minimum wage after sacking Dundee
staff
Jul 3 2008 By James Moncur

BOSSES who axed 600 Scots jobs last year flew in Indian workers to fill posts -
and are paying them just £2.80 an hour, it has been claimed.

American bosses of electronics firm NCR announced 51 more redundancies at their
Dundee plant this week.

But they transferred 10 workers there from Puducherry, on the east coast of
India, three weeks ago.

NCR said they are learning about product lines that are "transitioning" to other
factories abroad.

Sources claimed the men are being paid their home salary, which is nearly £3
below the minimum wage for a 22-year-old in Scotland.

Dundee West Labour MP Jim McGovern called on the Government to investigate
whether the company had broken any employment and immigration laws.

He said: "It is disgraceful for NCR to expect the Indian employees to live in
Dundee on £2.80 an hour.

"The decision is inexcusable because the 10 posts could have easily been filled
within the Dundee area.

"I've seen confirmation in writing that NCR say that any additional global
resource had to be recruited from a low-cost region."

The union representing the factory's workers condemned NCR.

Unite regional official Gillian McKay said: "Dundee has the talent available for
these roles.

"To bring in workers from India and exploit them by paying them much lower wages
than UK workers is not only wrong for the migrant workers but it also drives
down labour costs by the back door.

"Our fear now is that the next step by NCR will be to close their operations in
Dundee completely.

"Unite will be making our position clear to government that we will not tolerate
this scandalous and callous behaviour by NCR."

It's understood the company - known as "The Cash" in Dundee - are paying the
men's accommodation plus about £150 per week expenses, on top of their wages.

A manufacturing engineer in Dundee can expect a salary of £32,000, while their
counterpart in India is paid around £6700.

NCR's Puducherry facility, which opened in October 2007, has doubled its
manufacturing capacity and employs 500 workers.

A spokeswoman for NCR said: "It is necessary to bring a few employees from
global sites to work temporarily at NCR's new product introduction manufacturing
facility in Dundee on the products they will be transitioning to their location
and other global sites."

NCR plan 51 lay-offs as part of moves to streamline their operations and improve
cost-effectiveness.

Boss Bill Nuti axed 627 workers by video message 18 months ago, to leave only
170 staff at the plant.

NCR - based in Dayton, Ohio - made a $274million profit last year.

http://www.walesonl ine.co.uk/ news/wales- news/2008/ 07/20/european- immigrants- working-in- factories- like-victorian- sweatshops- 91466-21371728/
European immigrants working in factories ‘like Victorian sweatshops’
Jul 20 2008 by Andrew Dagnell, Wales On Sunday

IMMIGRANTS who move to Wales in search of a better life are being exploited by
unscrupulous agencies who force them to work 90-hour weeks for £2 an hour.

A Wales on Sunday investigation has found more than 16,000 east European
immigrants are currently working in Wales and supporting the economy.

They come here looking for a better life, after facing the prospect of extreme
poverty and starvation in their native countries across Europe.

But we can reveal many immigrants are being duped into signing contracts they
don’t understand, often enduring painstaking factory shifts of up to 14 hours
every day in conditions comparable to Victorian sweatshops.

And when the day is done, they are then housed in cramped conditions, where they
share rooms with up to eight other people.

Our shocking investigation has also uncovered that the migrant workforce:

nare being charged up to £150 a time by employment agencies to find them jobs in
food packaging factories;

nregularly face intimidation, bullying and physical threats if they challenge
their contracts;

nare being threatened with the sack if they even talk to unions about the
conditions they work in;

noften do not have the terms and conditions of their contract translated for
them;

nare being forced to use dangerous heavy-duty equipment without any protective
clothing and with no explanation of the risks.

Trade union Unite has carried out a report into the Welsh migrant workforce to
mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery.

And it says immigrants are so desperate to earn money, they sign away their
basic human rights.

The Vulnerable Workers in Wales dossier, seen exclusively by Wales on Sunday,
says: “A modern form of slavery is happening across Wales and is undermining the
employment rights of workers.

“Unite and Wales TUC have submitted evidence to the Welsh affairs select
committee on employment issues arising from the treatment of migrant workers.

“In spite of efforts to allow only licensed agencies to supply labour to the
food processing industry, some rogue agencies are still operating outside the
legal requirements.”

And Unite’s Barbara Hale said the conditions were similar to sweatshop labour
factories, with employees not being told when their shifts will end.

She said: “Because we’re so involved with it, you forget how bad the situation
actually is. It’s a disgrace.

“The conditions these people are forced to endure are comparable to something
from the Victorian ages. These factories are like sweatshops.”

Agencies have also been caught deducting money from the workers’ already
below-average pay packets for poor accommodation and travel, leaving them with
little money to spend on day-to-day living.

The report also highlights the use of 0-hour contracts. That means workers can
have their employment cut short without notice, leaving them with no job and no
income for sustained periods of time.

Some agencies are even charging as much as £120 to send unnecessary registration
applications to the Home Office, even though their legal status is self-employed
and they do not need to register.

The report says: “European Union enlargement has opened up opportunities for
people with few opportunities to travel and work within the European Union to
help their families to escape poverty.

“In the process of doing this, many legal EU workers have become the victims of
unscrupulous agencies who use bullying tactics to exploit their workers.

It adds: “Where accommodation is tied to the job conditions, it can be poor. Hot
bedding is common practice. For example, eight people to one room working on
different shifts and sharing beds.

“Deductions are made from wages for accommodation and travel leaving little
money from wages. Pay is also sometimes incorrect and employees have little or
no power to contest this with employers.

“Intimidation and threats are sometimes made to both the individual and family
when challenges to terms and conditions of employment are made.”

Unite’s Regional Secretary for Wales, Andy Richards, said it was campaigning to
improve the lives of “modern migrants” across Wales.

He said: “Migration has been good for Wales. Wales is built on a history of
migration. Modern migrants are essential to the economy – they fill jobs that
are not filled by the existing workforce and create new jobs by increasing
demand for local goods and services, bringing skills and energy to boost them.

“Our culture is enriched and diversity enlivens our communities. Their voices
are welcomed by the trade union movement and we will fight to make sure they are
employed on the same terms as other workers.”

Social Justice Minister Brian Gibbons promised to commit more resources to
making sure slave-labour conditions were banished from Wales for good.

He said: “Wales has a proud history of welcoming people from other nations and
migrants are welcome in Wales due to their positive impact on both the economy
and the society. Although the Welsh Assembly Government is not responsible for
immigration or employment policy, we are responsible for policies and services
in Wales that can help support the social and economic integration of migrants.

“We have a central role to play in promoting the good employment practices,
building strong communities and improving understanding and communication
between different groups of society.

“I am committed to working towards a vision of Wales as a thriving, inclusive
country with a modern, creative economy, in which everyone can prosper both
economically and socially.

He added: “To ensure we address migrant issues strategically, I have established
a Migrants Forum that will inform and contribute to the development of a
national strategic approach on economic migrants, identify issues and propose
solutions, and will inform the development of the community cohesion strategy.

“I shall be writing to the representatives of trade unions in the near future to
invite them to become members of the forum.”