AUSTIN BIRKS

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AUSTIN BIRKS

• Commercial Manager
• Go West Midlands Bus Company
• and Winner of the European Year of Workers
  Mobility Award 2006

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THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

• AN EMPLOYERS PERSPECTIVE ON EUROPEAN RECRUITMENT
  SINCE MAY 2004

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In the Beginning.

• MAY 2004
• Welcome to the enlarged Europe
• Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,Latvia,
  Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
• Warm welcome from UK, Ireland and Sweden who
  impose no restrictions on entry other than WRS in
  the UK

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EU Message on Migration

• Created the principles of partnership
• Dignity and Equality
• Treat everyone the same and fairly
• Respect culture and change
• Create a process of training and employment

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UK Recruitment

• UK unemployment lowest for 40 years
• A typical British Company in May 2003
• The reality a shortage of 800 drivers
• My job was to find 800 drivers.fast

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The Perception of Migrants is

• They will take our jobs
• They will keep wage rates down
• They will sponge off the state
• They will create more crime
• Mixed Reactions from public and employers
• Negative press promised the floodgates would
  open

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The Good
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The Concept

• A tailored English language training programme
• Relevant vocational bus driver training
• A process of induction for all
• Making integration easy
• Accommodation, welcome packs WRS, NI, Health
  care, uniforms

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New Polish Recruits May 2004
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The Results

• Feb 2007 the company have employed over 1300
  staff from eastern Europe
• Retention is around 90
• Staff shortage and turnover greatly reduced
• Substantial Business savings
• Recognised by EURES and EU as best practice

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Winner of the European Workers Mobility Award
2006
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The Bad..
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The Bad Side of Recruitment

• Deception
• Exploitation
• Mis-information
• Unethical recruitment
• Low wages and poor conditions
• No language skills or provision
• Ministry warns Bulgarians and Romanians of
  difficulties in finding work

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And the Ugly..
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The Ugly Side of Recruitment

• Criminality
• Degradation
• Cynical exploitation
• Injury and death
• Worst case
• Telegraph Blog - David Rennie Sept 2006

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The Stand Off
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The Stand off Between.

• Government Legislation
• EU Legislation
• Social and Moral Constraints
• And
• Business Expansion
• Commercial Enterprise

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Lessons for Bulgaria

• UK Employers have a positive attitude towards
  migrant workers
• Planning and research are essential prior to
  recruitment
• UK employers need to invest in migrants but the
  rewards are significant
• They do need to speak English or learn it on
  arrival

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Lessons for Employers

• Equality in pay and conditions reduces
  exploitation and resentment
• Duty of care results in low staff turnover
• Language training is a must not only for HSE but
  for customer confidence
• A unified, competitive Europe is essential to
  compete globally

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The Good triumphs..
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Institute of Directors Poll

• Poll of 500 members of IOD found
• Migrants were out performing indigenous
  employees by a large margin
• A lack of local skills was the key reason
• Only 16 employed migrants because they were
  cheaper
• Better productivity, education, reliability,
  skills, work ethic and less sickness

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Positive Benefits of Migration

• CBI quote enlargement has brought between 10 to
  12 billion to the UK economy
• Unemployment remains low as vacancies have been
  filled
• Business leaders quote a positive work ethic
• Harder working and more reliable

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The End