MrSmith Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 It would be fantastic if more manufacturing work was available in the UK! However, because the unemployed would be paid minimum wage at the very least, companies would just send the work abroad. If the prisons can compete with foreign manufacturing costs, at least some money would go to their upkeep. That would take some of the burden off UK taxpayers, wouldn't it? If the government want British companies to be able to compete with foreign slave labour then they have to put policies in place to do it and not resort to prison labour. The prison jobs were call centre jobs and in one case ringing the call centre resulted in talking to a murderer, maybe even a paedophile or rapist. Whilst it wouldn't bother me too much I imagine there will be many people that would be sickened by the prospect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Macbeth Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Until other countries get the same idea & it becomes a competition to see how many people can be locked up & how little they can be paid. If these jobs weren't done by slave labour, they'd be done by people paid a fair market rate for their work. I fear those days are long gone. Most manufacturing businesses look for the cheapest option, and nowadays that often seems to be by having work done abroad. People in the UK have got used to buying stuff cheaply. Most consumables cost far less in real terms nowadays than they used to. As a simple comparison: when I was earning £5 a week in the early 60s, a pair of stockings cost about 3/- or 15 pence in current money. I could buy about 33 pairs out of my week's pay. Nowadays, I could buy tights for £3. Even on minimum wages I could buy around 80 pairs. Clothes, electrical stuff (especially TVs) and some food items are much more affordable because they are not produced here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumkin Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Just a thought (and it may be a bad one) What if the prisoners were given the jobs that British workers won't do (y'know the ones, the ones that it is oft said that are being done by our valuable immigrants). We'd keep the money in this country instead if it being sent to Eastern Europe, Immigration would be down enabling the health service to achieve targets, social services could recover and public spending would decrease in a trice. Seems to me a win-win situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex3659 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Lol, Cons running call centres gaining access to peoples personal and private details. You couldn't make it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Are prisoners classed as unemployed ? They are not included in the "unemployment statistics" because they are not available for employment, nor seeking work. They are, by the literal definition, unemployed - just as children, old age pensioners and those too ill to work, are unemployed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melthebell Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Lol, Cons running call centres gaining access to peoples personal and private details. You couldn't make it up. did you read the same link as me? it mentioned workshops making things, nothing about call centres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSmith Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 did you read the same link as me? it mentioned workshops making things, nothing about call centres It did on the news, they talked to a murderer that works in the prison call centre talking to members of the public, he also as computer internet and email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fake Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Is working in prison compulsory? I always thought it was voluntary otherwise wouldn't it be classed as forced labour and against the HRA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchresearch Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I think they should extend the Community payback scheme - where the labour done doesn't infringe on someone else's legitimate work. There are hundreds of streets which don't get regular sweepings or cleanings that they could do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddycoffee Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Could prisoner work plans take jobs from unemployed? . the unemployed do not have jobs, therfore they cannot have jobs taken from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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