Cyprus-Forum.com

[purdey]

At breakfast on my first morning I heard the welcome chatter of Greek from an ajoining table.After a brief good morning in Greek,I was invited to join the table.
The men were from Limassol and Nicosia,on a recruitment trip to Poland.All involved in the property market and land development,they were trying to recruit 300 workers to work in Cyprus on a semi permanent basis.I asked the obvious are you looking for cheaper labour than you have in Cyprus,reply was no just a workforce that can complete a project to high standards and ahead of time.
Last night on tv in the UK,a programme along similar lines was aired,the Polish people seem to be in great demand,Cyprus seems to be looking at a further influx of Polish workers.

[tessintrnc]

Isn't this very same thing what caused ripples of resentment through the building industry in England? Skilled workers, who do a good, fast job and don't mind putting in the hours? BUT, I don't agree that they are not cheaper!! There was a programme on the TV a while ago in the Uk and they are considerably cheaper than British workers.
Tess

[purdey]

I think the cheaper one's have realised that they are as good if not better than the British,and people are now paying the going rate.
For instance we have a firm of Polish builders in our area,per hour the rate is £24.50,but they finish the work in a quarter of the time our British firm do,hence they are cheaper.The Polish have a totally different work ethic to the British,they like work,and want to work...

[cyprusgrump]

There was an excellent programme on BBC2 last night about Polish workers in the UK…

High wages have drawn scores of Eastern Europeans to at least one corner of England. But not everyone welcomes this new workforce even if unemployed locals themselves refuse to do the same jobs.

A slice of today's British countryside. Giant butternut squash nestle in the ground waiting to be plucked and dispatched to satisfy gastropub tastes. Half a dozen workers trudge behind a tractor bending down to pick and load the squash. And the only person in the field who's British is the bloke driving the tractor. The rest are all from Eastern Europe.

Source

With regards to builders in Cyprus my observation would be that it isn’t the workers themselves that case poor standards and late delivery but the complete lack of any form of project management. My own house could have been finished six months earlier if only the builders had access to the latest plans and were managed properly…

[purdey]

I saw the programme.I also saw the young guy walk out of the job centre,and was asked by the presenter do you want to pick squash,his answer said it all.
I have only used foreign builders in Cyprus,I had great difficulty finding Cypriots to carry out my work.Saying that my sister uses only Cypriots in building property.

[cyprusgrump]

I saw the programme.I also saw the young guy walk out of the job centre,and was asked by the presenter do you want to pick squash,his answer said it all.
I have only used foreign builders in Cyprus,I had great difficulty finding Cypriots to carry out my work.Saying that my sister uses only Cypriots in building property.

"No mate I'd prefer to sign-on than do that."

"I don't want to work in like no cornfield."

"I don't want to work with a load of foreigners."

It was at that point I started throwing things at the TV and had to go to bed…

[purdey]

Spot on..

[beverley10]

I also saw this programme.What you do not mention is that to live in this area nowadays you need to be on a lot better wage than most pay in this area.My husband,anHGV1 driver has to work a 60 hour week(he is 60 years old and has had a quad heart by pass op 3 years ago) and be away all week to bring home around £350 per week.Out of this,our rent is £475.00 per month,council tax is £100 per month,utilities are costing 120. per month,life ins,car tax and insurance(to get to work) tv licencecontents insurance etc is another 120.00 per month,we do not smoke,we have the odd glass of wine with a meal at weekends(at home)and holidays are iff we can put a bit by to afford one.Food etc for home and for Hubby (cooks in cab) £250.00 per month.you work the figures out.If we were on benefits,we would pay no rent,council tax so immediately be £575 per month better off.We would be guaranteed £200 plus per week and would be able to work 16 hours a week without losing any benefit.Does'nt give you much incentive does it?

[Nikitas]

Perhaps Polish craftsmen cost less eleswhere, here in Greece they are mostly self employed and charge a little more than the average. I used a Polich crew in my house to correct the faults left behind by the contractor's multinational crew. It was good to have craftsmen work in the house for a change.

[Raymanoff]

dont be silly, ofcourse they are looking for a cheap labor, u cant get any cheaper....