Capitalists fucking over workers - as per usual.

[luxemburg89]

I have a friend who works as a thatcher (that is not an oppressive Tory witch, somone who thatches bales of hay). He has to travel all the way to the other side of the country in order to get his pay - which is below minimum wage by the way. In this particular instance he had to travel to Birmingham from Southampton (which is about 3 and a half hours drive each way) and stay for a week working in the open air with barely enough money to eat each day. After a week of tireless work the contractor told him he had changed his mind about the hay - and refused to pay him. I was utterly astonished by this. It just shows the hardship that people suffer in a supposed MEDC during Capitalism.

Other than complaining to his Union, which he is in the process of doing, what else can he do about this?

[spartan]

lux:
Other than complaining to his Union, which he is in the process of doing, what else can he do about this?
Beat the shit out of the contractor who refused to pay him until he does pay him and if the contractor dies before agreeing to pay him then it is not a big loss to the world. One less Capitalist and all. :lol:
In all seriousness not paying someone, who is in the middle of doing a job that involves his own physical labour, because the contractor changed his/her mind is illegal i think? The fact is his labour wanted or not has to be payed for as he was in the middle of a job given to him by the contractor! He should take this to fucking court or at least give his story to the media.

[LSD]

If he's being payed below minimum wage, it suggests that it's off-the-books employment, which means that there's very little he can do. That's why bosses love hiring under the table.

He can always try taking the bugger to court, but that's expensive and time consuming that and there's a pretty decent shot that he wouldn't be able to prove that he was owed the money in the first place.

The laws as written aren't exactly proletarian-friendly!

You say that there's already a union involved, which is good (although confusing, since how could a union exist in an underground business??), my suggestion would be to work with them since they undoubtabley have the experience in the specifics involved.

It's also probably important that he keep everything related to the job, orders, work-sheets, instructions, permits, logs, receipts, everything. Not just in case it actually goes to court but also to threaten the boss and/or procure the services of a soliciter. If he has hard proof that he did the job and is owed money, he'll be much more convincing than if all he has to go on is his own word.

Obviously the best case situation would be if there were set payment rates and plans that were arranged in advanced and codified as such. That's the kind of thing a union's supposed to help in setting up...

[luxemburg89]

Originally posted by [email protected] 22, 2007 07:52 am
If he's being payed below minimum wage, it suggests that it's off-the-books employment, which means that there's very little he can do. That's why bosses love hiring under the table.

He can always try taking the bugger to court, but that's expensive and time consuming that and there's a pretty decent shot that he wouldn't be able to prove that he was owed the money in the first place.

The laws as written aren't exactly proletarian-friendly!

You say that there's already a union involved, which is good (although confusing, since how could a union exist in an underground business??), my suggestion would be to work with them since they undoubtabley have the experience in the specifics involved.

It's also probably important that he keep everything related to the job, orders, work-sheets, instructions, permits, logs, receipts, everything. Not just in case it actually goes to court but also to threaten the boss and/or procure the services of a soliciter. If he has hard proof that he did the job and is owed money, he'll be much more convincing than if all he has to go on is his own word.

Obviously the best case situation would be if there were set payment rates and plans that were arranged in advanced and codified as such. That's the kind of thing a union's supposed to help in setting up...
He just quit today - thanks for the advice though - he's going to get a factory job in Southampton which would really suit him better.