Bulgarian workers/Keelings - read OP (threadbans listed)

GinSoaked

weldoninhio wrote: »

The IT architect had to pay the agency €15k to come work for you?? That’s ridiculous. Why would he pay that?

That isn't how it works. The employer pays that how do you think recruitment agencies work?

2u2me

LuasSimon wrote: »

On Twitter ... look up Keelings or Mick Caul political commentator who did the interview with two of Keelings Bulgarian workers

While searching I found this facebook video. Is this the interview?

ArchXStanton

ArchXStanton wrote: »

My mate works for them, he told me the same and they've been doing it since before covid-19,theyre a miserable shower to work for

Awful shower.

Scotty #

One of the interviewees says €500 agency fee and the other says €300. Both confirm it includes their flights. They get paid for the first four days while they do their training, manual handling courses etc. That all taken into account, the agency fees don't appear particularly excessive to me.

Scotty #

Scotty # wrote: »

One of the interviewees says €500 agency fee and the other says €300. Both confirm it includes their flights. They get paid for the first four days while they do their training, manual handling courses etc. That all taken into account, the agency fees don't appear particularly excessive to me.

Is that not two weeks wages at min wage?

blinding

2u2me wrote: »

While searching I found this facebook video. Is this the interview?

Let's hear the Keelings apologists gloss over this ! !

2u2me

Deleted User wrote: »

Is that not two weeks wages at min wage?

For a 12 week contract; which they are on probation for 8 weeks. The guy in the video said he was terminated after 8 weeks, then his agency rang him telling him they had another job lined up in Scotland. I'm sure the agency will get paid twice(4 times?)

blinding

2u2me wrote: »

For a 12 week contract; which they are on probation for 8 weeks. The guy in the video said he was terminated after 8 weeks, then his agency rang him telling him they had another job lined up in Scotland. I'm sure the agency will get paid twice(4 times?)

Could the workers ever be sure there was going to be 12 Weeks of Work ? ?

Easy to promise 12 weeks of work though it may never was going to be there ! !:eek:

Its not as if they were dealing with reliable and truthful People ! !:eek:

bizidea

Its a pity we didnt have the essential strawberry back in the 1840s when our potatoes failed we would all have been grand

blinding

bizidea wrote: »

Its a pity we didnt have the essential strawberry back in the 1840s when our potatoes failed we would all have been grand

Keelings would have been exporting them for the British Moolah ! ! :eek:

Scotty #

Deleted User wrote: »

Is that not two weeks wages at min wage?

Huh? Two weeks wages at min wage would be €808. I'm not sure what your question is.

Scotty #

blinding wrote: »

Keelings would have been exporting them for the British Moolah ! ! :eek:

Blinding I'm putting you on the user ignore list. You just post 4-5 word sentences every now and again and add nothing of note to the conversation. Sorry if it feels like I'm ignoring you, it's because I am.

Scotty #

Scotty # wrote: »

Blinding I'm putting you on the user ignore list. You just post 4-5 word sentences every now and again and add nothing of note to the conversation. Sorry if it feels like I'm ignoring you, it's because I am.

There is nothing uncooler than telling someone you’re putting them on ignore :cool:

Graham

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

There is nothing uncooler than telling someone you’re putting them on ignore :cool:

You haven't seen me dance.

Scotty #

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

There is nothing uncooler than telling someone you’re putting them on ignore :cool:

except pointing out what's cool and what's 'uncooler'! :cool::cool:

Scotty #

Scotty # wrote: »

except pointing out what's cool and what's 'uncooler'! :cool::cool:

Yay, we’re all sad!

mgn

Scotty # wrote: »

One of the interviewees says €500 agency fee and the other says €300. Both confirm it includes their flights. They get paid for the first four days while they do their training, manual handling courses etc. That all taken into account, the agency fees don't appear particularly excessive to me.

One said €500 and the other said some are charged up to €750, another odd thing, on a 3 month contract the are on probation for the the first 2 months, surly if you can't do the job, there not going to keep you for 8 weeks and let you go for the last 4 weeks.

LuasSimon

mgn wrote: »

One said €500 and the other said some are charged up to €750, another odd thing, on a 3 month contract the are on probation for the the first 2 months, surly if you can't do the job, there not going to keep you for 8 weeks and let you go for the last 4 weeks.

With Keelings anything is possible , have these misfortunes on edge from the minute they arrive , all Keelings are short is a whip to make them pick quicker

1o059k7ewrqj3n

That video on Facebook of Unite representatives talking to a former Keelings picker is a bit of an eye opener. 8-week probation on a 12-week contract? I know people have done a year probation in some jobs but in a fixed term contract like this was it ever done?

blinding

LuasSimon wrote: »

With Keelings anything is possible , have these misfortunes on edge from the minute they arrive , all Keelings are short is a whip to make them pick quicker

Please don’t give Keelings ideas ! ! !:eek:

Bass Reeves

blinding wrote: »

Please don’t give Keelings ideas ! ! !:eek:

It blinding obvious that your contributions are limited to shrieks !! :eek::eek:

blinding

Bass Reeves wrote: »

It blinding obvious that your contributions are limited to shrieks !! :eek::eek:

My dis-dain for the Whip Handed knows no Bounds ! !:eek:

Bass Reeves

blinding wrote: »

My dis-tain for the Whip Handed knows no Bounds ! !:eek:

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

zimmermania

Deleted User wrote: »

Pointing out keeling has people in a house (charging enough too),and they wanted to leave/get new job,keelings can fcuk em out on the road

This is effectively bonded labour,but anyone points this out,or that hand picked fruit may has potential to carry coronavirus....is branded a racist

I am not saying you are a racist,a clown rather suits though.

zimmermania

blinding wrote: »

Could the workers ever be sure there was going to be 12 Weeks of Work ? ?

Easy to promise 12 weeks of work though it may never was going to be there ! !:eek:

Its not as if they were dealing with reliable and truthful People ! !:eek:

Like the reliable truthful people who post here? Lol.

blinding

I wonder how often Keelings have promised 12 weeks of work and it has turned out to be only 8 weeks as the two Bulgarians talking to the Union Official said happened ! ! !

There is a big difference paying ( by the Bulgarian workers ) 500 or 750 Euros for 8 weeks work as against 12 weeks work ! !

markodaly

Keelings should be inundated with applications from Irish workers since we have such high unemployment.... right?

smurgen

markodaly wrote: »

Keelings should be inundated with applications from Irish workers since we have such high unemployment.... right?

Given the reports of how they treat their staff I doubt it. No wonder they didn't want to post t&c on the job application.

blinding

markodaly wrote: »

Keelings should be inundated with applications from Irish workers since we have such high unemployment.... right?

Their Employment Practices become more and more questionable by the day ! !

Imagine charging Poor Bulgarian Workers to work for them ! !

Nitrogan

markodaly wrote: »

Keelings should be inundated with applications from Irish workers since we have such high unemployment.... right?

They wouldn't be able to do the job by the sounds of a lot of posters on this thread. Never worked a day in their lives, they wouldn't last five minutes. Should send them out cutting hedges and collecting litter for the council to give them work experience.

maestroamado

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/agribusiness-and-food/government-has-failed-keelings-and-its-workers-1.4

This is a must read for anyone who contributes on this threat.
This article was what i felt in the first place.
It seems to outline what happened from the outset but we were not told.

On a slightly related note there was an outcry about British people coming off boats, i heard on radio this morning the Gardai have no powers in this area, its hard to figure out why? this was said this Morning on movement of people to Donegal Holiday Homes from North Irl...


With his and his advisers’ ears ever-attuned to public opinion, Varadkar said he shared Holohan’s “discomfort”, even though he was among the leaders who had asked the EU that they be facilitated.

jluv

jluv wrote: »

The EU and our government agreed migrant workers essential on the condition it was "communicated to employers the necessity to provide for adequate health and safety protection "
Leo, Simon Harris and the CMO expressed being uneasy and uncomfortable about Keeling decision to fly in these workers in view of the government guidelines in place which would lead me to believe that Keelings did not seek any guidance from government.
Part of the guidance would be that passengers are interviewed on arrival and quarantine is observed. None of that happened.

I couldn't get to read the above link but this was my response yesterday to what I believe may be in it.

maestroamado

maestroamado wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/agribusiness-and-food/government-has-failed-keelings-and-its-workers-1.4

This is a must read for anyone who contributes on this threat.
This article was what i felt in the first place.
It seems to outline what happened from the outset but we were not told.


With his and his advisers’ ears ever-attuned to public opinion, Varadkar said he shared Holohan’s “discomfort”, even though he was among the leaders who had asked the EU that they be facilitated.

The link doesn’t work.

maestroamado

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/agribusiness-and-food/government-has-failed-keelings-and-its-workers-1.4236276

Government has failed Keelings and its workers
Company unfairly dragged through a ditch in court of public opinion
Fri, Apr 24, 2020, 04:59
Mark Paul

45

Keelings broke no rules or guidelines in flying in the seasonal workers from Sofia to pick the strawberry harvest. Photograph: Alan Betson

Keelings broke no rules or guidelines in flying in the seasonal workers from Sofia to pick the strawberry harvest. Photograph: Alan Betson



The Government’s botched handling of the faux drama over the Keelings Bulgarian fruit pickers has caused serious damage to that company’s reputation.

Spurred on by baseless, PR-driven innuendo from the highest political office in the land, Keelings has been unfairly dragged through a ditch backwards in the court of public opinion.

It broke no rules or guidelines in flying in the seasonal workers from Sofia to pick the strawberry harvest, a task that Irish workers have long since spurned. The rules also appear to have been correctly followed by the airline, Ryanair, and Dublin Airport, where they landed.

But details rarely matter to the motley crew of knee-jerk anti-corporatists and anti-foreigner sock puppets who, enabled by innuendo from those who should know better, drove the worst of the social media frenzy.
Apology

If Taoiseach Leo Varadkar really places as much importance on fairness and humility as his calm demeanour suggests, he should consider apologising to Keelings for his Government’s role in exposing the family-owned business to such an intense publicity shellacking.

Why? Because senior State officials, including Varadkar and his Minister for Health Simon Harris gave succour to the company’s ill-informed critics by incorrectly hinting that Keelings had done something bad.

They helped to create a stink that lingers. When the Government did this, it badly let down Keelings and its workers. No amount of State spin should be allowed to hide that fact.

For those of us whose brains are fried by this infernal lockdown, and who may not recall the details, it is worth quickly reminding ourselves of what happened.

Last Monday, April 13th, 189 Bulgarian fruit pickers flew in to Dublin from Sofia on a chartered plane, hired to pick the strawberry harvest before it rots. Only 40 Irish workers had applied for the jobs at that time.

Keelings says the Bulgarians were checked by doctors before they boarded. Ryanair says it adhered to World Health Organisation guidelines on the flight.

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Someone purporting to be a Ryanair employee wrote to a Meath councillor, Alan Lawes, expressing concern about a lack of social distancing on the flight. Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe also slammed Keelings for “poor judgment” and criticised it because the workers had clearly travelled more than 2km.

He obviously did not understand that the 2km travel limit applies only to lockdown exercise in Ireland. In any event, such workers are considered essential and the European Union has allowed for their cross-border travel. European leaders, including Varadkar, specifically asked the EU for this weeks ago.

When the workers landed, they were filmed getting into vehicles. Keelings says they were brought to housing with restricted movement for 14 days, before they start work. The footage heralded a social media frenzy of righteousness.

Some seemed angry that Bulgarians may have brought in Covid-19. Some were annoyed that the jobs had not gone to a phantom battalion of Irish workers that supposedly wanted them. Others, mostly on the political left, seemed annoyed that some workers must do the mucky job of picking fruit at all. Greedy corporations, juicy profits, exploitation, something, something.
Full fettle

Few of the critics knew what they were talking about, but soon that didn’t matter. The frenzy mob was in full fettle, rolling around cyberspace like a sack of angry cats, showering us all in a hail of spittle that obscured any common sense.

The chief medical officer, Tony Holohan, responded to a question by expressing his unease with the situation and suggesting the travel was against advice, even though such worker movements are specifically provided for by the EU.

With his and his advisers’ ears ever-attuned to public opinion, Varadkar said he shared Holohan’s “discomfort”, even though he was among the leaders who had asked the EU that they be facilitated.

Harris, who even when he is working himself to the bone has an ear for the mood on social media, said he was “deeply uneasy”. Sensing a nod from above, the frenzy went into overdrive.

Some critics may have had genuine concerns over the conditions of what they perceived to be vulnerable workers. But from others, there was a clear and disgusting innuendo: that dirty foreigners could bring disease into Ireland.

The irony is that if people are worried about Bulgarian workers spreading Covid-19 in Ireland, they ought to look at that country’s numbers. By Wednesday of this week, the central European state had just 1,024 confirmed cases and 49 deaths. Compare this to Ireland’s 16,671 confirmed cases and 769 deaths.

Bulgaria’s population is 40 per cent larger than the Republic’s. You could argue with some justification that its government appears to be doing a better job of controlling the spread of the virus than Varadkar and his colleagues.

If people are worried that foreign workers could already have the virus, they should consider that the fruit pickers may be 16 times more likely to be already infected if they were recruited on Irish soil, as opposed to hiring them in Sofia.

The Keeling family can justifiably feel hard done by in all this. The company is now out on a publicity limb. It had better hope that the health of its workers is constantly monitored. If the Bulgarian workers are unlucky enough to suffer an outbreak of Covid-19 – it could happen to anyone – the frenzy will get nasty.
Cooped up

Perhaps some of the drama was driven, in part, by the public’s general anxiety as we remain cooped up in our homes and worried about the people we love.

We are bouncing off the walls. We are collectively under huge emotional and mental strain. That includes Varadkar and Harris, who even if they have made some mistakes, have made them while trying to do their best for the rest of us.

But let us not succumb to fact-free innuendos. Let us not be apologists for cheap nonsense about foreign workers. Ignore racist rabble rousers online. Challenge those who peddle anti-business dogma for political reasons.

In the months to come, if you are lucky enough to savour a juicy, sweet Irish strawberry, think not of the angry headbangers online. Think of the worker who went out there and picked that fruit for your benefit. And be thankful.

Rows Grower

maestroamado wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/agribusiness-and-food/government-has-failed-keelings-and-its-workers-1.4236276

Government has failed Keelings and its workers
Company unfairly dragged through a ditch in court of public opinion
Fri, Apr 24, 2020, 04:59
Mark Paul

45

Keelings broke no rules or guidelines in flying in the seasonal workers from Sofia to pick the strawberry harvest. Photograph: Alan Betson

Keelings broke no rules or guidelines in flying in the seasonal workers from Sofia to pick the strawberry harvest. Photograph: Alan Betson



The Government’s botched handling of the faux drama over the Keelings Bulgarian fruit pickers has caused serious damage to that company’s reputation.

Spurred on by baseless, PR-driven innuendo from the highest political office in the land, Keelings has been unfairly dragged through a ditch backwards in the court of public opinion.

It broke no rules or guidelines in flying in the seasonal workers from Sofia to pick the strawberry harvest, a task that Irish workers have long since spurned. The rules also appear to have been correctly followed by the airline, Ryanair, and Dublin Airport, where they landed.

But details rarely matter to the motley crew of knee-jerk anti-corporatists and anti-foreigner sock puppets who, enabled by innuendo from those who should know better, drove the worst of the social media frenzy.
Apology

If Taoiseach Leo Varadkar really places as much importance on fairness and humility as his calm demeanour suggests, he should consider apologising to Keelings for his Government’s role in exposing the family-owned business to such an intense publicity shellacking.

Why? Because senior State officials, including Varadkar and his Minister for Health Simon Harris gave succour to the company’s ill-informed critics by incorrectly hinting that Keelings had done something bad.

They helped to create a stink that lingers. When the Government did this, it badly let down Keelings and its workers. No amount of State spin should be allowed to hide that fact.

For those of us whose brains are fried by this infernal lockdown, and who may not recall the details, it is worth quickly reminding ourselves of what happened.

Last Monday, April 13th, 189 Bulgarian fruit pickers flew in to Dublin from Sofia on a chartered plane, hired to pick the strawberry harvest before it rots. Only 40 Irish workers had applied for the jobs at that time.

Keelings says the Bulgarians were checked by doctors before they boarded. Ryanair says it adhered to World Health Organisation guidelines on the flight.

Up to 400,000 households better off due to supports, ESRI says
CRH boss itches for return to construction as prudence pays off
Most motor insurers commit to providing rebate to customers

Someone purporting to be a Ryanair employee wrote to a Meath councillor, Alan Lawes, expressing concern about a lack of social distancing on the flight. Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe also slammed Keelings for “poor judgment” and criticised it because the workers had clearly travelled more than 2km.

He obviously did not understand that the 2km travel limit applies only to lockdown exercise in Ireland. In any event, such workers are considered essential and the European Union has allowed for their cross-border travel. European leaders, including Varadkar, specifically asked the EU for this weeks ago.

When the workers landed, they were filmed getting into vehicles. Keelings says they were brought to housing with restricted movement for 14 days, before they start work. The footage heralded a social media frenzy of righteousness.

Some seemed angry that Bulgarians may have brought in Covid-19. Some were annoyed that the jobs had not gone to a phantom battalion of Irish workers that supposedly wanted them. Others, mostly on the political left, seemed annoyed that some workers must do the mucky job of picking fruit at all. Greedy corporations, juicy profits, exploitation, something, something.
Full fettle

Few of the critics knew what they were talking about, but soon that didn’t matter. The frenzy mob was in full fettle, rolling around cyberspace like a sack of angry cats, showering us all in a hail of spittle that obscured any common sense.

The chief medical officer, Tony Holohan, responded to a question by expressing his unease with the situation and suggesting the travel was against advice, even though such worker movements are specifically provided for by the EU.

With his and his advisers’ ears ever-attuned to public opinion, Varadkar said he shared Holohan’s “discomfort”, even though he was among the leaders who had asked the EU that they be facilitated.

Harris, who even when he is working himself to the bone has an ear for the mood on social media, said he was “deeply uneasy”. Sensing a nod from above, the frenzy went into overdrive.

Some critics may have had genuine concerns over the conditions of what they perceived to be vulnerable workers. But from others, there was a clear and disgusting innuendo: that dirty foreigners could bring disease into Ireland.

The irony is that if people are worried about Bulgarian workers spreading Covid-19 in Ireland, they ought to look at that country’s numbers. By Wednesday of this week, the central European state had just 1,024 confirmed cases and 49 deaths. Compare this to Ireland’s 16,671 confirmed cases and 769 deaths.

Bulgaria’s population is 40 per cent larger than the Republic’s. You could argue with some justification that its government appears to be doing a better job of controlling the spread of the virus than Varadkar and his colleagues.

If people are worried that foreign workers could already have the virus, they should consider that the fruit pickers may be 16 times more likely to be already infected if they were recruited on Irish soil, as opposed to hiring them in Sofia.

The Keeling family can justifiably feel hard done by in all this. The company is now out on a publicity limb. It had better hope that the health of its workers is constantly monitored. If the Bulgarian workers are unlucky enough to suffer an outbreak of Covid-19 – it could happen to anyone – the frenzy will get nasty.
Cooped up

Perhaps some of the drama was driven, in part, by the public’s general anxiety as we remain cooped up in our homes and worried about the people we love.

We are bouncing off the walls. We are collectively under huge emotional and mental strain. That includes Varadkar and Harris, who even if they have made some mistakes, have made them while trying to do their best for the rest of us.

But let us not succumb to fact-free innuendos. Let us not be apologists for cheap nonsense about foreign workers. Ignore racist rabble rousers online. Challenge those who peddle anti-business dogma for political reasons.

In the months to come, if you are lucky enough to savour a juicy, sweet Irish strawberry, think not of the angry headbangers online. Think of the worker who went out there and picked that fruit for your benefit. And be thankful.

In his own mind he must of felt like Micheal Collins when he was writing that tripe.

bizidea

Couldn't give a rats ass what mark paul thinks I was a regular customer of keelings products but from now on I'll be buying anything but keelings

bizidea

bizidea wrote: »

Couldn't give a rats ass what mark paul thinks I was a regular customer of keelings products but from now on I'll be buying anything but keelings

Just be aware that the fruit juice is an entirely different unlinked company so you can keep buying that.

1o059k7ewrqj3n

Was Mark Paul paid per word for that article or do you think he’ll just get a nice bucket of strawberries at some point?

bizidea

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Just be aware that the fruit juice is an entirely different unlinked company so you can keep buying that.

Dont drink fruit juice

maestroamado

Rows Grower wrote: »

In his own mind he must of felt like Micheal Collins when he was writing that tripe.

Its from Irish Times, not me i was advised link failed.
Maybe it was Donald and fake news...

Alrigghtythen

maestroamado wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/agribusiness-and-food/government-has-failed-keelings-and-its-workers-1.4236276

Government has failed Keelings and its workers
Company unfairly dragged through a ditch in court of public opinion
Fri, Apr 24, 2020, 04:59
Mark Paul

45

Keelings broke no rules or guidelines in flying in the seasonal workers from Sofia to pick the strawberry harvest. Photograph: Alan Betson

Keelings broke no rules or guidelines in flying in the seasonal workers from Sofia to pick the strawberry harvest. Photograph: Alan Betson



The Government’s botched handling of the faux drama over the Keelings Bulgarian fruit pickers has caused serious damage to that company’s reputation.

Spurred on by baseless, PR-driven innuendo from the highest political office in the land, Keelings has been unfairly dragged through a ditch backwards in the court of public opinion.

It broke no rules or guidelines in flying in the seasonal workers from Sofia to pick the strawberry harvest, a task that Irish workers have long since spurned. The rules also appear to have been correctly followed by the airline, Ryanair, and Dublin Airport, where they landed.

But details rarely matter to the motley crew of knee-jerk anti-corporatists and anti-foreigner sock puppets who, enabled by innuendo from those who should know better, drove the worst of the social media frenzy.
Apology

If Taoiseach Leo Varadkar really places as much importance on fairness and humility as his calm demeanour suggests, he should consider apologising to Keelings for his Government’s role in exposing the family-owned business to such an intense publicity shellacking.

Why? Because senior State officials, including Varadkar and his Minister for Health Simon Harris gave succour to the company’s ill-informed critics by incorrectly hinting that Keelings had done something bad.

They helped to create a stink that lingers. When the Government did this, it badly let down Keelings and its workers. No amount of State spin should be allowed to hide that fact.

For those of us whose brains are fried by this infernal lockdown, and who may not recall the details, it is worth quickly reminding ourselves of what happened.

Last Monday, April 13th, 189 Bulgarian fruit pickers flew in to Dublin from Sofia on a chartered plane, hired to pick the strawberry harvest before it rots. Only 40 Irish workers had applied for the jobs at that time.

Keelings says the Bulgarians were checked by doctors before they boarded. Ryanair says it adhered to World Health Organisation guidelines on the flight.

Up to 400,000 households better off due to supports, ESRI says
CRH boss itches for return to construction as prudence pays off
Most motor insurers commit to providing rebate to customers

Someone purporting to be a Ryanair employee wrote to a Meath councillor, Alan Lawes, expressing concern about a lack of social distancing on the flight. Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe also slammed Keelings for “poor judgment” and criticised it because the workers had clearly travelled more than 2km.

He obviously did not understand that the 2km travel limit applies only to lockdown exercise in Ireland. In any event, such workers are considered essential and the European Union has allowed for their cross-border travel. European leaders, including Varadkar, specifically asked the EU for this weeks ago.

When the workers landed, they were filmed getting into vehicles. Keelings says they were brought to housing with restricted movement for 14 days, before they start work. The footage heralded a social media frenzy of righteousness.

Some seemed angry that Bulgarians may have brought in Covid-19. Some were annoyed that the jobs had not gone to a phantom battalion of Irish workers that supposedly wanted them. Others, mostly on the political left, seemed annoyed that some workers must do the mucky job of picking fruit at all. Greedy corporations, juicy profits, exploitation, something, something.
Full fettle

Few of the critics knew what they were talking about, but soon that didn’t matter. The frenzy mob was in full fettle, rolling around cyberspace like a sack of angry cats, showering us all in a hail of spittle that obscured any common sense.

The chief medical officer, Tony Holohan, responded to a question by expressing his unease with the situation and suggesting the travel was against advice, even though such worker movements are specifically provided for by the EU.

With his and his advisers’ ears ever-attuned to public opinion, Varadkar said he shared Holohan’s “discomfort”, even though he was among the leaders who had asked the EU that they be facilitated.

Harris, who even when he is working himself to the bone has an ear for the mood on social media, said he was “deeply uneasy”. Sensing a nod from above, the frenzy went into overdrive.

Some critics may have had genuine concerns over the conditions of what they perceived to be vulnerable workers. But from others, there was a clear and disgusting innuendo: that dirty foreigners could bring disease into Ireland.

The irony is that if people are worried about Bulgarian workers spreading Covid-19 in Ireland, they ought to look at that country’s numbers. By Wednesday of this week, the central European state had just 1,024 confirmed cases and 49 deaths. Compare this to Ireland’s 16,671 confirmed cases and 769 deaths.

Bulgaria’s population is 40 per cent larger than the Republic’s. You could argue with some justification that its government appears to be doing a better job of controlling the spread of the virus than Varadkar and his colleagues.

If people are worried that foreign workers could already have the virus, they should consider that the fruit pickers may be 16 times more likely to be already infected if they were recruited on Irish soil, as opposed to hiring them in Sofia.

The Keeling family can justifiably feel hard done by in all this. The company is now out on a publicity limb. It had better hope that the health of its workers is constantly monitored. If the Bulgarian workers are unlucky enough to suffer an outbreak of Covid-19 – it could happen to anyone – the frenzy will get nasty.
Cooped up

Perhaps some of the drama was driven, in part, by the public’s general anxiety as we remain cooped up in our homes and worried about the people we love.

We are bouncing off the walls. We are collectively under huge emotional and mental strain. That includes Varadkar and Harris, who even if they have made some mistakes, have made them while trying to do their best for the rest of us.

But let us not succumb to fact-free innuendos. Let us not be apologists for cheap nonsense about foreign workers. Ignore racist rabble rousers online. Challenge those who peddle anti-business dogma for political reasons.

In the months to come, if you are lucky enough to savour a juicy, sweet Irish strawberry, think not of the angry headbangers online. Think of the worker who went out there and picked that fruit for your benefit. And be thankful.

Excellent assessment of the situation there by Mark Paul

expectationlost

A spokesman for Humphreys confirmed that the department was not told by Keelings about its plans to fly 189 workers from Bulgaria to Ireland.

https://www.businesspost.ie/ireland/keelings-lobbied-hogan-and-humphreys-over-seasonal-workers-140038a4 hmmm

1o059k7ewrqj3n

Alrigghtythen wrote: »

Excellent assessment of the situation there by Mark Paul

:pac::pac::pac:

Graham

faux drama over the Keelings Bulgarian fruit pickers

spot on.

Some seemed angry that Bulgarians may have brought in Covid-19. Some were annoyed that the jobs had not gone to a phantom battalion of Irish workers that supposedly wanted them. Others, mostly on the political left, seemed annoyed that some workers must do the mucky job of picking fruit at all. Greedy corporations, juicy profits, exploitation, something, something.

mgn

Alrigghtythen wrote: »

Excellent assessment of the situation there by Mark Paul

Hi, Mark.

1o059k7ewrqj3n

mgn wrote: »

Hi, Mark.

ArchXStanton

blinding wrote: »

Their Employment Practices become more and more questionable by the day ! !

Imagine charging Poor Bulgarian Workers to work for them ! !

As I've mentioned previously, my mates worked with them for the last year or two and some of the things he's told me... I think that's a major reason why he's clinically depressed

ArchXStanton

Nitrogan wrote: »

They wouldn't be able to do the job by the sounds of a lot of posters on this thread. Never worked a day in their lives, they wouldn't last five minutes. Should send them out cutting hedges and collecting litter for the council to give them work experience.

I've worked on farms all through my younger years, tough work, long hours but not a hope I'd work for keelings

completedit

Why do people use 'racist' for a catch all term for xenophobic? It's nearly worse because it's so ignorant.

1o059k7ewrqj3n

Rarely will you see such a hastily written and sycophantic article as Mark Paul's piece of trash there today - shifting the blame onto the government. The poor defenceless Keeling family. Nevermind that this is completely their own fault and that it spectacularly backfired on them.

With a tone and bias as strong as this, if FG make up the next government (they are currently only caretakers), Keelings can kiss goodbye and farewell to any future lobbying to get non-EEA workers into this state to do their bidding