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Influx of 10,000 foreign workers for Olympic jobs
Martin Bentham04.03.09
More than 10,000 foreign citizens have been given National Insurance numbers to work in London's Olympic borough in just six months, government figures have revealed.
The statistics also show that the number of overseas workers seeking jobs in Newham is higher than for any other local authority in Britain — and that the rate of arrivals is rising.
The influx, which comes despite the recession and a drop in arrivals elsewhere in the country, will intensify the debate about how many Olympic jobs are going to local workers.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act last year showed a third of workers on the Stratford site were foreign, prompting concern from MPs and the local council.
Officials also admitted those classed as “local” workers only needed an address in Newham, regardless of their nationality or how long they have lived in the borough, even though a key aim of the Games is to improve the job prospects of east London's unemployed.
Today's statistics will heighten concerns about whether this objective is being fulfilled. They show that in the six months between April and September last year, 10,680 National Insurance numbers were issued to foreign citizens in Newham.
More than a third were from eastern Europe, with 1,510 Poles, 1,090 Romanians and 850 Lithuanians among those coming into the borough. Bulgarians accounted for a further 520, although the biggest influx was from India, whose citizens made up nearly 1,800 of the total.
The figures, from the Department for Work and Pensions, also show Newham has more overseas nationals joining its working population than any other local authority, with its 10,680 arrivals outnumbering the 9,570 in Brent, the next highest total.
Other boroughs with large numbers of foreign workers receiving National Insurance numbers during the six-month period included nearby Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets, which both registered more than 6,000 arrivals, and Hackney, which had 4,350.
The large number of overseas arrivals in Newham — which is equivalent to the combined total of Birmingham and Manchester — followed a similar influx over the previous two years.
There is no indication from the figures as to how many foreign workers obtained jobs in Newham or the Olympic site, but the substantial and continuing flow of workers into the borough is likely to prompt questions about how many jobs generated by the 2012 Games are going to local people.
The Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, has expressed concerns that migrant workers could outnumber long-standing residents employed on the site and has pressed for skills training to ensure more of the borough's unemployed gain Olympic work.
Today's statistics followed figures last year which showed that only 63 per cent of the 3,046 workers on the Olympic site at the time were British.
Reader views (47)
"Influx of 10,000 foreign workers for Olympic jobs"
The obvious question - why? Justify it. Explain. Rationalize.
- Rogan, Irving
It is very confussing dilemma, one side we are discouraging the immigrant issue, on the other hand we are providing jobs, the event start in 2012. Good policy.Although there is lot of unemployment in all sectors.Now i realise that honesty is the bad policy, do what ever you like, there is no hard and fast rules. All are hanging with one stick. Legal and illegal all are getting jobs, peoples enter on fake and factitious document claiming benefits enjoying luxrious life are getting the legal job with NIC number.Amazing
Peoples, who are working and paying regular tax, are suffering to get work permit, Nither employer nor home office,tax department bother to help them.All the times sword is hanging that any time they will be exit for good even you are law abiding and honest worker and have calm and quite life but no proper status. Top to bottom, every one is earing money, hook by crock.Please do justice with derseving workers.
- M A Sular, London
People are now beginning to realise that our Government has NO control over who works in OUR country any more! Successive Governments have sold our country down the river and this Lab Government more than ever! By the time of the next election our parliament will be redundant and we will just be another sector of Europe with ALL laws dictated from Brussels!
- Duncan Walker, Lucky to live in Thailand
It is a shame, the jobs are not going to the local workers. The wages earned is not going to be spent back in the local community in the UK. A majority of the wages will be sent out of the country to their families. The economic system does not support this model...the wages ideally should be invested, spent in the local community, otherwise there is no financial foundation being built within the local communities as a result of this outsourcing. Who suffers again??..The local workers who are out of work as a result.
- Sophia, USA
Lie after lie from Smith & Woolas. Then they criticize the the ONS for reporting the truth about the displacement of indigenous workers by foreign labor.
Sickening. Disgusting. Criminal.
- Pete Johnston, Crawley
What's the point of complaining, this Govt has never taken notice of what the electorate want, it's when election time comes round they promise they will listen and do something about it..But they don't.
- Anne,, Devon
What some of you forget is that foreign workers coming to the UK are entitled to benefits after 12 months.They can also claim benefits and tax credits for children living in their own country without any checks being made as to whether they have the children they are claiming for.
Do you think that UK workers working abroad get anything like the same benefits, I think not?
- James Town, Braintree UK
And after the olympics? Does anyone really think they will all go home or will they dip into the community pot for the rest of their lives to which they haven't contributed a penny before now.
- Emily, London
National insurance numbers should be for permanent residents and citizens only. Permanent residents are people living in UK for over 5 years. There are plenty of British citizens currently looking for work and this country needs to enact British jobs for British workers.
- Brandon Thomas, SW7, London UK
The olympics were sold to us under the banner of "local jobs, for local people", what a BIG FAT LIE that was.
I know of many tradesman who have tried to get employment at the Olympic site, only to be told (by a foriegner) no jobs here for english.
Boris and the olympic committee really need to get a handle on this, otherwise Richard Barnbrook will be having a lot of his colleagues in the main political
arena with him!
To top it all Londoners are left to pay for it through our council tax, it really is adding insult to injury, and taking the mickey out of us all.
- Denise H, London, England
This is proof that the political correct labour government don't give a damn about the working class people born and bred here ! Remember to repay back harshly on polling day.
- Joe, Swanley Kent
As usual people have missed the point. It is the non EU so called workers that have jumped on this opportunity to enter Uk that is of concern. Ie the majority. EU applicants account for under 1/3rd.No they will not be returning to India/ sub sahara africa after the games. They will remain to burden accommadationa and welfare.
- Mark Armstrong, london. uk
To Nicky of London re your comment "Despite what we might hope - the simple fact is Britian is full of lazy people who don't wabnt jobs and are happy to take their dole money each week"
You're obviously talking about yourself here but don't tar us all with the same brush.
- Veronica, UK
Whats the issue here? we are in the EU for better or worse, so all these workers have the right to apply to work here, also how many BRITS do you think are working in Spain, France, and other EU Countries.
- Howard, London, UK
So what? I know lots of English people who travelled to work on both the Sydney and the Athens Olymics, so I don't see the problem with foreign workers working on the London Olymics.
- Nj, London
Britain got the Olympic games because you show to the
the ruling bosses , that Britain was a multiracial
and wellcoming country to foreingner, if so, practice
what you preach !!!!! or otherwise, british working abroad
will not be wellcome in other country.
- Paul Satchell, Tenerife -Spain
After yesterdays horrific attack on cricketers, the worsening economic crisis, the Olympics should be postponed until 2008. By which time we will have sorted ourselves out. After all there were no Olympics during the two Great Wars. Anyway they are only an ego trip for celebrity sportsman past and present, leaving vast empty stadiums once they are over. Build 1000 sports clubs for teenagers instead.
- Alan Green, Woodford Green
Alot of consruction agencies have offices in eastern europe,so the chances of any of these jobs being advertised here is unlikely.I have been unemployed for 6 weeks now!!!.12 years in the constuction industry can`t get a job nowhere!!.All i want is a fair wage for a fair days work,NO CHANCE!!!!.Nick Griffin, your time is coming,you`ve got my vote!!!
- Andy, london
I would have to agree with Susie. I can also confirm I have many friends and work colleagues who also think the same.
Could they honestly be any worse for this country?
- Claire, London
Ah the Olympic legacy, a very large tax bill and an extra 100,000 mouths to feed. Cheers Gordon! I wouldn't trust this Government to organise a toddler's tea party let alone run a country.
- Mark, London
Nu Labor go away!!
- Georgie, Islington, London
Nick Griffin and Co are looking more appealing by the day........
- Susie, London
Mariusz Kuklinski, London
b.p and tesco in poland ?
i doubt very, very much if those supermarkets or petrol forecourts have any british people working in them , and also to be honest, at the moment i dont think the british public care too much about the share price of tesco or b.p .
- Clive, london
I totally agree with everything Alan says and I'm voting like you, Robin, next time.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
Anarchy for the UK,
It's coming some time, maybe.
Johhny Rotten was right.
- John, Wapping
Despite what we might hope - the simple fact is Britian is full of lazy people who don't wabnt jobs and are happy to take their dole money each week. Long before the olympics, Eastern Europeans have been besieged with work simply because they work hard, do the job on time and don't charge the earth!Same with Indians - they are one of the hardest working, most educated races you will find...that's why the olympic jobs are going to these people. Stop blaming the government for everything (and the bankers!!)...its time everyone took responsibility and took their blinkers off and realised there are a lot of people responsible for the mess this country is in!!
- Nicky, london
This cheapo foreign built olympics will embarress us all. New labour is creating home grown unemployment. I cant believe in a population of 60 million we cant do it ourselves.Many of these workers pay little if any tax ,processing wages to offshore companies.
- Tony ,Essex, Harlow,UK
I am sorry that so many people in the construction industry are unable to find work,what is working is Capitalism,jobs will be given to the cheapest labour,irrespective of nationality.
- Colin, Bristol
its ukip for my vote at next european,local elections,uk is overcrowded no work for over 50's males,
- Robin, london,eurostat region 1 south east
Well said elmo london could not said it better myself
- Darran, S/LINCS
I think it's a disgrace considering our economic climate that employment opportunities are being offered to non-nationals and that the jobs themselves are not being advertised locally. There should be a quota put in place allowing only a small percentage of the workforce to come from abroad and that should only be on the basis that the requirement is a specialised position that cannot be fullfilled locally. The main concept around bringing in outside work is usually to reduce costs, however, all we've read about is how the budget for the Olympics is increasing..so someone outthere isn't doing there job very well if they are not reducing costs. In addition, why should British people have to deal with repossessions and redundancies at the expense of those who don't give a damn about this country as they'll happily disappear back to their 'homeland' once they've cleaned up....in addition, if these workers are being given NI numbers does that then allow them to receive state pensions??? I know too many people is the building trade who would love to work on this type of contract, but can't as they're being undercut by cheap eastern european labour. Unfortunately the Great in Great Britain reflects the attitude of all those milking the system here as it no longer reflects the attitude of the true British people.
- Alan, East London
Is this not good news in that it will be cheaper to construct and it will be built on time - rather than the shambles and overruns we had at Wembley and O2, long before these 'foreign nationals' were legally allowed to work here as they were non-EU countries. Built on time and for a lower cost seems like a good result for the tax payer (but not so good for overpriced builders in the UK)
- Elmo, Romford
Here we go again... if you are foreign.. you can have our jobs, our houses, bring your families over and they can live on benefits and of course have free NHS treatment. Well done Brown & Co for your shortsightedness and your obvious plan of destruction for England. Brown thinks he will be a president one day. A president of a European superstate. Ha ha don't make me laugh.
- Linda, LONDON ENGLAND
The Common Market was a good idea. However, its expansion into the EEC was not. Whereas it was not that easy for Britain to get in nowadays they are so keen to expand they have absorbed to many eastern european countries (that don't really meet the economic criteria) far to quickly.
- Michael, London
Is anyone going to step in and stop this fiasco? We have come to expect nothing but lies,deceipt and cover-ups from Jowell, Coe, et al regarding benefits, costs, etc - but surely Boris can exert some authority over them. May I remind Gordon Brown that he was the one who said "British jobs for British workers". Will he please make the olympic delivery committee are aware of his sentiments.
- R.F., Yorks, UK
How would, e.g. BP or Tesco react if the Polish government imposed a quota on their share of respective Polish markets?
- Mariusz Kuklinski, London
My husband is an electrician who can't get work he went to the job centre in Hackney and the job advisor there said all the olympic jobs are going to foreign workers and that he himself only employs Polish tradesmen what are you supposed to do.
- Karen, Hackney
And what does Boris do? Sit on his hands and act stupid? What's HE done for us Londoners in this respect???
The Evening Standard should investigate the firms responsible and name and shame them, and hopefully there will be some which we can boycott.
- Ralph, GB
Outrageous,mean while the Brits join the dole queue.Its crazy as the people in this country are thrown out of work by the recesion we invite more people into the country to compete for employment,utter madness.
- Kev, London-UK
What is scandalous is the fact that most of these jobs will ONLY be advertised abroad. Whilst suitable British workers may be signing on and trying to prove they are looking for work or else have their benefits cut off, foreign workers are being employed more cheaply because they are not having to pay British mortgages etc. They can afford to accept a lower wage.
This policy of only advertising abroad should be made illegal and any jobs taken by foreign workers should be done so on the proviso that if a suitable British worker applies then they should automatically replace the foreign worker and on a liveable wage in the UK. Not a wage suitable for someone living in a shared house with no family with them but can send their money home in order to buy a home in another country for £30k.
The only reason British workers demand more money is because our cost of living is higher. Are the government and the employers expecting British workers never to be able to afford to buy a home in the UK or to never have children? Maybe Britons could all buy cheap houses abroad and do the same as these workers but oddly enough, countries like the Czech Republic have laws in place to stop foreigners buying their cheap housing. Our government bends over backwards to accomodate cheap foreign employees, yet European law seems to do nothing to support British workers.
- Paul, london
We indiginous East Londoners predicted this as soon as the Olympic bid was put in.
It was never about regenerating my ancestoral homeland. It was always about ego from the gymbunnies who make their living out of PT and greed from the construction companies. Fat contracts for white elephants built by cheap foreign labour.
If the powers were serious about east London they would have put their energy into attracting industry back - encouraging a new generation of firms like Lesney, LEWCO, Highlight and Caribonum.
- Ca Metcalfe, East London/Essex
No wonder we're in a recession with not enough housing / jobs or welfare benefits to go round. Here's to Blair/Brown Broken Britain....
- Susie, London
No doubt thats the reason they have not scrapped the 2012 Games otherwise it will be 1000s more no UK workers signing on claiming benefit
- Mike, London England
Another example of Blameless Brown's misguided economic policy. He may argue that foreign workers are good for the British economy. Unfortunately a lack of jobs for British workers means that many mortgages will not be paid. In turn that will result in lower house prices and more losses for the banks, who are being protected by the taxpayer.
- Harry H, London UK
'British jobs for British workers'will haunt Gormless Gordon for the rest of his life. Does anyone with a brain think the French or Germans would tolerate such madness. Britain has been sold down the river by this incompetent governmentI
- Trevn, Abu Dhabi
I live in Waltham Forest and have for over 50 years, I also am a Decorator. I do not know ANY builders in the games area who have been offered work in fact a tiler friend from ST Albans was told by his local jobcentre there is no chance of a job going to any English workers as they have all been alocated to foreign people.. There are too many of these people working on this site, In my view this is all a farce, they bus these workers in from my area all day put them in multi occupancy house's 10 plus up ( to the distress of people who have bought theirs) and do not give any hope of work for locals who are out of work, and have lived here for years. To top it all they now want to give amnesty to illegals, how many have taken these jobs off local people??????
- Dec, London
British jobs for British workers, we are sitting on a time bomb, which none of the major political parties want to address. Civil war is about to erupt and they all pussyfoot around about a £16 million pension scandal, not interested it does not affect me, but what does affect me is a future for my family, which looks bleaker by the day.
- Ros, London UK
