Hire Overseas Workers Only When Necessary

The Workers of England Union has consistently argued that uncontrolled, unregulated mass immigration exerts downward pressure on wages. The statistics below underscore why we maintain this position and why no trade unionist should accept a deliberate oversupply of cheap labour.

Key Statistics & Market Impact

3.4 million people working in Britain last year were from abroad, equating to 11 % of the total workforce. They comprised 2.2 million EU nationals and 1.2 million non-EU nationals. This volume of incoming labour helps explain why the UK remains a low-wage economy.

The market is clearly overwhelmed with workers, resulting in suppressed wages for colleagues, family members and friends. We believe this is a deliberate strategy to undercut domestic pay rates by flooding the labour pool.

We urge you to read the featured analysis below!

Featured Telegraph Analysis: EU migrants without a job make up city the size of Bristol

Britain has 390,000 EU migrants of working age who are not in employment—equivalent to the population of Bristol. This insight comes from new figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

• One in seven of the 2,733,000 EU migrants aged 16–64—390,000 people—are unemployed or “inactive.”
• “Inactive” migrants include those claiming disability benefits; unemployed migrants may receive Jobseeker’s Allowance, housing benefit and child benefit.
• EU migrants represent 10 % of employees in certain job sectors, highlighting the Government’s challenge in balancing industry needs with post-Brexit free-movement curbs.
• Migrants from Germany, Italy and France earn £12.59 per hour on average compared to £11.30 for British workers, while those from Romania, Bulgaria and other eastern European countries earn just £8.33.
• One in six Romanian and Bulgarian migrants work more than 40 hours per week versus one in three British employees.

Overall, 11 % of the workforce—3.4 million people—are foreign nationals (2.2 million EU and 1.2 million non-EU). The largest numbers are in elementary occupations (selling goods, cleaning) with 669,000 migrants, including 510,000 EU nationals, followed by 658,000 in professional roles (352,000 EU nationals).

Alp Mehmet, Vice Chairman of Migration Watch UK, commented: “Employers should turn to overseas workers only when they face genuine skills or labour shortages. Work permits confined to those offered skilled work on the same basis that applies to non-EU nationals could achieve a reduction of around 100,000 a year; this would go a long way towards delivering on the government’s promise to reduce overall net migration.”

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All the best,
Eddie Bone
Campaign Director
Workers of England Union