Why we must defend Migrant Workers

By Michael Collins

Unison has said urgent action is needed
after conducting a report on Migrant Workers and the Recession. The report was
a harrowing look into the reality of the difficulties migrant workers face when
they come to work here.

According to statistics  83% of migrant
workers have encountered racism in their workplace. The report was also highly
critical of the private care sector where an astounding 83% of Unison members
claim to have been the victim of racist bullying at work.

Clearly the problem of racism in the
workplace is deep and needs to be urgently addressed. Finance minister Sammy
Wilson did nothing to help when he claimed jobs should be given to people born
in N.Ireland ahead of migrants. He said, “Do you really want to put
someone from here on the dole and have to pay for their upkeep, family and
lifestyle when someone who has chosen themselves to be mobile could be the one
in employment?”

These were dangerous and dishonest words from the finance minister. It is after all the assembly‘s cuts which will result in job losses
and lead many people to sign on the dole. Sammy Wilson is trying to blame
migrants on the economy when really the blame rests on himself and all of the
other Stormont politicians.  It is hardly the fault of migrant workers that
levels of unemployment are at their highest since 1971. How can we blame
migrant workers when this year alone we’ve seen Visteon, Bombardier,
Stream and HG Wilson all sack workers to save profits for the bosses.

We also have an assembly that is intent on implementing
cutbacks of £343 million across the board which could lead to 1,700 job losses
in health administration. Sammy Wilson has some nerve blaming migrants for the
rise in unemployment when he is the one who will be overseeing these savage
cutbacks. He will also have a bit of trouble convincing the 1,700 health
workers whose jobs are under threat that immigrants are to blame for rising
unemployment when he is the one slashing jobs.

One Roma migrant responded to Sammy Wilson  on the Belfast telegraph’s website saying, “I am very sad because I pay taxes here and spend
money in the shop here like thousands of other people, I want to ask, why must
I be treated differently?” He is absolutely right. Not only do migrants
contribute to the economy and provide valuable services for everyone in
N.Ireland but they are also people and the very least we can do is to ensure
they are treated as equals.

Not on Sammy Wilson’s watch. He attempts to use migrant
workers as scapegoats saying they are to blame for the poor state of the
economy and high unemployment.

The truth is Sammy Wilson and the rest of the Stormont
politicians are responsible for the high unemployment rate here. They watched
as companies made staff redundant in order to protect profits. They couldn’t
even bring themselves to condemn the management of Visteon when they sacked
their entire Belfast workforce with no notice.

On top of this all of the parties accept that there must be
cuts of £343million  made in the public sector. Sammy Wilson can’t blame
migrants for unemployment and poor services when he is the one implementing
huge cutbacks to the public sector. We should defend migrant workers and point
out to people the real problem - the assembly and the cutbacks they are making
to public services.