Go for British staff, firms urged

1 July 2011 Last updated at 15:58 GMT Iain Duncan Smith: "We have to ensure that our immigration system works in the interests of Britain"

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has urged UK businesses to "give a chance" to unemployed young Britons, rather than relying on foreign workers.

In a speech in Spain he said a "realistic promise" of work formed part of the government's "contract" with the British people.

Business groups said firms needed the "best people" and migrants often had a better work ethic and skills.

And Labour said what was needed was "proper action" rather than talk.

Under European Union labour laws, most EU citizens can work in the UK without restriction.

The government has introduced a cap on the number of skilled workers from outside the EU, in an effort to reduce net migration from about 200,000 a year to the "tens of thousands".

In a speech to the Spanish Foundation for Analysis and Social Studies in Madrid, Mr Duncan Smith said that more than half of newly filled jobs in the last year were taken by foreign nationals.

'Vulnerable group'

He warned that there is a "serious risk" that British people will not benefit as the economy recovers if firms "look elsewhere" for workers.

"If we do not get this right then we risk leaving more British citizens out of work, and the most vulnerable group who will be the most affected are young people," he said.

Continue reading the main story Most citizens of EU countries, as well as Switzerland, face no restrictions on working in the UKBulgarian and Romanian nationals need authorisation to work, with some exceptionsBritish firms are not allowed to discriminate against non-UK nationals from the EU over terms of employment, pay and working conditionsThere is a 21,700 annual cap on the number of skilled non-EU workers allowed into UKA points-based system is used to determine which skilled non-EU workers can enter UKThe cap excludes employees transferred by companies from abroad "But government cannot do it all. As we work hard to break welfare dependency and get young people ready for the labour market, we need businesses to give them a chance, and not just fall back on labour from abroad."

He said that while immigration played a "vital role" in helping bridge skills gaps, there were many foreign nationals in low-skilled or semi-skilled jobs that could easily be done by unemployed Britons.

"We have to ensure that our immigration system works in the interests of Britain, enabling us to make a realistic promise to our young school leavers," he said.

He said the immigration system must give unemployed people "a level playing field."

In 2007, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to create "British jobs for British workers" - but the Conservatives said that was illegal under EU law. Official figures suggested that most of the new jobs created since 1997 had gone to people who were not born in the UK.

The unemployment rate among 16 to 24-year-olds fell by 79,000 to 895,000 in the three months to this April but youth unemployment rates still stand at above 19%.

Labour say, after a year in his job, Mr Duncan Smith "should stop talking and start delivering".

'Great tragedy' Continue reading the main story

I do not think it is the role of employers to discriminate on that basis, it is the role of employers to take on the best person for the job”

End Quote Andrew Cave Federation of Small Businesses Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne told the BBC his party would increase taxes on bank bonuses to help pay for new work opportunities for 60,000 young people and reverse cuts to Border Agency staff which he said created the conditions for "illegal immigration to flourish".

"There are simply not enough jobs because the government is cutting back too far and too fast," he added.

"The great tragedy of all of this is that young people lose the habits of work and we as taxpayers have to pick up the bill."

Mr Duncan Smith was backed by Migrationwatch chairman Sir Andrew Green, who said he was "absolutely right".

"Employers have a responsibility to give young British workers a chance and the government must get a grip of immigration if they are to avoid abandoning a whole generation of young Britons on the dole."

'Glib'

But Andrew Cave, from the Federation of Small Businesses, told the BBC it was "quite a glib, throwaway political comment" from the minister.

He said for decades governments had removed links between the education system and business - and school leavers often did not have the skills or training needed.

"If you are an EU citizen you have a right to work here. If an employer discriminates against somebody on the basis of their nationality, and they are from within the EU, they could end up in legal deep water.

He added: "I do not think it is the role of employers to discriminate on that basis, it is the role of employers to take on the best person for the job."

Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, David Frost, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that employers needed the "best people".

"They expect young people to come forward to them who are able to read, write, communicate and have a strong work ethic and too often that's not the case," he said.

And Habib Rahman, of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said Mr Duncan Smith was issuing "a disingenuous and populist call for tighter immigration laws, when his perceived problem is from an area the UK government is powerless to affect - EU immigration."

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Miliband urged to end unpaid work

29 June 2011 Last updated at 13:55 GMT By Victoria King BBC News Ed Miliband has pledged to campaign for all interns to get the minimum wage Campaigners are calling on Ed Miliband to end unpaid internships within the Labour Party after one of his MPs was criticised for recruiting a volunteer.

Intern Aware have sent a letter to him signed by the heads of Young Labour and the National Union of Students.

They said it was hard for him to "talk about social mobility with a straight face" while the practice continued.

While running for Labour leader, Mr Miliband pledged to campaign for all interns to get the minimum wage.

On Tuesday, the BBC revealed that Labour MP for West Ham Lyn Brown is advertising for a "voluntary Westminster worker" to join her office and carry out duties including policy research and dealing with constituents.

According to her official website, she has "campaigned tirelessly for a living wage for all" since her election in 2005.

Intern Aware accused her of "hypocrisy", but she told the BBC that although she would like to pay all her staff, she lacked sufficient resources. She said the volunteer would get expenses.

Internship pledge

Labour said the recruitment of staff was a matter for individual MPs, but Intern Aware have written to Mr Miliband urging him to take a stand.

During the Labour leadership contest, he signed the group's pledge promising that if elected, he would campaign for the Minimum Wage Act to be fully enforced to cover interns.

He said he had not personally taken on any unpaid staff and had encouraged other colleagues within his party to do the same. He added that Labour would "look closely at this issue in our policy review".

Mr Miliband also attended the launch party for the Speaker's Parliamentary Placements scheme, which is being set up to offer paid internships with MPs to a small number of applicants from poorer backgrounds.

Ben Lyons, co-director of Intern Aware, said: "Ed Miliband likes to talk a lot about social mobility, but now it's time for him to put that into practice.

"He says he will be fighting the next election on increasing opportunities for young people, but he doesn't need to wait until then.

"He must keep his pledge and end unpaid internships in the Labour Party. As leader, it is clearly within his powers to give instructions to MPs in his own party, and it is damaging for our democracy if the only people starting careers in politics are those who can afford to work for free."

The open letter to Mr Miliband has been signed by Susan Nash, chair of Young Labour, and Liam Burns, head of the National Union of Students.

Another signatory is Louise Haigh, the Unite union representative for MPs' staff and interns in Parliament.

She said: "I want to see interns paid the living wage but at the absolute minimum, their entitlement under law - the National Minimum Wage.

"If people are workers they should receive the NMW or MPs open themselves up to being hauled through the courts.

"The party must take a strong line on this and force its MPs to pay their workers properly and clearly differentiate between workers and volunteers."

Mr Miliband's competitors for the Labour leadership, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham and his brother David, all joined him in signing the Intern Aware pledge.

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