Jersey City, NJ (1888PressRelease)
June 02, 2007 - Just after that he is fed with all stories about Polish swindlers, iceberg slims and thieves who try to take from Polish people as much as it is possible. Following that pattern, well-informed Pole, keeps repeating the same advice to others. That is the way the new immigration tradition is born.
‘’Just go to work and you will see’’- these are the most important words heard by the new comers who comment on the ads in one of the Polish newspapers and want to share their happiness with the neighbours. All these are followed by the tales about adventures with work for Polish people. The stories are almost the same: Polish employer has not paid for two months, he plays the role of the most clever man and he asks Poles to work for nothing 10 hours per day.
‘’I don’t have great experience (I just perform small jobs for the clients from London), but I can prompt something’’, Lucas admits at the beginning of his story of life and work in the UK in the field of computer graphics. Apart from receiving some information about sending cv from Poland, looking for accommodation, confirmation of address and setting the account there is still at least one piece of sacramental warnings-‘’Stay away from the Poles. If you have any contacts with them, they will offer you help in accomplishing formalities, finding work, just pretend, let’s say, you are Welsh or Swede. It would be good for you’’, the immigrant says with few months of ‘’experience’’ in Great Britain. These kinds of stories are followed by others such as about ruthless thieves, fake helpers, who only care about their business, who want to trip somebody up. There are also examples of mockery and contempt shown by the ‘’new generation’’of Poles towards newcomers.
‘’We got used to such a situation so much that we even do not try to change anything’’, Adrian says, a student from Warsaw who has been working in London for 2 years.
Conflict between dreams and reality
The average Pole who does not speak any English, without any friends, family or contacts is like a child in the fog. The example may be Christopher who came to London with his brother-in-law a year ago.
‘’We’ve just arrived from the airport to Victoria station and we had no ideas what to do next’’, they say. While staying in Poland they found a room in Brixton. ‘’To be honest we even did not know where it was. As we have heard that transport is so expensive, we decided to go to Brixton on foot with luggage. I think we made 30 kilometres but we got to the place. The first job we took was offered by the Pole’’. Now they all can confirm that saying The Poles scowl at the Poles is true .
However, from the Polish employers’ point of view the reality looks a bit different. ‘’Anybody who comes to Great Britain, usually imagine that he will get good job immediately’’, the owner of the small company says. He deals with car fixing. ‘’They have no idea that, first of all, there must be a lot of legal things sorted before starting work to make their staying and employment legal. After some time Polish people realize that their expectations depart from the reality and you need to live. Then illegal work for 5 pounds per hour appears to be not so bad. But as soon as they manage to overcome all the problems and find better job, they start complaining about being used by the Poles in the past. They even wouldn’t think that they survived thanks to bad Polish people ’’.
The islands of solidarity
Although Polish image about the Poles seems to be invariable, there are also some islands of incredible solidarity within our society. One of the great examples is the activity of Mariusz Lubowiecki who has developed the possibility to contact Polish ( not only ) specialists with customers and it is very difficult to find any transparent business in what he is doing. ‘’I don’t run any recruitment agency, I do it completely for free and unselfishly, Lubowiecki convinces.’’ I just realize how difficult is to start earning money just after arriving to the UK. I hit on the idea to launch the service which lets to start somewhere and find commission for good beginning.
His activity is based on applications of employees who offer their services and clients’ requirements, who are looking for the specialists e.g. for refurbishment, website developers or baby-sitters. Anybody who needs a specialist, passes all the details of the order and place his address on the website www.polishstaff.co.uk . The administrator ( that is Mariusz Lubowiecki) sends them via text message or e-mail to subcontractors or employees. Then specialists get in touch with the clients or employers and arrange the costs and time.
‘’There are over 500 of such subcontractors’’, the initiator of the website says. We just create a kind of society of mutual cooperation, we are in constant contact, helping each others. I just hope we will develop such an idea’’.
Lubowiecki will not change our attitude. But his example may influence others.
‘’I got to know few people who offer their help for new comers frankly and openly, one of the internauts says on Polish-Scottish websites. And it was not only offering but they really helped me. I felt it so deeply so that I have also sent few announcements with my willingness to help other Polish people (of course within bounds of possibility).
Funny naivety? But not hopeless.
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