Small business group defends migrant workers

A small business group has hit out at the Chairman of Migration Watch, Sir Andrew Green, claiming his views on immigrant workers are "blinkered".

Chief Executive of the Forum of Private Business (FPB) Nick Goulding said: "The immigration of workers from Eastern Europe and elsewhere has been beneficial, not just to small business, but to the economy as a whole.

"Our figures show that the skills gap has closed considerably over the last few years through an influx of both people prepared to do those unpopular, low-paid positions and also highly skilled workers that we have badly needed. The reality is many of the six hundred thousand vacancies that the government highlighted to be filled have been, by capable and willing workers."

The group's reaction was to an article in the Daily Mail by the Chairman of the organisation that is concerned by the scale of immigration in the UK.

Mr Goulding said: "Does Sir Andrew Green really want us to follow the economic policy of the likes of Germany and France who have taken a blinkered approach to managing their economies, resulting in higher unemployment and the marginalisation of the poor?"

He also dismissed the claim that the increase in immigration from eastern members of the EU is somehow detrimental to the economy. He said: "Migrant workers aren't keeping wages down as these are jobs that no-one else will do for the Minimum Wage.

"They aren't taking benefits, they are here to work and if and when they take a pension it will be because they have earned it."

European Union

The European Union's Employment Commissioner, Vladimir Spidla, believes full freedom of movement for workers across Europe will be a reality "as soon as possible".

That is despite key member states opting to keep their doors closed to workers from the newest members of the EU until 2009.

Only the UK, Ireland and Sweden opened up their employment markets to the new member states from the moment they became EU nations in May 2004. Now four more countries, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Finland, have chosen to open their borders.