The end of a cheap labour force? Many Slovaks would not receive enough score points

The reform may paralyse health and nursing care in the UK.

Illustrative stock photoIllustrative stock photo (Source: Pixabay)

Imagine a qualified metal worker from Slovakia with a school leaving exam. Although he does not speak English well, he had an offer to work in the UK with a salary of £25,000 (some €29,800) a year.

While this person would be able to migrate to the UK for work last year, he would not receive the work permit after January 1, 2021.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

The end of a cheap workforce from Europe

The Brexit transition period ended on December 31, 2020.

The Boris Johnson government said in advance that after this date the UK would insist on taking only qualified experts or migrants who are experts in scarce professions.

SkryťTurn off ads

“We need to shift the focus of our economy away from reliance on cheap labour from Europe (…). Employers will need to adjust,” the government wrote in a policy document.

The British government will now score every economic migrant to see whether he/she is a suitable candidate for working in the country.

The Johnson cabinet introduced the new points-based system in mid-February 2020, but the reform immediately faced harsh criticism. It was opposed by both the opposition Labour Party and employers who rely on migrants from, for example, central European countries.

The Sme daily has contacted several Slovaks who have succeeded in the UK and even managed to find a better job, meaning they cannot be considered a “cheap labour force”. They say that if the new system had been applied at the time of their arrival, they would not have passed through.

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

Stock image.

Twice as many Ukrainians work in Slovakia now than before the Russian invasion.


Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad