Write to your MP
The forgotten 25,000 is a campaign to bring attention to the 25,000 seasonal workers jobs that are at risk as a result of the UK-EU trade agreement.
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The only way we will get change is through parliament.
How to write to your MP
Writing to your MP can seem daunting but it is very easy. Websites such as www.theyworkforyou.com help you find your local MP and even offer the means to send them a message.
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The most effective way however is to directly send them an email. Find your local MP then go to www.members.parliament.uk and their Parliamentary email address will be available there.
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Below you can also find an example template you can use to send them. Please also include your own personal experiences so we can show the real impact this is having on British Seasonal workers.
Example letter
Dear Rt Hon [Your MP’s Name],
I am a British seasonal worker who as a result of the EU-UK trade agreement have found my opportunities for employment in Europe no longer possible.
Every year around 25,000 UK seasonal workers have seasonal jobs in beaches, campsites and the mountains. Around 87% of these seasonal workers are aged between 18-34 years with many from less affluent backgrounds for whom if it wasn’t for the ability to live and work in the mountains living and working in Europe wouldn’t be an option. Working a season in Europe is not just an excuse for people to enjoy themselves; it provides an opportunity, particularly for young people to learn life skills and build self-confidence.
The end of free movement of workers and the opportunity for employers to posted workers in Europe effectively means UK companies will find it difficult if not impossible to second staff abroad. Typically, if a company wants to employ a British member of staff in France from January 1st 2021 most likely will have to carry out the following;
Advertise for eight weeks in France and show proof that no French person can fill this role
Apply for a work permit (this can take up to three months)
The member of staff must go to in person to the French embassy to apply for a visa before they can enter the country (once again a lengthy procedure and the cost paid for by the member of staff)
Note. At any point in this process the application for that individual can be rejected
There will consequently be significant risk associated with the employment of British seasonal workers as even after the long and arduous process of recruitment and visas there is no guarantee a visa would be offered; meaning its pretty much game over for the British seasonal workers like me.
Given how much my industry is struggling under the weight of the pandemic the lack of assistance or acknowledgment that that these workers have had throughout the trade deal negotiations is of great concern to many. We are an industry that contributes £34.4 billion to the UK economy and £2.3 billion to the exchequer each year and had virtually no consideration during the negotiations.
Please push the UK government to encourage our European cousins to protect the rights of posted workers from both the UK and EU to allow workers to benefit each other’s economies and the rights of young people to gain skills which they can bring home with them.
As a member of your constituency, I would greatly appreciate a response to this letter.
Yours sincerely
[Your name]