‘…Enough is enough…’ not half:
An event two weeks ago had me & two ‘non-English speakers’ tipping trolleys of trays onto a scissor lift - with one of them up top with me. The ‘other’ was off loading the scissor.
During loading the scissor for the umpteenth time, the first chap managed to topple a stack onto himself and he immediately froze whilst appearing alright. He firmly beckoned me away, whereupon I asked what he’d next like me to do.
All he could repeatedly squawk was ‘ok, ok, ok’ whilst his mate below wandered off.
Upon return that evening I completed one of the firm’s requisite (and tiny) Safety Concern/Near Miss forms, and asked how could I, as their employee, effectively communicate emergency needs should I be the one in need of help.
I’ve been debriefed in the last 48 hours that my use of the term ‘migrant workers’ is unacceptable - although no further acknowledgement that my suggestion for my company to request that a competent level of English language from third-party, supply chain co-workers has been made. It actually seems to have been ignored.
How is such PC kow-towing creating meaningful progress to this industry or even adding to anyone’s quality of life other than getting loading bay work done on the very, very cheap and nasty?
Since it seems fully acceptable, my solution shall be to henceforth communicate with my work colleagues (or at least those that can cope) and all limp-wristed line managers by solely using the phrase ‘ok’.
