Apparently, Poland still has its equivalent of National Service. At the end of their two years’ military service, they are all issued with a C&E licence even if they have never driven an artic (or Wagon & Drag). Doesn’t seem right to me, but then again MMTM so it must be true…
I think it’s only 9 months now but not 100% sure.
Your friend has been misinformed. Poland still does have an equivalent to National Service but they do not come out of it with HGV licences at the end. It may be an option for them but they don’t all get it automatically.
I know it’s a rarity on this site but I actually quite like the Poles and have a few Polish friends and of course work colleagues, the majority of which did their national service but do not hold a licence. Infact every Pole I know that drives a truck gained their licence off their own back, although that’s only 3 of the 9-10 Poles I speak to regularly.
“Poland suspended compulsory military service on 5 December 2008 by the order of the Minister of Defence. Compulsory military service was formally abolished when the Polish parliament amended the conscription law on 9 January 2009; the law came into effect on 11 February 2009.”
I am from Polish stock, and before you start on me, neither me or my Dad has ever visited the country.
He was conceived there, but his dad chose to fight for the British Army, with the hope of finding a better life over here.
Got the British Empire Medal for saving a Brit pilot from a burning plane.
I have the pic of him getting said medal (highest honour at the time that could be bestowed upon a non-national) and the chap stood two folk away from him is General Eisenhower.
He came over here, and ended up down a coal mine for 20 years. Didn’t leave the house until my Dad (the eldest of the four kids) had been packed off to school, to learn English, then he came home from school, taught his folks the lingo, and not until they had a grasp of it, would they venture out among the Brits, for fear of animosity.
My grandad had never ridden a bicycle when he joined the British Army, went to work on a farm in Poland, and got there on horseback.
He was handed his uniform, complete with Tank licence.
Never claimed a penny of his pit pension, and used to give his free coal to the widow next door.
I am watching the Battle of Britain programme now 303 squadron which was Polish crew were master pilots, and they went after the German pilots, not just the aircraft 
Not sure about pre driver cpc but certainly since the start of it the Polish have made it much harder to get a LGV than we have in the UK
This could be why many Polish are over here to get their LGV
Wheel Nut:
I am watching the Battle of Britain programme now 303 squadron which was Polish crew were master pilots, and they went after the German pilots, not just the aircraft
Our top pilot was polish and that said pilot then went and flew for USA and ended up being there top pilot. Polish remind me of the Gurkas
Anybody watch Friday night prog. Harvest 2013? It featured a massive cherry farm. ALL fruit pickers were Eastern European (about 40 staff I think??)- not one British!!! Astounding.
It was hard work, long hours, but decent pay for those that got stuck in.
Well done to them for not skiving off, calling in sick, coming in hungover etc.etc. The Brits just won’t do it!! This ain’t the first prog. like this I’ve seen - I think there was one similar about veggie pickers around Boston, a few years back - again Brits weren’t interested/couldn’t be arsed. Incredible!!!
Daz1970:
Anybody watch Friday night prog. Harvest 2013? It featured a massive cherry farm. ALL fruit pickers were Eastern European (about 40 staff I think??)- not one British!!! Astounding.It was hard work, long hours, but decent pay for those that got stuck in.
Well done to them for not skiving off, calling in sick, coming in hungover etc.etc. The Brits just won’t do it!! This ain’t the first prog. like this I’ve seen - I think there was one similar about veggie pickers around Boston, a few years back - again Brits weren’t interested/counldn’t be arsed. Incredible!!!
I never saw the programme but if the Brits wouldn’t do it, it would be interesting to know how the fruit and veg got picked before the Poles came here.
Or could it just be another case of an employer taking advantage of immigrant labour to drive down rates, then ■■■■■■■■ that British people won’t queue up to work for crap rates ?
we have a polish car wash in town , the english competition charge 8 pounds for a basic wash ( slapdash ) , the polish lads charge a fiver , for 6 pounds they do all the door edges and closures and are always cheerful and polite . their work ethic is streets ahead of the english .
tachograph:
I never saw the programme but if the Brits wouldn’t do it, it would be interesting to know how the fruit and veg got picked before the Poles came here.Or could it just be another case of an employer taking advantage of immigrant labour to drive down rates, then ■■■■■■■■ that British people won’t queue up to work for crap rates ?
Boss lady said…‘They had two British workers in recent times…one lasted an hour, the other a day’. Not all young Brits are lazy/idle/greedy etc. but from what I’ve seen some or most don’t want the hard graft, they want soft/easy jobs & to start on £500 p.w. with little or no skills or experience. They (most) are not prepared to start at the bottom & work their way up, the East Europeans are willing to do the labouring & are generally the harder-working, more reliable option.
Somethings gotta change■■?
mickyblue:
Wheel Nut:
I am watching the Battle of Britain programme now 303 squadron which was Polish crew were master pilots, and they went after the German pilots, not just the aircraftOur top pilot was polish and that said pilot then went and flew for USA and ended up being there top pilot. Polish remind me of the Gurkas
Yes I am not sure if they were brave or just didn’t give a zb, many had already lost their homes and families plus they were better trained than many of our RAF pilots.
Insubordinate or increasingly brave, they got some fantastic results
rigsby:
we have a polish car wash in town , the english competition charge 8 pounds for a basic wash ( slapdash ) , the polish lads charge a fiver , for 6 pounds they do all the door edges and closures and are always cheerful and polite . their work ethic is streets ahead of the english .
money talks 
they’ll muck in 
makes it go quicker! 
tachograph:
I never saw the programme but if the Brits wouldn’t do it, it would be interesting to know how the fruit and veg got picked before the Poles came here.Or could it just be another case of an employer taking advantage of immigrant labour to drive down rates, then ■■■■■■■■ that British people won’t queue up to work for crap rates ?
Somehow I think British attitudes to work changed and the Eastern Europeans seized an opportunity they had open to them. If Brits were filling in the gaps at the bottom of the market, they’d be filling them all the way up.
When hard work became ‘beneath’ Brits, the Poles stepped in. Said Poles do far more for the current economy than the draining Brits that refuse to work the lesser jobs until they’ve demonstrated they’re capable of doing more.
If this country did not allow others to come and work here for scab wages then the employers would be forced to pay UK people a proper wage to do the job - isn’t that the truth ?
IMO its not that Uk people will not do the job but they will not do the job for a pittance of a wage
The polish do the work because the english wont, i dont blame the poles at all, at least there grafters. We also has been said here before, forget that the polish were our allies and many died alongside the british and the allies.
ROG:
If this country did not allow others to come and work here for scab wages then the employers would be forced to pay UK people a proper wage to do the job - isn’t that the truth ?IMO its not that Uk people will not do the job but they will not do the job for a pittance of a wage
BALLS!
90% of the unemployed in this country don’t want to work and it’s bigots with the shame attitude as you that have given them the excuse.
All the immigrants taking our jobs. If the British worker was doing the job in the first place there wouldn’t be jobs for the immigrants to take. It’s not like companies are inventing roles for every one except Brits is it.
We the UK are easy pickings for immigrants because the average Briton is a lazy tired ■■■■ with an over inflated opinion of not only his worth to an employer but also his abilities.
One is worth exactly what an employer is willing to pay to get the job done and not a penny more.
I can only speak from my own experience, I always believed that the east Europeans had a good work ethic until a couple of years ago when I worked at an agency that ran their own vehicles, many of the drivers were Polish and it wasn’t long before I realised most of them weren’t hard workers they were just arse wipes, there is a difference, when the boss said jump they asked how high, no questions asked.
Sorry but based on my own experience, which admittedly is pretty much limited to one company, I no longer buy into this “East Europeans have a great work ethic” theory.
Its not a lack of work ethic its a lack of jobs or too many people
Back in the 70s it was hard to find anyone out of work as there were more jobs than people with employers giving good wages to entice and keep employees
Change the situation and you change the ethics
At age 14+ we were all fired up to get into work and had so many options but we knew we could deffo go straight into a job unlike nowadays