Safety on building sites compromised
Country:
Source:
Language barrier
By JOE HILDEBRAND
The Daily Telegraph
dailytelegraph.news.com.au
Copyright 2004 News Limited.
Some migrant workers in the building industry are compromising safety because they do not take compulsory training which are organised done in English. Moreover, their inability to communicate in English makes them venerable to exploitation.
Political groups want tougher English tests, but the relevant authorities say this is not necessary.
Facts:
- A Univ. of NSW study found that 30% migrant workers avoid compulsory safety training in English.
- In NSW alone, some 50 people die on construction sites.
- The article refers to some actual cases relating to safety issues.
Language Issues:
------Safety
- Does safety at work imply some kind of duty to learn a language?
- Is it a matter of introducing harder tests or an interest to learn the language in the first place? How do tests guarantee that someone understands complex language instructions? From experience working with learners of English, language tests give a false sense of ability; tests are not meant to guarantee understanding of real life language situations. I believe in language audits, the way one audits money, engineering standards and stock controls.
- Does a lack of interest in learning language skills reflect some kind of general attitude towards work in general and safety standards in particular?
- Is it the duty of the authorities to ensure that workers have the necessary language skills in order to understand safety instructions?
------Exploitation
- I suggest that this story is evidence that globalisation must be balanced by a global language. Globalisation is generating global knowledge and information which require a common code (i.e. language).
- Do these workers have at least a moral duty to learn English in order to find out about their work situation? In other words, are they being exploited or are they indifferent to their work conditions?
Comments:
- Is it the duty of the authorities, or employers, to ensure that workers have the necessary skills to meet safety duties?
- Does it mean that these workers also comprise quality and standards? Presumably, they would have difficulties communicating with English speaking site managers.
- If these workers could prove that they were exploited would they have a legal right for compensation in the future? At least in principle; I’m thinking of the artists in the music industry who were able to challenge their contracts which they signed when they were young and inexperienced.
Bottom-Line:
What would be the consequences if the quality and standards of buildings are also being compromised?
Safety on building sites compromised
Free Credit Reports in English
Free Credit Reports in English
Country:
Source:
Que? Credit reports available only in English
Copyright © 2006 AP Wire
© 1997-2006 American-Republican Inc.
Under Federal law consumers are entitled to a free credit report, but these are only available in English. Only one of the three major credit agencies can provide reports in Spanish if requested.
Facts:
- 20 million files are constantly being updated.
- No language provision exists in the relevant legislation.
Language Issues:
- Do we have a right to exercise our rights in our language (if applicable) or are rights independent of language?
- If there is a language right is this relative or absolute? For example, should all languages be treated equal or only those with a big enough population; compare Welsh or Catalan with Mandarin or Russian.
- Are we heading towards a global language? Do we need a global language?
- Can we really discriminate because of language? We can do something about our language skills, but not our race or colour of our skin.
Comments:
- What would be the business costs to introduce a multi language service for these free reports?
- Is this an opportunity to introduce some intelligent software for this service?
- Should the government pay for a multi language service?
- If reports are provided in different languages, which would be the legally binding report in a court of law?
Bottom-Line:
How big is the demand for credit reports in other languages?
Bank Goes from Pole to Polish
Country:
UK
Source:
Opportunity Knocks
Peter Day
BBC-Radio 4
In Business (podcast) 11 May 2006
British Broadcasting Corporation © 2002-2005
Podcast Link
Web Page
Story:
Local Barclays Bank branch has had growth of 60 – 80% by attracting Polish clients living in London. It started when the branch recruited a Polish member of staff who attracted business though word of mouth. Polish clients found it convenient dealing in their own language.
The bank is now embarked on a recruitment drive for Polish employees. The bank expects to attract 2,000 Polish businesses from the catchment area.
Facts:
- local branch business growth of 60 – 80%.
- the bank has 10 Polish employees working in the area and recruiting more.
- estimated Polish settlers in the
- estimated Polish settlers since opening borders 350,000 – 750,000.
Language Issues:
- Polish employees can communicate in both English and Polish. So, in a way, the bank is recruiting language efficient employees with the necessary professional skills already in place.
- it seems that a certain critical mass is required in business to make any investment in languages worth while.
Comments:
- a seamless integration of language skills and professional skills is probably necessary to maintain any competitive edge. Presumably, the competition is watching and would want part of the action.
Bottom-Line:
Are there cultural requirements which clients expect from the bank?
A health insurance policy negotiated in Spanish but written in English.
A health insurance policy negotiated in Spanish but written in English.
Country:
Santa Ana, California, USA
Language Becoming an Issue for Health Insurers
A Spanish-speaking couple is suing Blue Cross, saying it should not have yanked a policy that it wrote in English.
By
March 20, 2006
Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times
A Spanish speaking couple contract a health insurance after seeing the service advertised in Spanish. The negotiations with the insurance agent were done in Spanish, but the contract papers were pre-filled in English. After some months the husband needed heart surgery.
The insurance company cancelled the coverage retrospectively claiming that the couple did not disclose a chest pain the client experienced earlier. The clients claim that when they consulted a doctor about this pain they were told it was nothing important. Hence they did not mention it to the insurance. Besides, the contact deeds were written in English which they did not understand.
The case is before the courts.
Facts:
- The couple were up to date with their insurance premiums.
- The insurance cancelled the contract retrospectively leaving the couple with a $130,000 medical bill.
- non-English speakers have fewer protection when buying health care coverage then when buying other goods and services; e.g. buying a car.
Language issues:
- Just because two parties are speaking the same language it does not follow that they understand each other. The cultural context plays an important part in how we understand people especially in practical things as negotiating.
- If contracts are agreed and written in a different language what would be legal status of these contracts if the courts only recognise English as their working language?
- If documents have to be translated into English for the courts wouldn’t this put the parties in the same situation as if the documents had been written in English in the first place?
- Whose got the most pressing moral duty: non-English speakers to learn English, or companies to speak the language of their client?
Comments:
- It seems that the company did not anticipate to have very serious languages problems since they advertised in Spanish and provided Spanish speaking staff.
- Did the company enter into a bad deal?
- Are present business communication practices with clients adequate for a global market place?
- Shouldn’t health services be provided for all on the same basis that law and order are provided to all the members of society?
- Would companies be discriminating if they passed the language costs to those clients who had special language needs?
Bottom-Line:
How much is a healthy society worth to the nation? How much do moral obligations cost?
Language had safety implications for a supermarket
Language had safety implications for a supermarket
Country:
USA
Source:
New cultures, challenges: It's a polyglot world
By Bill Brubaker
The Washington Post
Sunday, February 19, 2006 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company
Story:
A new manager at a food super market discovered that many of his employees did not attend mandatory safety and sanitation classes. The classes were held in English and many of the staff did not speak English.
This lack of training raised safety and regulatory issues for the supermarket.
Facts:
- More than 200 (front line employees) of 650 employees did not speak English.
- There was miscommunication between management and staff.
- Immigrant workers fill low paid jobs while English speakers cost more to train and tend to leave after training.
- The supermarket is used a lot by non English speakers.
Solution:
- Company introduced a multi language training web site.
- Offered English language courses to staff and Spanish to management.
Language Issues:
- Shouldn’t companies have language training if part of their client base do not speak English.
- Is language an issue for low end market businesses or across the whole business spectrum?
- Is lack of English skills a source for discrimination, in the same way that not being able to operate a PC a source of discrimination?
- Should companies look at profit returns when organising language skills programmes?
Comments:
- Shouldn’t the company have had a reporting system in place to show which of the employees did not go to safety classes? Maybe a financial incentive might be appropriate.
- Are there any hidden costs to the solutions adopted by the company?
- Is there a formal system in place to make sure that new employees undergo the necessary training?
- How long can the company depend on the loyalty of immigrant labour?
- Should companies make a harder effort to offer loyalty career programmes to profit centre employees? I assume that a profit centre employee is anyone who comes in direct contact with the client when delivering the company’s products.
Bottom-Line:
- The company boosted sales and attracted more non-English speaking customers.
- Are language skills a value added feature?
Exploitation of Immigrants for not speaking English
Exploitation of Immigrants for not speaking English
Country:
Source:
Report claims immigrant without English face exploitation
Copyright Unison.ie
© http://www.unison.ie/
(all copyrights respected)
A report by the Irish Vocational Education Association claims that immigrants who do not speak English face exploitation.
Unions and IVEA support English language classes for immigrants.
Language Issues:
- Offering free English classes would help immigrants to integrate into society.
- Free classes paid by the authorities might even prove positive. The immigrants might feel that the authorities actually care.
- Language skills will certainly help immigrates take up more main stream jobs.
Comments:
- language is probably not the main reason why immigrants get exploited, but lack of knowledge about local customs and general awareness of western employment culture.
- Does the government have a moral duty to help immigrants?
Bottom-Line:
How much does a western economy save by exploiting unsuspecting immigrants?