Lever John, Milbourne Paul
University of Huddersfield, UK.
Cardiff University, UK.
Sociology. 2017 Apr;51(2):306-322. doi: 10.1177/0038038515616354. Epub 2016 Sep 29.
This article examines the role of migrant workers in meat-processing factories in the UK. Drawing on materials from mixed methods research in a number of case study towns across Wales, we explore the structural and spatial processes that position migrant workers as outsiders. While state policy and immigration controls are often presented as a way of protecting migrant workers from work-based exploitation and ensuring jobs for British workers, our research highlights that the situation 'on the ground' is more complex. We argue that 'self-exploitation' among the migrant workforce is linked to the strategies of employers and the organisation of work, and that hyper-flexible work patterns have reinforced the spatial and social invisibilities of migrant workers in this sector. While this creates problems for migrant workers, we conclude that it is beneficial to supermarkets looking to supply consumers with the regular supply of cheap food to which they have become accustomed.
本文探讨了移民工人在英国肉类加工厂中的作用。借助威尔士多个案例研究城镇的混合方法研究材料，我们探究了将移民工人定位为局外人的结构和空间过程。虽然国家政策和移民管控常被视为保护移民工人免遭工作场所剥削并确保英国工人就业的一种方式，但我们的研究凸显出实际情况更为复杂。我们认为，移民劳动力中的“自我剥削”与雇主的策略及工作组织方式有关，而且超灵活的工作模式强化了该行业中移民工人在空间和社会层面的隐形状态。虽然这给移民工人带来了问题，但我们得出结论，这对那些希望为消费者持续供应他们已习以为常的廉价食品的超市是有益的。
