0:00:03 > 0:00:06In Britain, more than five million people are now in low-paid work.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10I'm left with ?12.76 every single week.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Some weeks I'm just really struggling.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14I have to borrow, in fact, off people.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18Whether we're unskilled workers, graduates, or aged 50 or over,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21many of us could have a future in low pay.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Everybody is vulnerable.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Work is the new poor.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29With zero-hour contracts, automation and global competition,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32employees need to be more adaptable than ever before.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35There's losers in any transition period.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38The question is, what do you do to make sure that some of the losers
0:00:38 > 0:00:40don't fall through the cracks?
0:00:40 > 0:00:44So, how tough are these jobs and can anyone do them?
0:00:44 > 0:00:4720 people, all proud of their work ethic...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49I'm a grafter. I've always been a grafter.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52I don't ever believe anything is above me or below me.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Money doesn't just come to you.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55You've got to go out and get it.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58..are taking part in a unique experiment.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00I'm your factory manager for the next ten days.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02They're putting themselves to the test,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06trying out a range of low-paid jobs in real British workplaces...
0:01:06 > 0:01:07So that's what we're trying to achieve.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Better crack on, then, hadn't we?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11I thought it was going to be easy.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14..and in a specially constructed factory.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I'll get there. I knew it would be a slow start, but I'll get there.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Facing an uncertain future in the job market...
0:01:20 > 0:01:24I want to prove to myself how hard a worker I can be.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28I've taken part to show that there are hard-working people out there.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29..they'll discover what skills you need
0:01:29 > 0:01:32to survive in today's low-paid jobs.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35I don't understand. No!
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Sorry, it's squirting everywhere.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40And just like in the real jobs market, it's competitive...
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Jesus! ..with the least productive worker
0:01:42 > 0:01:44being laid off after every shift...
0:01:44 > 0:01:46The shift has finished.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48..until we're left with the most adaptable
0:01:48 > 0:01:51and most resilient worker of all.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58There's a fierce debate surrounding low-paid work
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and in this series we get to the heart of it,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03with a unique social experiment that
0:02:03 > 0:02:06gets right inside the jobs themselves.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10We're going to lift the lid on some of the sectors which employ
0:02:10 > 0:02:13the most low-paid workers.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17So we'll go from farming to manufacturing,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19from food preparation to warehouse work,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23to find out what skills you need to survive in these jobs.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25So who are our brave volunteers?
0:02:30 > 0:02:34They're from across the UK and from a range of backgrounds.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41And all face the prospect of earning their living from low-paid work.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45I know how tough the job market is out there
0:02:45 > 0:02:47and I want to prove that young people are
0:02:47 > 0:02:49incredibly driven and hard-working.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54I believe this challenge is going to help me to open my eyes, let's say.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59I'm sure I could quite easily manage to work in a factory or clean hotel
0:02:59 > 0:03:00rooms, or something like that.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It can't be that difficult.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06And we'll see if they've got the skills needed to survive in some of
0:03:06 > 0:03:07Britain's toughest low-paid work.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Taking charge of our factory is Mike Matthews.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17He's the managing director of a ?68 million business in Teesside
0:03:17 > 0:03:20which manufactures plastic car parts,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22employing more than 560 staff
0:03:22 > 0:03:26and has responsibility for a number of factories across Europe.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30But Mike started his career as an apprentice on the factory floor.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33I think a lot of these low-paid roles are often taken for granted.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Very demanding, both physically and from a skill point of view.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39I'm really interested in this experiment
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and seeing what kind of jobs
0:03:41 > 0:03:43people are expected to do for the minimum wage
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and I'm sure it's going to be a real eye-opener for me.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Over the course of the experiment, Mike will be assessing the workers
0:03:50 > 0:03:53and at the end of each task, he'll send the least productive home.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Welcome to the factory, guys.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I'm your factory manager for the next ten days.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03My attitude to management is firm but fair.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Over the next ten days, we've got some really tough tasks to do
0:04:06 > 0:04:09and some of the tasks we've got to do are quite dirty jobs.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12The first job is to clean the largest hotel in Leeds,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14which has about 300 rooms.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Our workers are going to start with one of the most basic low-paid jobs
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and it involves rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29because what they're doing is cleaning up other people's mess.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32They'll be working in the hospitality industry.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37It's one of our largest business sectors, worth ?57 billion a year,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40employing 4.5 million people
0:04:40 > 0:04:44and has one of the highest concentrations of low-paid workers.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47It's an industry where keeping running costs to a minimum is vital,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51so that they can offer competitive room rates to customers.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The workers are on their way to this hotel in Leeds.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01700 guests have checked out, which means 334 dirty rooms
0:05:01 > 0:05:03and it's the same story up and down the country,
0:05:03 > 0:05:08with 750,000 hotel rooms from high-end to low-budget,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10and they all have one thing in common -
0:05:10 > 0:05:12they need to be made spotless
0:05:12 > 0:05:13and in order for this to happen,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17there's an army of unseen cleaners on minimum wage.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20But just because it's a low-paid job
0:05:20 > 0:05:22doesn't mean it's easy and anyone can do it.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27That's what we want the workers to find out.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30As with trainee cleaners at the hotel, they've been paired up
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and each pair will compete to see how many rooms they can clean
0:05:34 > 0:05:36to the hotel's standards.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39When they said, like, it's cleaning, yes, it's something I know that
0:05:39 > 0:05:41I can do. Yeah, yeah. So I'm quite happy about that.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43I'll be quite honest with you,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46the last time I made a bed was when I was a Butlins Redcoat in 1986,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49because my wife just won't let me do things like that.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53While most of the workers are new to the job,
0:05:53 > 0:05:5523-year-old Sabrina is a professional.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58She supports her five-year-old son by cleaning homes for a living.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I'm quite confident with the job today.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Everyone can clean, but because I've got the experience,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I know what to do best, what's better to do
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and I'm good at managing people.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I'm going to nail this one.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18While they're working at the hotel,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22our people will be managed by the head of housekeeping.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24They're coming on a very busy, busy weekend.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26We've had a lot of stag groups in,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28hen parties, party people.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31We've had a wedding in. Tour groups have come and gone.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34They will be in for a shock to see how leisure people leave the rooms
0:06:34 > 0:06:35at the end of a weekend.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Ready, girls? Yep, let's do it.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Here we go.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43Over the next four and a half hours,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47we'll see if the workers have the skills they need to make it as hotel
0:06:47 > 0:06:49cleaners. They'll need to be fast,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53because the hotel's target is to finish a room in 24 minutes,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56but they'll also need to have an eye for detail,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58because there's a lot to do.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05Andy will have a checklist to make sure that every room our cleaners do
0:07:05 > 0:07:06come up to hotel standards.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09The bed needs to be made perfectly.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Two points for that.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12A pristine carpet.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13One point for that.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16A hospitality tray needs to be made up correctly -
0:07:16 > 0:07:19six milks, four teas and coffees.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Two points for that. And in the bathroom,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25everything has to be spotless and streak-free.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Every room has to be perfect for the guest.
0:07:27 > 0:07:2920 out of 20.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Anything less and it will fail inspection.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Room 144.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Where is? Just up here.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Where? That's the one.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44The workers have been trained and although hotel cleaners work alone,
0:07:44 > 0:07:45since they're new to the job,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47we've paired them up to make things slightly easier.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50Housekeeping.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Let's go. Right. Go, go, go.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Oh, my word. I think today, the workers will struggle with the beds.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00They'll miss lots of things today.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04You get the rubbish. I'm going to do the bedsheets, OK?
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Boy, this one is a mess.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08I've got cups under the pillows.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Pigs are probably cleaner than this.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13I've never seen one of those before.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Right, I'm going to try and tackle the beds and Kevin's going to tackle
0:08:16 > 0:08:22the bathroom, and it shouldn't be a problem, but it's hot in here.
0:08:22 > 0:08:2731-year-old Kerry works for an HIV charity, earning ?12,000 a year.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I'm employed for 30 hours by the charity
0:08:30 > 0:08:34and I've definitely worked double. It's sometimes 80 hours a week.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Kerry could earn more working as a hotel cleaner.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42As could her team-mate Kevin, who's a fisherman by trade.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45There's a lot tasks involved with cleaning a room
0:08:45 > 0:08:47than there is going out fishing.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52I've had to memorise about 20 different tasks just to do this now
0:08:52 > 0:08:53and I just hope I can do it.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56I'll get on with it and what I do, I do very well.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00You know, let's see if I can do this very well.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02That's not very well.
0:09:05 > 0:09:1048-year-old Kevin runs his own fishing business in Southport, near Liverpool.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11I really, really love my job.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16It's a way of life. It's a way of life that I enjoy.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I've done a couple of other things along the way,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21but fishing's definitely in the blood.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26When we were young, everybody used to go shrimp fishing in them days
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and there was about 40 fishermen off Southport,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30all doing it for a living,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33but there's been a big decline in shrimp fishing over the years.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36There's only five fishermen left in Southport now.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Kevin's business is making so little money
0:09:40 > 0:09:43that he's earning less than the minimum wage.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46I work between 15-18 hours a day.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Certainly six days a week.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Sometimes I have to go into a seventh day.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55My take-home pay is ?663 a month.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00He's got just under ?8,000 a year to live on.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02If there is a further decline in his business,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Kevin would have to find another job.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11If you're put into a position where you've got no food in your cupboard,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13you've got children that you're bringing up and that,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17if a cleaning job comes along, I think you've just got to do it.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20If you're asking me, you know, would I like to do that job?
0:10:20 > 0:10:21No, I'd rather go fishing,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23but if I've got to do it, I've got to do it.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32So, will Kevin be able to turn his hand to hotel cleaning?
0:10:33 > 0:10:36There is a lot of niggly things I wouldn't normally do,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39getting on my hands and knees, polishing the floors,
0:10:39 > 0:10:40stuff that's low down.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43What I would personally do is, I'd get rid of that towel
0:10:43 > 0:10:45and put the bins in, bin liners in.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Sabrina cleans for a living,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50so she's taken charge of her team-mate Martin,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52who is a migrant worker from Bulgaria.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Do all the bins first, because if I'm still doing the bed,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58it's just going everywhere.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Do you get what I mean? And she's got a very definite strategy.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Instead of working at speed,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Sabrina's decided to focus on quality.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08I am a perfectionist.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10If things aren't done a certain way,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13I'm going to do it over and over again until it's done properly.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17But Martin's done a lot of low-paid jobs before,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and he's not convinced that Sabrina's right.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28While the other teams crack on...
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Well, the green light did come on.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33..Romanian-born Violeta and ex-graphic designer Rob can't even
0:11:33 > 0:11:35get into their first room.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Head of housekeeping Andy has turned up to find out what's wrong.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Just let me check it's working before...
0:11:43 > 0:11:47It's working. And when there is only 24 minutes to do a room,
0:11:47 > 0:11:48every second counts.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51SHE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Ever since customers could compare hotel rooms
0:11:55 > 0:11:57at the click of a button,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00there's been a price war raging in the hotel industry.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04To keep room rates low, hotels cut costs,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06including how they employ staff.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10At this hotel, cleaners are on zero-hour contracts,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14typically working around 40 hours a week for the minimum wage.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16But many businesses have gone one step further,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and have contracted their cleaning services out.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Andy, why do hotels use agencies?
0:12:22 > 0:12:26The outsource companies will charge you a rock-bottom price per room,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30and that's how they do it. That kind of entices the general managers into
0:12:30 > 0:12:32thinking, "Payroll, payroll, payroll."
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And I think, in a lot of hotels, that's where the problem lies,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38because there is no care and there is kind of no respect.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42So Andy's under pressure to come in on budget.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43Hey, guys, are you all right? Yeah.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47I'll just have a quick check. Which is why every room has to be finished
0:12:47 > 0:12:48in 24 minutes.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52If not, the hotel might turn to a contractor who do it for less.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53Oh, my goodness, what's this?
0:12:53 > 0:12:56So the staff have to be 100% productive,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58no matter what state the rooms are in.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Somebody's had a tortilla party.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Yeah.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04OK, your hoover should just get that up normally, all right?
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Sure, yeah. No problem.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Nobody's ever got anything past me.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Hence the reason I run a tight ship.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Now, my dear, what have you done wrong?
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Yeah, we know it needs a sheet and we know it needs
0:13:16 > 0:13:19a mattress protector. I was going to make it and move it.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Fine, and get everything else done until that comes, OK?
0:13:22 > 0:13:23OK.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26"What are you doing wrong?"
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Don't patronise me. I'm not six.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35An hour later, Violeta and Rob are still trying to catch up.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Oh, it's a lot of hassle, isn't it, you know.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Look, I'm sweating already. Let me, let me, let me.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43My friend's the one that's doing all the work!
0:13:43 > 0:13:47I've worked in hotels before, but...
0:13:47 > 0:13:50You know, I think I'd rather do something a bit different now.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Now 63 years old,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Robert used to have a well-paid career as a graphic designer.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00You always hope that things will continue - like earning a good wage,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04but it didn't happen, so I've ended up with no savings,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07so, really, that's why I have to keep working.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Of course, at the end of the day, when you've earned 80 quid and
0:14:12 > 0:14:16in the past you've earned 300 quid a day for a job, then it's very,
0:14:16 > 0:14:21very difficult. From the benefit of hindsight, I would now say,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24of course, if you're a freelancer or whatever,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28save some money and look after yourself when you get old,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31or you'll end up like me.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Rob's been doing low-paid jobs for the past two years,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36but he can't find one he likes.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39I do some good corners, don't I?
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Not a good corner!
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Violeta's determined to make up for the time they lost,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and she and Rob are ready to start their second room.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51I'm wiping bloody piss off the floor.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Did you say someone pissed on the floor?
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Yes! Even though she cleans people's homes for a living,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Sabrina's finding hotel work very different.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05I feel for these people that have to do this day in, day out.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Who would want to do a job like this, wiping piss off a floor?
0:15:09 > 0:15:13I don't think it's fair. People get above minimum wage
0:15:13 > 0:15:15stacking tins at Tesco.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21I'd apply for all the jobs in the world before I did this.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Like a third of cleaners, our workers are earning minimum wage,
0:15:25 > 0:15:26and in the UK as a whole,
0:15:26 > 0:15:31there are nearly 1.5 million jobs on the same rate.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35But is low pay just part and parcel of our economy?
0:15:35 > 0:15:39I've come to the TUC, which represents 5.5 million workers,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41to speak to Frances O'Grady.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46Aren't some jobs just so basic that actually they don't deserve to have
0:15:46 > 0:15:49higher pay, that actually minimum wage is what they're worth?
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Look, everybody deserves a fair wage to live on,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57a wage that allows you to bring up a family and allows you to live a
0:15:57 > 0:16:01decent life, not just survive week to week.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04We've had a low pay problem in the past.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Today we've got a low-pay epidemic.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12The reality now is that the majority of children living in poverty have
0:16:12 > 0:16:16at least one of their parents in a job, earning a wage,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18but they are still living in poverty.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21How have we got to this? How have we got to this position?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23We're one of the wealthiest nations on the planet,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and yet you are talking about the exploitation of this labour market
0:16:26 > 0:16:29happening under our noses. How has that happened?
0:16:29 > 0:16:33I think the problem is we are on a downward cycle of low wages and
0:16:33 > 0:16:35low demand in the economy.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Consumers do have a role to play.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42We are actually incentivising employers not to invest,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44not to improve productivity,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47because why bother if you can hire cheap labour?
0:16:47 > 0:16:50For a middle-class family on a decent income
0:16:50 > 0:16:52that likes nice, clean hotel rooms,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56why should they care that somebody else is getting paid minimum wage to
0:16:56 > 0:16:59do the jobs that means that they get the things that they want?
0:16:59 > 0:17:00Because they are next.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04I mean, this used to be seen as a blue-collar problem.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07We've seen it spread into white-collar jobs
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and industries and professions,
0:17:09 > 0:17:14where even airline pilots in no-frills airlines are now finding
0:17:14 > 0:17:18themselves on zero-hour contracts, so, you know, if they can
0:17:18 > 0:17:21be vulnerable, everybody can be vulnerable.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23I've done them.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Well, you need to unplug, yeah?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27The teams have been working for just over an hour.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31And none of them have managed to finish a room in 24 minutes.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Please, please, please, please.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Some of them haven't finished their first.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38It's OK. They're not perfect,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41and I'm not leaving any room till it's perfect.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Violeta and Rob are one of the fastest teams.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Even though they started late, they're onto their third room.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Like this. You understand?
0:17:53 > 0:17:56That's what I did. And then we have to do like this.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Yeah? Did you understand?
0:17:58 > 0:17:59She's quite bossy.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Her favourite little catchphrase is, like, "Do you understand?"
0:18:03 > 0:18:05As if I'm a complete idiot.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I want to do it very fast.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09And I want to do a good job.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11DOOR KNOCKS
0:18:11 > 0:18:12Hello. How are we doing?
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Nice. Are you OK? We got this far... Yeah. Yeah?
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Who's been doing the bathrooms?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Well, we've both been doing it.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22I am honest.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25I am honest. But I don't want to hurt...
0:18:25 > 0:18:26No, you won't, really.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29After he finished, I go there, because I want to be the best.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30OK.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37Born in Romania, Violeta started factory work at the age of 18,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39but always wanted to do something else.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42I have a degree in philology...
0:18:42 > 0:18:46in Romania. I studied English and French.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Violeta was determined to have a better life, so just two years ago,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53at the age of 49, she moved to the UK,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and now lives in East London in a one-roomed flat
0:18:56 > 0:18:58with her 16-year-old daughter.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03It's a little bit hard to take the decision to change your place,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06to change your country, your house, to start again,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09to live in another place in another country,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11to change everything.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12OK, please take a seat.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17At the moment, she's a driving instructor for a franchise,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and works long hours to make ends meet.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Sometimes my daughter asks me to buy something and I tell her,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27"Jasmine, I'm sorry, but Mummy hasn't money."
0:19:27 > 0:19:31First of all, we have to pay what we have to pay, rent, franchise,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36but I work hard now, because I know that in two, three years,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40I will change my life and I will live better.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42You've scored very well so far.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44A couple of points, OK?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Your pillows? Yeah?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48You need to have one pillow for each side of the bed.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Yes, OK, I understand.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Perfect. OK.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55It's halfway through the shift,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58and Andy's inspecting the workers' rooms.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01He's using the 20-point checklist to score each element.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Straight away, you can tell that things are not right.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07There's all gunge still in the plughole down there.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10There's all bits that have not been cleaned.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12The top of the bin has not been cleaned.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14I'm going into the bedroom.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17The general sort of dusting is not very good.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20The spoons have not been cleaned properly.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22The bed has been rushed.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25So, we've got marks here and here.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Andy relies on his own cleaners to turn out perfect guest-ready rooms
0:20:29 > 0:20:31time after time. You can see that they've tried,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34but I would have to send another cleaner in here to rectify it,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37because when a guest walks into the bedroom,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39the first thing they see is the bed.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Sub-standard rooms cost time and money.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46The price war has meant hotels have already stripped back running costs,
0:20:46 > 0:20:50but the Government's National Living Wage means that every worker will be
0:20:50 > 0:20:54paid an additional ?900 a year before tax.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Can employers afford it?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Economics editor Chris Giles has been looking at the figures.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04It will cost employers about ?4 billion a year.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Wages and salaries are about ?900 billion.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Although four billion sounds a huge amount of money,
0:21:10 > 0:21:14it's less than half of 1% of what they pay anyway to employees,
0:21:14 > 0:21:19so there is clearly a case for giving it a go.
0:21:19 > 0:21:25Raising the bottom end of the wages so that we can see whether we can
0:21:25 > 0:21:26withstand it as a nation.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28So if people are earning more,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31are they going to spend more and is that good for the economy?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34People who get the new minimum wage will have more money and they will
0:21:34 > 0:21:35almost certainly spend it.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38But this money doesn't come from nowhere.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41It comes either from the owners of companies,
0:21:41 > 0:21:42who will have lower profits,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46or from everyone in Britain who might have to face higher prices and
0:21:46 > 0:21:50they spend less. We shouldn't look at the minimum wage as a way of
0:21:50 > 0:21:52boosting demand or spending in the economy,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54but this is a redistribution,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56it doesn't generate money for the country as a whole.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59So what could the negative effects be?
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Well, the negative effect is that people might in the end find
0:22:02 > 0:22:04getting jobs much more difficult,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07not because they're thrown out of work because of the minimum wage,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10but because companies will take decisions to have things like
0:22:10 > 0:22:14self-service checkouts, or self-service breakfast.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16It is those sorts of decisions over time that companies make which
0:22:16 > 0:22:20will mean that people in certain areas might find it hard over the
0:22:20 > 0:22:22medium term to find jobs.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Kevin and Kerry have started their second room,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32but Andy's not happy with their first.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Just have a look at this room, guys, please,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36and if you can tell me what still needs to be done in here.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38The towels need to be turned around.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Yeah. And the rest of this chrome needs polishing.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43OK. I'll... Let me tell you what you need to do.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45You need to get one room finished completely
0:22:45 > 0:22:47before you move onto the next. OK.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Right. Because that's where mistakes happen.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52And when you've finished cleaning a room, make sure any rubbish,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55like the shampoo bottle here, make sure that is picked up.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00Now Kevin and Kerry will need to try and get both rooms up to standard.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02And that will make them slower.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05I shouldn't have left it without it being done, so I can't blame...
0:23:05 > 0:23:07I can't blame Kev for that.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11So far, none of our teams have cleaned a room
0:23:11 > 0:23:14to Andy's satisfaction.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Hi, guys.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19And there's one element that's causing them all to lose points.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22There's no sheet on the bed. Ahh!
0:23:22 > 0:23:24There's curly hairs on the bed.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27We didn't put a sheet on the bed. So, you know, guys,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29if I sold this to a guest...
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Yeah, of course, of course. I'd have to refund them.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Totally, totally, you know...
0:23:34 > 0:23:35Out of order. I can't have that.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37That was... We missed it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Speed.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Making sure the beds are clean, with clean sheets,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44is part and parcel of working in housekeeping.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47It's part of the housekeepers' job to make sure that that bed is
0:23:47 > 0:23:50perfect for the guests coming in.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Hotels have cut costs by outsourcing services.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57And in this hotel, the laundry's done by an outside company.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00But it's up to the cleaners to check it's perfect.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Another one, please.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04What's wrong with this one? This hole.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06All within their 24-minute slot.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07And this one's dirty.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Andy's come to inspect Sabrina and Martin's second room.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15You all right, guys? Right, OK.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16That's a reject.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18There's a stain there. OK.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21There's a stain there. I didn't see that.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24It's another room that's failed because of the laundry.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27But will the bathroom Martin's done to Sabrina's instructions
0:24:27 > 0:24:29be up to standard?
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Take off your shoes, please.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33SHE LAUGHS
0:24:33 > 0:24:35My shoes don't make a mark.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Your towels. That's perfect.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Well done. So, for a first time, that's very, very good.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44However, you need, with your chrome, to buff it off, OK?
0:24:44 > 0:24:47There's a few streaks on there.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49I'm not happy.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53We need to fix everything, so all these beds are coming off.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55I'm getting really sick and tired of this.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58This is how housekeeping is, my dear.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00INDISTINCT
0:25:00 > 0:25:01OK, don't be angry with me, yeah?
0:25:01 > 0:25:03It's not my fault. Yeah, but you're there.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05You're wanting to rush.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07And this is why I tried to explain to you,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I'd prefer to do at least two or three rooms and we get full marks.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11If you don't start rushing.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Well, you've seen the other room and you thought it was perfect.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16You saw what the guy said.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17OK, it's not just my fault.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20We are a team. I'm not saying it's your fault. It's both of our faults.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22But you're sat there and you're more bothered about
0:25:22 > 0:25:25what everybody else is doing.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29I'm BLEEP off, I really am BLEEP off.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Hello. Hello. How are we doing?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35That's a reject. Cos there's a stain.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Wow. I didn't see that, did you?
0:25:37 > 0:25:39OK? There is a stain there.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Stephanie and Jenny both work in the catering industry,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45but have never been hotel cleaners before.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47That would be a total fail because of that.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50That. That. Why? Because the guests...
0:25:50 > 0:25:55No, what I mean is... Why are we the end quality control on the laundry?
0:25:55 > 0:25:57In the hotel industry, you get rejects.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Right. This happens in all the hotels.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02We haven't picked up... This is real life.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03This is... Can I finish?
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Yeah. Can I finish? This is cleaning a room.
0:26:05 > 0:26:06This is getting your rejects.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08We don't get charged for the rejects.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10They get tied in a knot, gone down the chute.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Is 50% rejects normal?
0:26:12 > 0:26:14I think you're getting besides the point.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Let me finish. Regardless of the rejects system, that's not your concern.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20The bed's dirty. That needs to be changed.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Can I finish, then, now?
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Yes, of course. We have done jobs two, three times.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26OK. And that was our frustration.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27OK. Let's change this bed.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Let me finish. Let me finish now.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Please... I feel your frustration, but this is...
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Over and done with. This is real life.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35This is how it happens in hotels.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Fine. You know? You've told me that three times.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40End of story. OK? Can we change this bed? We've got to get on.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43OK. OK. Let's get...
0:26:43 > 0:26:47That must be so demoralising for anybody who works doing this all the time.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51It is just... You are up against the clock,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53you are trying to maintain the standard.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57The workers who do this, it makes me admire them even more.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Stephanie stood there and argued with me,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02totally disrespectful towards myself.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06If she was a member of my team starting training,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09she would be monitored for a week and if her attitude hadn't changed,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11I would ask her to leave.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14If you're on a zero-hour contract, your rotas will be drawn up
0:27:14 > 0:27:18by managers who can either give you work or decide not to.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Pleased to meet you.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23I've come to speak to economics editor Larry Elliott,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26who's concerned about the rights of casualised workers.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28You're someone on minimum wage.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30You're on a zero-hours contract.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32You're living hand-to-mouth.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34How do you protect yourself in that situation?
0:27:34 > 0:27:37What can you do? Protecting yourself if you're on a minimum wage job
0:27:37 > 0:27:40or a zero-hour contract is pretty hard.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41Why has that happened?
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Well, one of the reasons we have low pay in the UK is because
0:27:45 > 0:27:50the employers have the whip hand over the workers.
0:27:50 > 0:27:56I mean, we have seen a dramatic fall in the number of people who are
0:27:56 > 0:27:59members of trade unions since the peak in the 1970s.
0:27:59 > 0:28:05Most of the new industries now tend to be non-unionised.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10And that means it's quite hard for workers to demand the sort of
0:28:10 > 0:28:13pay increases that they might have had 30 or 40 years ago.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15It seems to me there is a generation
0:28:15 > 0:28:18who don't even think about joining a union.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21It's not even something that crosses their mind.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Why has there been such a shift?
0:28:23 > 0:28:29I think as the economy developed and new industries grew up,
0:28:29 > 0:28:34they tended to not be unionised right from the start.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39And I think the trade unions have been quite poor at recruiting in
0:28:39 > 0:28:42some of those new areas, I think...
0:28:42 > 0:28:48They've struggled to recruit people in those service sector economies,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52which tend to be much more atomised than the old big factories anyway.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Oh, my God. That was all right.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06The teams have been working for three hours,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10and by now most of them are on to their third, even fourth room.
0:29:10 > 0:29:11Open the drawers.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14Your coffee - you've done.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16One cup's done...
0:29:16 > 0:29:20But the combination of working at speed and keeping up standards is
0:29:20 > 0:29:24taking its toll. On a hot day, I'd have an absolute heart attack.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30See, people think things are so easy,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33and when you're on a time schedule to try and do something...
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Christ.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40You see how we work.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43My blouse is... All the time I sweat.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49And these women which are working here, they work very hard,
0:29:49 > 0:29:54they work a lot. I can't understand, they are so less paid.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Immigrants like me left their houses, their families,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02and come here and work.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04SHE SNIFFLES
0:30:08 > 0:30:09It's not fair.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15No, it's not fair.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25A third of all cleaners are foreign-born.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28It's one of the most popular jobs amongst migrants, and in this hotel,
0:30:28 > 0:30:32all of the cleaners are immigrants with four different languages spoken
0:30:32 > 0:30:35between them. All your workers are migrants.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Why is that?
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Erm, I don't know, if I'm being honest.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43I put adverts out, we look for staff.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45All the applicants that I do seem to get...
0:30:45 > 0:30:46come from Eastern European staff.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49I don't understand when you see these people say
0:30:49 > 0:30:51there is no work available.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54We want to work. Well, I put adverts out all the time when I need staff,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56and nobody wants to clean.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Nobody wants to do it.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Martin, don't forget to spray the air freshener. OK.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04With a quarter of an hour left,
0:31:04 > 0:31:06most teams are on to their sixth room.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Martin. Yeah?
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Can you move this? Yeah.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Yeah? Quickly, though. No walking. Running. OK.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16He said, leave the doors open, that's making it worse.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19You're panicking too much, Judy, calm down. I am.
0:31:19 > 0:31:20Go, go, go...
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Sabrina and Martin are trying to do a seventh room to get extra points
0:31:23 > 0:31:26from Andy. Please be nice. Please be nice.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30They've increased their speed, but Kerry and Kevin are much slower.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33It's taking them nearly an hour to do each room.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Well, Kerry's going at it 100mph and she's trying her best.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38And every time she gets to 100mph
0:31:38 > 0:31:41I'm bringing her straight back down to 50.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42So... Well, 55.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45We're doing all right. We'll be fine.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48We'll probably... We're not as quick as everyone else,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51but it don't matter. Jesus, have you got any sandpaper?
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Of the 70 rooms that our teams have cleaned so far,
0:31:55 > 0:31:57not one has come up to standard.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Good afternoon, housekeeping.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03I am not giving up till I get one perfect single bed.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Andy's scoring them out of 20.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Everything's very clean in here.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11But he's still on the search for one
0:32:11 > 0:32:13that can be let out to a paying guest.
0:32:13 > 0:32:14Very good bathroom.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Sorry, I thought you were still in there.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23I have to say, I'm very impressed with this room.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25We need to finish this room.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Rob! Help me, because the time is passing!
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Attention to detail is spot on.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30Full points.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32The first one so far today.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36OK, unplug, unplug, unplug. Unplug.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38Is that everything done? Yeah.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Just light off, doorstop out.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Done. I need a sick bucket.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46The task is over.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50Now Andy will finish the room inspections and feed the results
0:32:50 > 0:32:52back to the boss Mike Matthews at the factory,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54where the teams will find out
0:32:54 > 0:32:56who had the right skills to be hotel cleaners
0:32:56 > 0:32:58and who will be going home.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01At the beginning when we went in, I was like, yeah, do this, bam, bam.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03And I was like, we've done it right.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05But then when Andy came in, he was like,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08you've failed on this and you've failed on that.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Little things that could fail you, and I was like, wow.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13"You will be judged for every little thing that you've done today."
0:33:13 > 0:33:16They were his exact words.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19First, Mike will pay them for the work they did as hotel cleaners.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23You've all worked extremely hard,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25so now I would like to give you your wages.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29Zach... It's a minimum-wage job, paid at a pre-April rates,
0:33:29 > 0:33:33so for 4.5 hours, they've earned ?30.15 before tax.
0:33:33 > 0:33:38Wow. That wouldn't even pay one bill in my house.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40If you double that, I think that would be fair.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44But did the workers show the skills they need to be hotel cleaners?
0:33:44 > 0:33:48Like having an eye for detail and being able to work at speed.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Our factory manager, Mike, is analysing the data to find out.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Every room cleaned has been scored out of a possible 20 points.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01What we see on this scoresheet is some really, really low scores.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03We've got fives, we've got sixes, we've got sevens.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Nothing like 20.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08What about their overall scores?
0:34:08 > 0:34:12The hotel's cleaners would score a total of 220 in the same time.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16None of our teams got close to that.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18The lowest team scored 58.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20We all take cleaning for granted.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22We all think it's an easy job.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Yet here we have two guys who could
0:34:24 > 0:34:26only achieve 25% of the expected standard.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Not only did they not achieve the standard,
0:34:29 > 0:34:33they didn't clean anywhere near the number of rooms that the hotel would
0:34:33 > 0:34:34expect them to clean.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37And even the most productive team were way off what
0:34:37 > 0:34:42the hotel would expect, with a score of 115.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45They were the only team to actually score a perfect score
0:34:45 > 0:34:49of 20 out of 20, and that was only achieved once.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52And that team also had the winning score,
0:34:52 > 0:34:54so they're at the top of the leaderboard.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Oh, my God.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01I'm first! Rob, thank you very much.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03You are the best colleague.
0:35:03 > 0:35:04Only with you, though.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07I couldn't have done it with anybody else.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09And how did the rest of our teams do?
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Who came last and will be going home?
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Kevin and Kerry were one of the slowest teams.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23They only finished five rooms in all.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26And most of their rooms only scored half marks or less.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Honestly, it's all right.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32They'll be the ones to leave our experiment and go home.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Unfortunately, you know, we didn't do enough.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37If it was filleting fish or lifting big, heavy boxes,
0:35:37 > 0:35:39I'd have been top of that tree.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42At the end of the day, if you've got to go, you've got to go.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44It's been a hard first task for everyone.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Pam's found herself nearly at the bottom of the leaderboard.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50I said, "It's cleaning, anyone can clean."
0:35:50 > 0:35:51Well, you know what? No, they can't.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Not to... Well, it proves it.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54I thought I could clean.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58No-one's going to want to come to me house now, are they?
0:36:02 > 0:36:06It's day two of our investigation into low-paid work,
0:36:06 > 0:36:10and today our workers are back in our specially constructed factory.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13And if they thought hotel cleaning was a dirty job,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16then today is going to be even tougher.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21In the UK, we produce around 200 million tonnes of waste every year.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23That's three tonnes for each of us.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28We'll be expected to recycle half of our household waste by 2020.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30It's an awful lot of waste to sort.
0:36:30 > 0:36:35But that's exactly what pickers do every day up and down the country.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37The recycling industry processes
0:36:37 > 0:36:40over 77 million tonnes of waste a year,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43selling much of the end product onto the commodity market.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48And as more waste is recycled, the industry is forecast to expand.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51It could create around 10,000 jobs in the next ten years,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54and many of those jobs will be as pickers.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57That's what we want our people to try out.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Will they have the skills needed to do the job?
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Good morning, everybody.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03ALL: Good morning.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06Today, you will be put to the test in our factory.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Everything in here is based on real conditions,
0:37:09 > 0:37:14except in here we can measure your work in a controlled environment.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Today's job lies behind the doors behind you.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21And it will mean getting your hands dirty.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Good luck to you all. Mike, they are all yours.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26OK, are we all ready? ALL: Yes.
0:37:26 > 0:37:27Let's go and do the next job.
0:37:30 > 0:37:31ALL: Wow.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37We've asked a waste management company to bring in
0:37:37 > 0:37:4020 tonnes of mixed rubbish to the factory.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44That's paper, plastics, rotting food and dirty nappies.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47And the workers will be sorting through it to find material that can
0:37:47 > 0:37:50be recycled. You can keep up the pressure, can you?
0:37:50 > 0:37:53I'm fine with this. This is... This suits me.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57We've split the 18 remaining workers into six teams of three,
0:37:57 > 0:38:01who'll compete to take as much recyclable material as they can off
0:38:01 > 0:38:05the conveyor belt. And put it into the red containers.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07As long as we work as a team.
0:38:07 > 0:38:08Yeah, that's the main thing.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Exactly. We'll be a team, yeah?
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Yeah. Definitely.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Whichever team picks out the most will win.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17It's hand-eye coordination.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20In, out, in, out, in, out, in, out.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23But we're going to break them in gently.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27At first, the conveyor belts will run at half speed and our teams will
0:38:27 > 0:38:29be picking from cleaned-up rubbish.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31The dirty stuff will come later.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Is anyone's glasses steaming up? Yes.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37OK, guys. Task for the first hour is to pick paper.
0:38:37 > 0:38:38That's it. Off we go.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39KLAXON WAILS
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Let's go, go, go. Come on, blue team.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46Oh, my days.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48All right, all right. Bloody Nora.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50I can't see a thing, my bloody things are steamed up.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53That's paper. I thought it was a book or something.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Daily Mail. Just pick out what you can.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57You don't realise that they are actually,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00these are human beings that are doing the jobs like this.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Wahey. What are you looking for in the workers?
0:39:03 > 0:39:04It's anybody who can do the job.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06We look for really reliable people.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07We look for hard workers.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10And if you had to give one piece of advice to the pickers,
0:39:10 > 0:39:12what would that be? Just dig in and stick with it.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Our workers will be measured against estimates of what an
0:39:16 > 0:39:18experienced picker can achieve.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23So their target is to pick out over 110kg of recyclable material
0:39:23 > 0:39:25an hour, but with a team on each side of the conveyor belt,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28they are also competing against each other,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31to grab as much material as they can.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35The pink and blue teams are working at the same conveyor belt,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38so Violeta, who won yesterday's task, and Pam,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42who just avoided being last, are going head-to-head.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44OK, OK, OK. Paper, paper.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48I came to show the people that I know to do something.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50For this reason I came.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Otherwise, stay at home and do something else.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Violeta is constantly saying, "Where is paper?
0:39:55 > 0:39:58"Where is paper? Where is paper? Where is paper?"
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It's just her way of being focused.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03To be working across from Violeta is actually quite a blessing for me,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06because you are all constantly trying to keep up with the person
0:40:06 > 0:40:09that's faster than you, and she is a machine.
0:40:12 > 0:40:1644-year-old Pam lives near Birmingham and has been out of work
0:40:16 > 0:40:18since bringing up her four children.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20It's going to be minimum wage, I think, for me,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23because I don't have qualifications or skills.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27Even though Pam's partner Graham has a secure job at a local company as a
0:40:27 > 0:40:30welder and forklift truck driver...
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Coffee? Please.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35..they're finding it difficult to get by.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40It's not for you! My partner, Graham, brings home minimum wage.
0:40:40 > 0:40:41He works full-time.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43We barely scrape by.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45He is paid on a Friday afternoon.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46By the time the bills are paid,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49we've no money till the following Friday.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51And I don't think we should have to live like that,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53not when he works so hard.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56So, you know, I'm prepared to just jump in and do anything to try and
0:40:56 > 0:41:00make life a little easier. So after 20 years out of work,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Pam's determined to get back into the job market.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05This computer is incredibly slow.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07It's held together with Sellotape.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10But for a new laptop, I need money, and for money, I need a job.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Until four years ago,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15her health problems meant that she was unable to work.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17I spent ten years as a wheelchair user,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20and ballooned to just under 23st.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Just sort of looked at myself and thought, "Nah, sod that.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28"I've had enough." So I've lost 9st.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Although I'm a lot smaller in stature now,
0:41:30 > 0:41:34I think I'm a lot bigger in personality,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36attitude, determination.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40So far, Pam's applied for over 100 jobs.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Do you know what? I don't have a dream job, I just want a job.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Guys. You're picking really well, yeah?
0:41:50 > 0:41:53But try not to pass it hand to hand. Try to get bigger pieces, yeah?
0:41:53 > 0:41:55You've got a really good fast pick rate,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57but you're only taking very small pieces at a time.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59Try and grab a handful like that.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Yeah, yeah. OK.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Good stuff. Well done. I was given some good advice by the boss.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06So I've now gone from...
0:42:08 > 0:42:10..to...
0:42:12 > 0:42:15So which of the workers would make it as a picker?
0:42:15 > 0:42:16On the green team,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19ex-graphic designer Rob is struggling to keep up.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23I think more is going on the floor than anywhere else.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28I imagine there are very few people
0:42:28 > 0:42:30who would enjoy sorting rubbish out all day long.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32I certainly wouldn't.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36I need a new bin! But on the same team,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39migrant worker Martin is forging ahead.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43Yesterday, he wanted to clean hotel rooms faster than his team-mate.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Today, he is able to go at his own speed.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48I like this job better than yesterday.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51You come in from a different country
0:42:51 > 0:42:53and you try to prove yourself.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56It doesn't matter what job you are doing.
0:42:56 > 0:42:57I always say that.
0:42:59 > 0:43:0326-year-old Martin left Bulgaria five years ago.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05I decided to come to England,
0:43:05 > 0:43:08because I didn't see much opportunity in my country.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12I was working there. I started to work at quite a young age,
0:43:12 > 0:43:16but you're working, for example, for ?200 or less,
0:43:16 > 0:43:21and I don't know how you're going to manage to survive after.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23I came here to improve myself.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27Now he lives with his brother and their family in a shared house,
0:43:27 > 0:43:30and has two minimum-wage jobs to be able to pay the rent.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:43:32 > 0:43:35My English still was totally broken.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37I didn't even know how to communicate
0:43:37 > 0:43:39a little bit with the people.
0:43:39 > 0:43:44Every job he's done since coming to the UK has been for minimum wage.
0:43:44 > 0:43:45I started as a strawberry picker.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47I was working as a labourer.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49I was doing the gardening.
0:43:49 > 0:43:50Working in a car wash.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52A bit of painting as well.
0:43:52 > 0:43:57I grew up with hard work, even from a child.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00I started, I remember, I was six or seven years old.
0:44:00 > 0:44:05I was picking up tobacco, potatoes, all the basic farming work.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09I'm quite happy, actually, after physical work.
0:44:09 > 0:44:14After a long day, I'm satisfied for myself that I've been very helpful,
0:44:14 > 0:44:18not only for me and for my boss, the customers are happy also.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22There is opportunity for a better life and I am fighting for it.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24OK, we're going to do a change of your bin.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26Are you ready? Yes, please.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Thank you.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34Picking is a tough job, and it's not to everyone's taste.
0:44:34 > 0:44:38In some recycling plants, nearly all the pickers are from abroad.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41So I asked economist Kamal Ahmed
0:44:41 > 0:44:45why we British are choosing not to do the dirty jobs.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48What is the situation, Kamal, with migrant workers?
0:44:48 > 0:44:49Are British people lazy?
0:44:49 > 0:44:51HE SCOFFS
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Are there certain jobs that they just don't want to do because they
0:44:54 > 0:44:57think of them as being dirty? I don't really agree with that notion.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00I think that migration into the UK
0:45:00 > 0:45:03brings different types of skills and
0:45:03 > 0:45:08is broadly, by many economists, seen as a value to a country,
0:45:08 > 0:45:12because people come here, they want to work, they will then pay taxes,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15that is therefore good for the country in general.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Countries with very low levels of migration have a big problem with
0:45:19 > 0:45:21ageing populations. Look at Japan.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25They struggle to think about how they can afford
0:45:25 > 0:45:27their ageing population,
0:45:27 > 0:45:30so migration is seen by many economists as a good thing.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32But of course, it does create challenges.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34With migration as it is,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37do you think in certain sectors it keeps the wages down because
0:45:37 > 0:45:39migrants are prepared to work for less?
0:45:39 > 0:45:43If you look at the British Chamber of Commerce latest survey,
0:45:43 > 0:45:45they do say that migration has kept
0:45:45 > 0:45:48a downward pressure on wages in some areas.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53Migrants will come here, often for a relatively short period.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57They will want to work incredibly hard and incredibly long hours,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00sometimes, for lower amounts of money.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03That does set up a challenge for British people who are here,
0:46:03 > 0:46:07who may think that those jobs aren't the kind of jobs they want to do.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09But I think that rather than think, right,
0:46:09 > 0:46:12the problem is migration and therefore we should stop that,
0:46:12 > 0:46:17the issue is surely that British people who don't want to do the type
0:46:17 > 0:46:20of jobs that they may say migrants are doing, well,
0:46:20 > 0:46:23should go and try different sectors and new training.
0:46:23 > 0:46:28So it's all about this idea of constantly improving your skills,
0:46:28 > 0:46:31of constantly making yourself
0:46:31 > 0:46:34more valuable as an employee for employers.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38So far, the workers have had it easy.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Now they're going to be exposed to the real thing.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43Instead of cleaned-up rubbish,
0:46:43 > 0:46:46it'll be dirty waste on the conveyor belts,
0:46:46 > 0:46:49just like pickers up and down the country face every day.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51This is where you really find out
0:46:51 > 0:46:53whether or not they want to do the job.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57Yucky stuff, girls,
0:46:57 > 0:46:58including food waste.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02This smells revolting.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04Ah, I've just touched it!
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Oh, my God.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08MAN GROANS
0:47:08 > 0:47:11Smelly. Something smells really bad.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Oh, no!
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Do you see that?
0:47:15 > 0:47:18It's smelly, dusty, I think you'll get some disease from that.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22Oh, what is that? Oh, my God.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25It's almost like a dead dog coming down.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29Some of the things we get through the pick lines
0:47:29 > 0:47:30are contaminated sharps,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34needles, Stanley knives, dirty nappies, bags of dog mess.
0:47:36 > 0:47:37This is a killer.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41I've got asthma. I don't know how people could stand here and not,
0:47:41 > 0:47:43like, actually have masks on.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46I feel a little bit tight.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48My nose is getting a bit sore.
0:47:48 > 0:47:49And I started coughing.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51I just feel really uncomfortable.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54I feel like I'm going to start losing my voice.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Oh, my God.
0:47:56 > 0:47:57This is unbelievable.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01How hard is it when you first become a picker?
0:48:01 > 0:48:02BOTH GROAN
0:48:02 > 0:48:06Well, you get... There is the fatigue side of it.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08The first thing everyone gets is motion sickness.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10Yeah, motion sickness.
0:48:10 > 0:48:11You get it all the time.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13They can faint on the lines.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15They need water. You have to get them to hospital sometimes.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17Yeah. You just feel dizzy all the time.
0:48:17 > 0:48:18Cos you're constantly doing that,
0:48:18 > 0:48:21so you're going to feel sick. Why do people stick at it?
0:48:21 > 0:48:23Just have to know what you're doing it for, so,
0:48:23 > 0:48:25basically saving the environment.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27If you think about it all the time at work,
0:48:27 > 0:48:29you just feel good and you just want to keep doing it.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32Tell me about some of the worst stuff that you've seen.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36I've heard they found over-a-metre-long iguana in there.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39A reptile? I personally have seen a deer's head,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41and a horse's head as well.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43First of all, where do you even get a horse's head from...?
0:48:43 > 0:48:45And someone just put it in the bin?
0:48:45 > 0:48:47Yeah. "What do we do with this? Put it..."
0:48:47 > 0:48:48I think about it all the time.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52How could you be that nasty, to put a dead horse in the bin? Yeah.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55It's piling up a bit.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57What is that, plastic?
0:48:57 > 0:49:02An hour into the task, and Judy is one of the least productive workers.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04I'm finding this very hard.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07I thought that the machines separated stuff.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10I'm just amazed at having to stand at this assembly line and doing all
0:49:10 > 0:49:12this. Yeah...
0:49:12 > 0:49:15it's very strenuous, it's very hard.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19I think it just gives an insight into what kind of work people are
0:49:19 > 0:49:20doing on a low wage.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24Being in low-paid work is something Judy never thought
0:49:24 > 0:49:27would happen to her. Until the crash eight years ago,
0:49:27 > 0:49:29she was living a very different kind of life,
0:49:29 > 0:49:32earning ?40,000 a year as a mortgage adviser.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35The market was very buoyant.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38The mortgage opportunity for my customers was phenomenal,
0:49:38 > 0:49:40because they could borrow up to 100%,
0:49:40 > 0:49:43so they could actually command quite a good mortgage.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46And because of that, I was able to command quite a decent income,
0:49:46 > 0:49:48and on top of that,
0:49:48 > 0:49:51commission from all the extras that I could offer them as well.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53And I had a good lifestyle from that.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55I was able to take my children on holiday abroad,
0:49:55 > 0:49:58and buy nice things for my house.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00But it wasn't just about the salary she earnt.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03Judy enjoyed being a financial adviser.
0:50:03 > 0:50:04It takes me back.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06Power shoulders, remember those?
0:50:06 > 0:50:08These have got powers, look at that.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10SHE CHUCKLES
0:50:10 > 0:50:12As a mortgage adviser, I commanded respect.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16You are in a position of authority, so you have to be able to show that
0:50:16 > 0:50:18you are responsible and professional.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21But I have no need for these clothes any more.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25Because I don't work in that kind of professional environment.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28And I may never work in there again, so...
0:50:28 > 0:50:31The recession hit the financial service sector hard,
0:50:31 > 0:50:34and like many others, Judy lost her job.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36My whole life changed.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38My whole lifestyle changed.
0:50:38 > 0:50:39Everything just stopped.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41I used to entertain.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43I used to have people for dinner once a week.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46I used to have a party once every two months.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49I used to always have people running around the house, you know,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51coming for coffee and having lunches...
0:50:51 > 0:50:53And everything, just overnight, has just stopped.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55I could no longer afford to go on holiday,
0:50:55 > 0:50:57buy myself nice things for the house,
0:50:57 > 0:51:00give the children treats and take them places,
0:51:00 > 0:51:03so everything just had to be cut right down to the bare minimum.
0:51:03 > 0:51:08Now Judy's only just managing to keep up with the household bills.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12I like my house, but the problem is it's lacking tender loving care,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14which I can't give it at the moment,
0:51:14 > 0:51:17because I just don't have the money coming in.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20I had a leak, and I haven't been able to get that sorted.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24So I just feel it's crumbling, a little bit like myself.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26So Judy needs to find a job.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29The trouble is that she feels her age is counting against her.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33And she's finding it almost impossible to get back into white-collar work.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36I feel completely lost, and because of that,
0:51:36 > 0:51:39and knowing I have to take any job that is out there,
0:51:39 > 0:51:43I can see myself having to do factory work or cleaning
0:51:43 > 0:51:44or anything like that,
0:51:44 > 0:51:48because these are the only kind of jobs that perhaps are open to me.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Whoa, this is hard to sift through, this.
0:51:53 > 0:51:54This is just crazy.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59The specially designed factory means that we are able to measure how fast
0:51:59 > 0:52:01the workers are sorting by weight,
0:52:01 > 0:52:04but we are also recording how fast they are picking.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07We're seeing the raw waste come in,
0:52:07 > 0:52:10which is rather smelly, rather sticky.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13We've seen the picking not quite as enthusiastic as it was before.
0:52:13 > 0:52:18The company expects its workers to pick at around 40 items per minute.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Violeta's one of the few who has nearly achieved that speed.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23But since the mixed rubbish was put on the belts,
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Rob's rate has plummeted.
0:52:27 > 0:52:28It's just too much, isn't it?
0:52:28 > 0:52:31You know? If it was a bit slower, it might be all right, but...
0:52:31 > 0:52:34The smell is absolutely horrendous.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37I'd rather be at home in poverty, I think. Yeah.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42So far the teams have been picking from the conveyor belts full of
0:52:42 > 0:52:46mixed waste at full speed for an hour.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48Oh! I can't keep up.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51And the strain is starting to tell.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53You see all this plastic? Take the plastic out.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56Yeah. Leave the can. You're wasting too much time, OK?
0:52:56 > 0:52:58OK. Yeah. That's it, right.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01They're being a bit random with what they're collecting.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03They're not being too specific with what they are picking up,
0:53:03 > 0:53:07which affects the value of the material at the end of the day.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09But accuracy isn't the only problem.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13Qasim has been looking at a moving conveyor belt for over an hour.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15I was feeling sick.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Took the break, came back to the toilet.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21I tried to hold it back, back, back, and I just couldn't.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23It just all came out.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27I thought that maybe machines or robots are doing
0:53:27 > 0:53:32this kind of job. It's a really hard job, you know?
0:53:32 > 0:53:36It looks easier maybe, but no, it's a very hard job.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Oh, Leon, what are you doing, man.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43Getting newspapers, getting paper, getting paper.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58With just 15 minutes to go,
0:53:58 > 0:54:03everyone is trying to pick up their speeds so that their team wins.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07I thought I would much more prefer to clean a hotel than go through
0:54:07 > 0:54:10people's crap, but I'm loving it.
0:54:10 > 0:54:11Absolutely loving it.
0:54:13 > 0:54:14Oh!
0:54:14 > 0:54:16Sabotage.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22You're going to lose, my brother.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25KLAXON WAILS
0:54:25 > 0:54:26CHEERING
0:54:29 > 0:54:32It made me think I wouldn't want to do that as a full-time job.
0:54:32 > 0:54:33Come on. That's good.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35God, I stink!
0:54:40 > 0:54:43Our workers have finished their second day.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Between them they've sorted through 20 tonnes of rubbish,
0:54:46 > 0:54:51picking five tonnes of paper, tin and maybe some nasty surprises, too.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54So will the workers have shown the skills they need to have done well
0:54:54 > 0:54:56as pickers?
0:54:56 > 0:54:59Welcome back, again. And thank you all for your effort.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01I would just like to give you your wages.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03Zachary...
0:55:03 > 0:55:07They've worked for 3.5 hours on minimum wage at the pre-April rate,
0:55:07 > 0:55:11which earns them a total of ?23.45 before tax.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14My God!
0:55:14 > 0:55:16They should be on at least ?8, ?9 an hour.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18And it is a really tough job.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Once again, Mike's analysing the data.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27An experienced picker could sort an estimated 390kg of
0:55:27 > 0:55:30recyclable material in the same amount of time.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32How did our workers do by comparison?
0:55:32 > 0:55:35This is a pretty horrible task.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38But some of our workers, they just got stuck in.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40Here we have some pretty good scores.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42604kg.
0:55:42 > 0:55:43401kg.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45446kg.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48They weren't distracted. They were focused.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51And they moved an incredible amount of waste.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55So, some individual workers have done well,
0:55:55 > 0:55:57but how have they performed as teams?
0:55:59 > 0:56:05An experienced three-man team could sort an average of 333kg per hour.
0:56:05 > 0:56:10So, while our least productive team only sorted 290kg,
0:56:10 > 0:56:12our top teams have done better than expected.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18Four of our six teams exceeded the target, which was a real surprise.
0:56:18 > 0:56:23We've got one particular team that exceeded the target by over a third.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27And when you look at who was in that team, you've got one particular guy,
0:56:27 > 0:56:30he's a real grafter. He digs in
0:56:30 > 0:56:32and keeps up that pace right throughout.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37And he's on the team that's at the top of the leaderboard.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46So Martin, Vicky and Rob are today's winners.
0:56:46 > 0:56:50Well done, green team. Well done, guys.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54How did the other teams do, and who will be going home?
0:56:58 > 0:57:03Hannah, Violeta and Yilmaz picked a third less than the winning team.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07Blue team, I'm afraid you counted less waste than the other teams.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10But for me, one person stood out.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13And that was Violeta.
0:57:13 > 0:57:14I would like Violeta to stay.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16APPLAUSE
0:57:16 > 0:57:21Unlike most other workers, her picking rate was consistently high.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25Violeta really does deserve another chance to show what she can do.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27So while her team-mates will be going home...
0:57:27 > 0:57:31You know what? I've loved every second of it. I'll take that away with me. No, I don't mind.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34Hannah, you should be really proud. It's been a great experience for me,
0:57:34 > 0:57:37you know? I've learned a lot the last two days, three days -
0:57:37 > 0:57:40I learned a lot. Now, it's some win, some lose.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42So time to go home.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46Violeta's work rate has meant she'll be back for the next task.
0:57:46 > 0:57:51I have a dream. I came here in England with some goals.
0:57:51 > 0:57:56And maybe this second chance, maybe this is a step in my life.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04Next time... You get the 25A from up here, yeah?
0:58:04 > 0:58:06..the pressure is on...
0:58:06 > 0:58:10Oh, BLEEP! ..as our workers are thrown into the world of
0:58:10 > 0:58:12casual labour. Faster, faster, faster, faster.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14They'll go from field...
0:58:14 > 0:58:16I'm struggling, I am.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19..to factory. Whoa, whoa.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21No!
0:58:21 > 0:58:22Sorry, I got it everywhere.
0:58:22 > 0:58:26Finding out just how hard it is to produce food for our tables.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29It's just gone all mad on me.
0:58:40 > 0:58:41There's a brand-new way to stay
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