0:00:03 > 0:00:06In Britain, more than five million people are now in a low-paid work.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10I am 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 > 0:00:25Everybody is vulnerable. Work 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 > 0:00:39don't fall through the cracks.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43So, 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 > 0:00:55Money doesn't just come to you. You'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 > 0:01:05trying out a range of low-paid jobs in real British workplaces...
0:01:05 > 0:01:07So, that's what we're trying to achieve.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Better crack on then, haven't we?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11I thought this was going to be easy.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13..and in a specially constructed factory.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Whoa! I'll get there.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17I knew it would be a slow start, but I'll get there. Whoa!
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'm taking part to show that there are hard-working people out there.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30..they'll discover what skills you need to survive
0:01:30 > 0:01:32in today's low-paid jobs.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34I don't understand! No!
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Sorry, it's squirting everywhere.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40And just like in the real jobs market, it's competitive... Jesus!
0:01:40 > 0:01:44..with the least productive worker being 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 > 0:01:50and most resilient worker of all.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51THEY CHEER
0:01:55 > 0:01:56Good morning, everybody.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58'Over the course of the experiment...'
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Today's task is behind those doors.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04'..the workers have had a crash course in minimum wage work.'
0:02:04 > 0:02:07This is going to be like robots then, doing all this.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10They've been monitored... Martin, it's all wrong.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12..measured...
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Looking here, it's not really going too well for Stephanie.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16..and motivated...
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I feel absolutely fantastic. Didn't expect to be there.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22..to reveal the reality of life
0:02:22 > 0:02:25at the most disposable end of the labour chain.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27I wouldn't be asking you back here tomorrow if you worked for me,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29based on what you did that side.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Six days in and it's becoming clear that the younger...
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I work well under pressure. ..fitter... I'm in my element.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38..and more adaptable the worker... You're off to a good start.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I try the best when I can. ..the more likely they are to cope.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42I need a new bin!
0:02:43 > 0:02:47But there have been exceptions. Now I have to get another one!
0:02:47 > 0:02:49With her speed and focus,
0:02:49 > 0:02:5257 -year-old agency chef Stephanie has excelled,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55as long as the jobs aren't too technical.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Why don't you like that? Come on!
0:02:58 > 0:03:00But despite having age on her side,
0:03:00 > 0:03:0323-year-old domestic cleaner Sabrina...
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I'm panicking now, so I need to stop panicking.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07..is just scraping by.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10I feel so relieved!
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Today, the workers are turning their hands to manufacturing.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20In the past, working in a factory would have been a job for life,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24the bedrock of the traditional working class. Not any more, though.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29In the 1950s, manufacturing accounted
0:03:29 > 0:03:31for a third of the UK's economic output
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and provided jobs for 40% of the working population.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Today, just 8% of the workforce is involved in manufacturing,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43but there are still plenty of success stories.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46One area in which we excel is making cars
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and the British automotive industry is at a 10-year high.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Good morning!
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Just over halfway through the experiment and the seven
0:03:57 > 0:04:00remaining workers are about to clock on for a shift
0:04:00 > 0:04:03at a Japanese-owned car parts manufacturer
0:04:03 > 0:04:06which is run by the manager overseeing the whole experiment,
0:04:06 > 0:04:07Mike Matthews.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13Some people would say my management style is tough and quite demanding.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17I can identify somebody with a good work ethic very, very quickly.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I get people that talk a good talk about working hard,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22but as soon as you see them on the job,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24you can tell whether they're a good worker or not.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Mike started out as an apprentice here 30 years ago
0:04:27 > 0:04:31and worked his way up from shop floor to managing director.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34So, are you always on two till ten, then?
0:04:34 > 0:04:39Producing over 1,600 unique car parts for all the major car brands,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Nifco is a vital link in the supply chain for global car manufacturing
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and Mike employs a team of almost 600 people
0:04:46 > 0:04:48to help him deliver the goods.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Hi, Liz. All right? How are you?
0:04:50 > 0:04:55I'm always looking for people that shows the right attitude,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58show the right work ethic, got the right level of respect
0:04:58 > 0:05:00for other people and they're good communicators.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Is pink your favourite colour?
0:05:02 > 0:05:06So, what do you think Mike would be like to work for? Well...
0:05:06 > 0:05:09So far, what I've seen, he wants you to do well,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13so I would expect his staff to actually enjoy working for him.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16We might see another side of Mike we don't know yet!
0:05:16 > 0:05:18See him in a boss mode. Yeah, boss mode.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20It's been very full-on.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23You know, each day has been hard.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Experiencing first hand what these jobs are like,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29they are minimum wage, but the skill is high.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Morning. Morning.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36All right, Stephanie? Well, welcome to my factory.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37Let's get you inside.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Oh, impressive!
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Wow. That is just unbelievable.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50This is what manufacturing is all about in the 21st century.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53There's more buttons on that there is on the computer!
0:05:55 > 0:05:58This is how we can compete with places like
0:05:58 > 0:06:01China, India, Russia, Brazil.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Despite this level of automation, there are still jobs
0:06:03 > 0:06:06that are too intricate or too costly to be done by machine.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10Cheers, Jim.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12The workers are about to do a five-hour shift
0:06:12 > 0:06:15assembling the car parts that robots can't.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17I'm going to put them on there, like this.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Lead operator Ann is demonstrating how to assemble a roof clip.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25What you'll do, you'll turn your sheet over.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27It's a small but essential plastic clip
0:06:27 > 0:06:30used to secure the roof trim to a vehicle.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33You'll put it on the end and it's straight.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36And they're perfect! Even though I say so myself.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40The sticky tape must be put on absolutely straight.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42It's not complicated,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46it just needs to be done over and over and over again.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Would that be our target? Yes, that is the target.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52720 per hour. Yeah.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53Just like on a regular shift,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56the workers' output will be monitored hourly
0:06:56 > 0:06:57to help them hit targets
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and the results are displayed at their work stations.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03If you don't hit targets,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05you would potentially lose your job.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07And that's the reality
0:07:07 > 0:07:09of the automotive industry, to be perfectly honest.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13This particular job, the difficulties for me may be
0:07:13 > 0:07:17pretty big hands, so not so nimble finger and thumb.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20They are pretty small component parts.
0:07:20 > 0:07:2430 seconds. 30 seconds before we go!
0:07:24 > 0:07:27None of the workers have any previous experience
0:07:27 > 0:07:29of car part manufacturing.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Being a farmer,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33we don't tend to come across jobs that are this small.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38This job will be a test of the workers' patience and perseverance.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42To do a repetitive job like this, you've got to be very, very focused.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44You've not got to allow yourself to become distracted.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I think it's quite easy. Just sit there putting papers on.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49I've got small fingers,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51so my small hands will come in handy.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Right, let's go!
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Let's go, yeah?
0:08:04 > 0:08:08This is an entry-level job and section leader Stuart
0:08:08 > 0:08:10normally gives it to the company's new employees.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14So, how hard can it be?
0:08:14 > 0:08:15You can tell quite quickly
0:08:15 > 0:08:17who's going to be good at it and who isn't.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22With the dexterity of the fingers and the concentration levels,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25these jobs are quite mundane and repetitive.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27And if you don't have the correct mind-set,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30nine times out of ten, you'll get found out quite quickly.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36SHE HUMS
0:08:37 > 0:08:40I'm trying to build a rhythm and that's it.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43HE HUMS
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Oh, my God, my hands are so shaking.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09Despite her nimble fingers, Sabrina is already feeling the pressure.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10It's really nerve-racking.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13You're thinking, "Oh, that's a right easy job, this."
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Bit more intense than you actually think.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18My hands keep like...
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Shaking? Yeah! Were you out drinking last night? No.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Mine usually do when I've had a drink!
0:09:26 > 0:09:30At home, money is tight for 23-year-old domestic cleaner Sabrina
0:09:30 > 0:09:31and her five-year-old son.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36But life hasn't always been that way.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39I came from a background where we had people cleaning for us.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41You know, my bedroom, our house.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45And I've gone from that to actually cleaning people's houses.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Things changed when Sabrina got divorced and became
0:09:47 > 0:09:50a single mum at just 19 years old.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54I wanted to go to college, I wanted to go to university,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I wanted to travel.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59And all those plans were actually put into place,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02but they just never went ahead.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Since starting the experiment,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Sabrina has approached each job with enthusiasm.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09I'm quite confident with the job today.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Everyone can clean, but I just think because I've got the experience,
0:10:12 > 0:10:13I know what to do best.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18But the reality of the minimum wage work has been something of a shock.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21You don't realise that these are human beings
0:10:21 > 0:10:22that are doing jobs like this.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Just to build your pace up a little bit quicker.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Am I going too slow? Yeah, you are going too slow.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31You can't afford to. Right.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34God's sake.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39How bloody fast do they want me to go?
0:10:40 > 0:10:41Sabrina is not the only one
0:10:41 > 0:10:44struggling to meet the company's targets.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46That wee ball of orange stickies is
0:10:46 > 0:10:49ones that I didn't get on quite straight.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52It's just a wee bit fiddly, this one.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Stewart is struggling to line up the clip with the tape.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Unfortunately, if you've got hands like shovels, as he says,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00it is very difficult to do that.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01No, this is rubbish for me.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04My fingers are too big.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Speed and efficiency are a concern for every company
0:11:11 > 0:11:15as they contribute to overall productivity, which has been
0:11:15 > 0:11:18a problem for the British economy since the last recession.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23We're over 30% less productive than Germany and France
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and 10% less productive than Italy.
0:11:26 > 0:11:27So, what's going on?
0:11:29 > 0:11:33I've come to talk to financial analyst Louise Cooper to find out.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36Are we a lazy nation?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Ha! I don't think we're a lazy nation, no.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42It's not how hard you work, that's not how it works.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44It's sort of the output created.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47GDP, pounds per hour of worker.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52So, if you're not adding a lot of value to the economy,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54then it doesn't matter how hard you work,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56you're still a low productive worker.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Why is our productivity is so low?
0:11:58 > 0:12:02OK, so one possible reason could be the impact of migration.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05If you're a business choosing to spend your money -
0:12:05 > 0:12:08do I buy a new piece of kit for the future of my business
0:12:08 > 0:12:10or do I employ a very cheap EU worker
0:12:10 > 0:12:13and instantly create some profit from them? -
0:12:13 > 0:12:14then the latter is happening.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17So, rather than invest in new technology or invest in
0:12:17 > 0:12:20skilling people up, we'll just take low-skilled low-pay workers,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24and that as a whole could dampen UK productivity.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27I mean, we're the fifth wealthiest country on the planet!
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Why is productivity a problem?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31It's a problem long term.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37Because without productivity growth, then standards of living don't rise.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40So, therefore, is it necessary for a government to step in to say,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42actually, the minimum wage needs to increase?
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Yes, I actually think this is a great policy.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48You're increasing the price of a worker.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52That means you have to get more output per worker.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54You have to train that worker,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56you have to invest in better technology,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59a better IT system for them to use and therefore it drags up
0:12:59 > 0:13:04productivity by forcing companies to pay more for their human capital.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10But the price of high productivity can be higher unemployment
0:13:10 > 0:13:12as companies like these that invest in technology
0:13:12 > 0:13:15employ far fewer people.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Is this bag to me, isn't it? Yep.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20And here, to make sure they protect their investment,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23there's a rigorous regime of performance monitoring.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25You OK, Stephanie?
0:13:25 > 0:13:28You've got to get them orders out the door.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31So, we push the guys because we know we're last port of call.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35You're on the go 24/7, really, from walking in the door to clocking out.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39I'm just putting the...
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Putting your score up for your first hour's production which is 246.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Well below where I'd expect it to be.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Compared to others, you're probably at the lower end of the spectrum.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51OK? OK. All right.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57At 427 clips below target, fish and chip shop owner Stewart
0:13:57 > 0:13:59is hitting the limits of his natural ability.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01It's not the same for big hands.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05And graphic designer Leon is also lagging behind.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06Hiya, Leon.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09I'm just going to put your first hour's target down.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12365 for the first hour. 365, OK.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Continue where you are and then increase your hand speed
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and you'll get the next level up, OK?
0:14:17 > 0:14:20I'm not surprised I'm not at the top for this one
0:14:20 > 0:14:22cos I started off slow, but I'm going forward.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I was just getting the job done and, yeah, productivity.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Unlike Leon, painter-decorator Martin is making good headway.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Hi, I'm just going to fill your target board in
0:14:33 > 0:14:35and you've achieved 491.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Which is... Which is a very good result. Well done.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42But they're normally 720!
0:14:43 > 0:14:46It's not just speed Nifco needs from its workers.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Selling over ?20 million parts per month,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53the factory has a tolerance for just one defect per million.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54These are not going to pass.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Going to reject them because they are not straight at all.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58Oh, I can see that. You see? Yeah.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Right, I'll go and have a word with her. Thanks, Ellen.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Sabrina has only been working an hour
0:15:05 > 0:15:09and she's already produced 33 defective clips.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Sabrina? Yes?
0:15:13 > 0:15:16This is some of your work that's been rejected. Right.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20You can see, no way can they go. They're not even straight.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Because I'm going quicker, I'm not doing it properly. Then you need...
0:15:24 > 0:15:26If it had been your first bag,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29I could have said because it was a new job to you.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33But your first bag was perfect. OK. Your second bag's crap. Right.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35All right, thank you. Thank you.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Oh, how can I be one of the lowest and I think I've been quick at it?
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Focus, concentrate. Not rush.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Warehouse worker Majka has produced 498 perfect clips
0:15:51 > 0:15:55in her first hour, more than any other worker.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59You've picked it up very quick, actually. Yeah, very good.
0:15:59 > 0:16:00Thank you.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02I like this job!
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Well, if you want a job, you know where we are.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10At home in Wales, 38-year-old Majka's day starts at 5am,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13when she sets off to work an eight-hour shift
0:16:13 > 0:16:16as a forklift driver in a warehouse.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19In my opinion, it's plenty work to do here,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22only everything is for the minimum wage.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Nine years ago, she and her partner moved here from Poland
0:16:25 > 0:16:28to build a better future for their daughter, Yulia.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Since then, Majka's always been on minimum wage.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34When I ask them about to pay me more, they say,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37"If you don't like it, the pay what we give you,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39"you can find other job."
0:16:39 > 0:16:42So, that's why I stopped asking about paying more.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Potato pancake? Yes, please.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48After work and at weekends,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Majka helps out at her partner's Polish restaurant.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54I hardly ever see my mum just chill.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59She has this thing where she hates when something is not in its place,
0:16:59 > 0:17:00like the dishes.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03She can't go to the bed without the dishes being done.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Even if there's a fork or a knife in the dishes,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09she has to do it, otherwise she cannot sleep.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Yulia for me is all my life, that is my sunshine,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17that is one thing why I want to live in this world, why I'm fighting.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Everything is Yulia.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Splash.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I want a bakery when I grow up. No, no, no.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29You must be something high. Make a better life for you.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35For me, it's very important to have Yulia financial security.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38I think that all parents want for their child.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I hope she don't finish like me
0:17:42 > 0:17:44in the same warehouse for the minimum wage.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49How are we doing? Hello, Mike. All right? Yes.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Managing director Mike started out here 30 years ago
0:17:52 > 0:17:54as an apprentice tool-maker
0:17:54 > 0:17:58but soon worked his way out of minimum wage.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01So, could you see yourself doing this for a living? Yes, I can.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03If you want me, I can join.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06You know, our colleagues start with the jobs like this. Yes.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Then they move to more difficult jobs, and if they do
0:18:08 > 0:18:13a good job of that, eventually they become team leaders, supervisors.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16I think that is a good idea. Yes.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Not a lot of factories do it like that style of work.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Companies like this are the exception,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26as in the UK, over a decade,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29only one in four low-paid workers progressed up the pay scale.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43So, is low pay a trap you can't get out of?
0:18:43 > 0:18:44Mark Beatson of the
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is worried.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51I think the concern in the UK context would simply be that
0:18:51 > 0:18:55we have lots of low-paid jobs, but are we generating the routes,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59the progression routes out of those low-paid jobs into better paid jobs?
0:18:59 > 0:19:02What we have seen is that less and less employers have
0:19:02 > 0:19:04what used to be called internal labour markets.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I mean, the police force and the fire service
0:19:07 > 0:19:08might be the classic example.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10You start off at the bottom,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14you work your way up to the top and people move up that pyramid.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17More often now, if you're looking to recruit a new manager,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20you don't simply look around at the people already there and think
0:19:20 > 0:19:23which is the best person to appoint, you may well go outside as well.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26What that means, of course, is that you don't need to invest in
0:19:26 > 0:19:29your current workforce to develop your future one,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31you can simply go out and buy it on the external market.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34So, a lot of managers just don't make the best use they've got
0:19:34 > 0:19:37of the workforce available to them. Why is that?
0:19:37 > 0:19:39We have a very flexible labour market.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41It's easy for employers to find people
0:19:41 > 0:19:44to do the types of jobs they want at the sort of pay they want.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47And so, there aren't a lot of incentives often for employers
0:19:47 > 0:19:51to think about how can I create better, more highly-skilled jobs?
0:19:51 > 0:19:55So, if you go into a low-paid job, are you going to be stuck there?
0:19:55 > 0:19:57I think that is the danger.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Back at the car part factory and the workers are starting
0:20:00 > 0:20:02the second half of their shift.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03You've got ten minutes
0:20:03 > 0:20:06to get a feel of the job that you're going to be doing.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08They're learning how to assemble a bracket
0:20:08 > 0:20:12that guides the opening and closing of car rear windows.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14It's very difficult, you've got to really concentrate.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18It's a 10-step process that involves sticking five foam strips.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Close to the edge but not over it.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Connecting two corner sections together...
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Think of it as a jigsaw puzzle. Yeah, so these ones.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27No, other way. If you think...
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Hold on. ..and attaching a metal arm with a screwdriver.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35And just place them there, darl. That's it.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38It's a hard task.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42First one has been easy peasy. Now, quite worried.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Experienced workers are expected to produce between 38
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and 47 corner covers an hour.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55It's the most complex job done by humans on the assembly line.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I think everyone's worried about it, yeah.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Might be going home, might be going home.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02The workers have one hour
0:21:02 > 0:21:05to complete as many corner covers as possible.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07OK, workers, it's production time, let's go.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15At the end of their shift, productivity over both tasks
0:21:15 > 0:21:18will be tallied up and, once again,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20the least productive worker will be laid off.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22I try not to miss anything.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26But I think after the first three or four, I will be OK.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Ow, I keep slashing myself!
0:21:32 > 0:21:33Bit of a fiddler, this one.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Very fidgety, once again.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40With the sponges, the seals.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Got to get it spot on. Can't have any overhangs.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47Yes!
0:21:48 > 0:21:52The reason we use human labour to assemble the process here
0:21:52 > 0:21:56is that we need the human brain and the dexterity of the fingers
0:21:56 > 0:21:58and this is the hardest process.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02But some people can walk off the street and hit target within a day.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07For graphic designer Leon, there's a logic to assembling the covers.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Each part is very simple.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13It does fit together, you can't put it wrong. Two holes line up.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Clips into the clip holes. And then clearly...
0:22:19 > 0:22:21..it screws in there.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22I'm not feeling the pressure.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26The fact that I've got the hang of it quite quickly, I feel good.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30But for agency chef Stephanie, it's much more challenging.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32That doesn't look the same at all.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Don't give up, girl. Don't give up, girl.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Right, that goes like that, that goes like that.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40You will do this.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Come on, girl. Come on, you are not, you are not going to cry.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50You are going to do this, you can do this.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57I don't particularly want to let Mike down
0:22:57 > 0:23:00but I'm... Not my task.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06I need to concentrate.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Stephanie is the last remaining worker in the experiment
0:23:09 > 0:23:11who is over 50.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13They start, come on. Go!
0:23:13 > 0:23:17OK? Can we change this bed? We've got to get on.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21She may have struggled with technical challenges...
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Looking here, it's not really going too well for Stephanie.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26..but Stephanie is fast and focused.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32I've got sweat on my brow and I'm effective.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34I am a happy bunny!
0:23:35 > 0:23:38She's come top of the leaderboard three times.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I have a gold star again!
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I feel absolutely amazing.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51But this is a complex sequence of assembly and after 20 minutes,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Stephanie hasn't completed a single cover.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57Stephanie?
0:23:57 > 0:24:01What you're doing's good, the batch building, but once you build,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03I suggest once you build a maximum of five, then assemble five.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07I don't know what to do next. You don't know what to do next? You OK?
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Hey, it's OK. Take some deep breaths. All right, don't worry.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16I can't... Hey, hey! That's all...
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Take time out. Take your time. It's OK.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Don't worry, all right? Don't worry, OK?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24I got the first half,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I was completely mind-blown with the rest.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Have a look at what we've got there. I'll try and work it out.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32And try and remember what we've got there, OK?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Have a look and see how things have lined up, OK? All right.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41I'm going to try and do this.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44I've never used one of these, we're going.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47While Stephanie faces technical challenges,
0:24:47 > 0:24:48Sabrina has made a mistake.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51Hey, Sabrina. Hey, you all right?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Yeah, you're missing one of the BRCs off, darling.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58I've missed them all! That one, yes. Are these them? These are the ones.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59Right, OK.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Sabrina has unfortunately lost control of the process, really.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07She didn't follow the procedure.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Stephanie was struggling because she forgot how to do the second process.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14In normal production, I would have stopped both of the operators
0:25:14 > 0:25:17from performing and I would have taken them off.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19But let's just see if they can turn it round.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23The workers have just quarter of an hour left to make up for lost time.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25In my 15 minutes,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I'm going to make the good ones that I can and that's all I can do.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33It's... I'm going to try and master this.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36I've finished this one, I can get at least, minimum two.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Well done, that's brilliant. Thank you. Perfect.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50OK, workers, that's the job finished!
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Well done. Thank you. All right. Yeah?
0:26:01 > 0:26:05What is it that you're doing that makes you do so well?
0:26:05 > 0:26:08I like this job. I like sorted out things.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11You know, be focused on one thing because I must do it
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and try to do it perfectly.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Majka was like, da-da-da!
0:26:16 > 0:26:17You were like...
0:26:17 > 0:26:19You were like a robot.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I'm quite focused. That's the main thing.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23OK, yeah. Where does it come from?
0:26:23 > 0:26:26It's coming from home, from family, yeah.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31I can see the same things for me, because, basically, I grow up to...
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Yeah, with that, as normal. It's what you do normally.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49I would say British people work just as hard as any other nation.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53But the type of work and the type of jobs that we actually go for,
0:26:53 > 0:26:54I think that's a factor.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00'So, have our expectations of the jobs we want to do changed?'
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Are we too comfortable, are we too wealthy?
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Are we too used to just doing jobs
0:27:06 > 0:27:08that involve sitting at an office desk
0:27:08 > 0:27:10and we just don't want to do hard graft?
0:27:10 > 0:27:15I think we've lost an understanding of the importance of manufacturing,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17engineering, making things.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19You know, we've got the celebrity culture,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23we've got people thinking service industries is the only way.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27In my simple analysis, to make money, you got to buy materials,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29make other things and sell those things at a profit.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And that is, for me, the fundamental wealth creator.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35And we need more wealth creation in this country.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38The workers are heading back to the factory
0:27:38 > 0:27:40where they'll be paid for their shift.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Another challenging job, you've all worked very hard,
0:27:50 > 0:27:54so I would like to give you your wages. Sabrina.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59The workers have been paid a rate of ?7.35 an hour before tax,
0:27:59 > 0:28:0265p above the pre-April minimum wage.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Leon? Can I have a job?
0:28:05 > 0:28:07It was to nice get more than the minimum wage.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11I probably didn't deserve it. You know, after the sticker incident.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13But I did make up for it in the second part.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17When I see it today, my payslip, I have been surprised and happy
0:28:17 > 0:28:21because I think that is exactly good money for our work.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31So, who has aptitude for the assembly line?
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Individual productivity data has been collated
0:28:35 > 0:28:37and sent to Mike to analyse.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40A lot of people would think they are very simple tasks,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43but, you know what, there's a lot of skill involved in these jobs.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46This graph shows their productivity
0:28:46 > 0:28:48in terms of reaching expected output.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52The two best workers hit 65% of their targets.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55The people at the top of the leaderboard have showed
0:28:55 > 0:28:59great work attitude, great speed, great dexterity
0:28:59 > 0:29:03and if you bring all that together, it gives you a really great worker.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06The least productive worker really struggled,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10producing only 29% of the target output.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14They just couldn't cope with the consistency and the accuracy
0:29:14 > 0:29:16that was required to do these repetitive tasks.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29HORN BLARES
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Aw! Stephanie.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45'In the low-paid sector, you are a pair of hands.'
0:29:45 > 0:29:48I didn't perform, I wouldn't have expected
0:29:48 > 0:29:51to go back there another day because it wasn't my task.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58When I see the board, I am on first, so I was like, "Wow."
0:29:58 > 0:30:01'I'm happy with that. I think'
0:30:01 > 0:30:03that is the result of my hard work.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08We're now eight days into the experiment
0:30:08 > 0:30:11and the six remaining workers face their next job.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14It's also in manufacturing but this time requires
0:30:14 > 0:30:16a far greater level of skill.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18In this part of our factory,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21the workers will be entering the world of textiles.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Now, due to global competition from the Far East,
0:30:24 > 0:30:28jobs in this sector have reduced by 80% over the last 30 years.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32At its peak in the 1970s,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36Britain's textile industry employed almost a million people.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39But as international trade barriers came down,
0:30:39 > 0:30:43production moved east to countries where wages are significantly lower.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49Now there are just 100,000 textile jobs left in Britain.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51And with no comparative technological advantage,
0:30:51 > 0:30:55workers compete head-to-head with their foreign counterparts.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Good morning, everybody.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59You are about to enter the world,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02the globally competitive world, of the rag trade.
0:31:04 > 0:31:05You know how it works.
0:31:05 > 0:31:10The least productive out of you will not be returning to work tomorrow.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Your next job is through those doors. Good luck to you all.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14Yeah, let's go.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20Oh, no! Oh, my God! No!
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Sewing! It's sewing!
0:31:32 > 0:31:35They'll be making cushion covers from rolls of patterned material...
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Wow! ..and stuffing them with fibre.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42I'm slightly worried about this one. This is a strange one.
0:31:42 > 0:31:43I'll be fine.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46The thing is I just have to have a bit more faith in myself.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50There are three machines to master, an overlocker to hem the fabric...
0:31:50 > 0:31:53That's totally out of my thing.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55..a sewing machine to stitch it together...
0:31:55 > 0:31:57I'm going to be absolutely awful in this.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00..and an industrial filler to stuff the cushions.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Just slide it into the hole, just go...drrr!
0:32:02 > 0:32:07This is a highly skilled job that can take up to six months to learn.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I'm a bit nervous. This is probably the most challenging one.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14Each worker has been allocated their own distinct design.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18To be honest, I don't like much cats. I prefer dogs.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23We've got panels. Pull them towards you.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26After cutting out the back and the front of the cushion...
0:32:26 > 0:32:27Follow the lines all the time.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33..they must hem the edges to prevent fraying
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and stitch the two panels together, back to front.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Going to leave a seven-inch gap in the middle. You guess that yourself.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46Then they must turn the cushion inside out,
0:32:46 > 0:32:47fill with stuffing...
0:32:47 > 0:32:49It's got to be 30 or 31.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53..and last of all, neatly close up the hole.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55Then aside.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06I've never used a sewing machine before. I'm actually a bit nervous.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09They've got just five hours to make as many cushions
0:33:09 > 0:33:12that meet retail standards as they can.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Picked baking over sewing at school, so...
0:33:14 > 0:33:16I wish I took sewing now.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20And while the workers won't be expected to reach
0:33:20 > 0:33:21industry standards,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24it will be a daunting test of their precision, patience
0:33:24 > 0:33:26and attention to detail.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28Go for it.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36This type of cushion retails in supermarkets for just ?5,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38so profit margins are tight,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41but customers still expect good value for money.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44I do not know how to cut fabric.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Tony Caldeira runs Britain's biggest cushion producer
0:33:50 > 0:33:54and he and his team of production supervisors are on hand
0:33:54 > 0:33:57to make sure every cushion meets retail standards.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00To be good at this job, you need to be fast and accurate.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03But most of all, you've got to get the quality right,
0:34:03 > 0:34:04so attention to detail
0:34:04 > 0:34:05is really important.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09The only worker who has any previous experience is Majka,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11who trained as a tailor.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14I have experience, only because I finished the school,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17only I don't use a lot.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20But she hasn't worked as a seamstress for over 20 years.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26A little bit stressed now, only I must take deep breath,
0:34:26 > 0:34:27chill out, keep going.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33It's the next bit I'm pretty nervous about.
0:34:35 > 0:34:3826-year-old farm hand Berwyn is first off the cutting table.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45I stitch animals at home, if we've had an accident or anything.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49That seems to be a bit easier than this, to be honest.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56As a child growing up in Wales,
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Berwyn's ambition was to run his own farm.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03I was in an agricultural college, ten miles down the road.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06And I had to leave it and in my second year,
0:35:06 > 0:35:10just to come and work just because my mother passed away.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14We had bills to pay. So, it was really, really hard times.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19One thing we haven't got is a shortage of stone. No, that's good.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23At just 17, Berwyn started working full-time
0:35:23 > 0:35:26as a casual farm labourer for minimum wage.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30Everybody in this area gives him the odd day
0:35:30 > 0:35:34because he's a good lad, because he's an honest lad.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39But Berwyn's future is anything but secure.
0:35:39 > 0:35:40Very uncertain.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Like tomorrow, I may wake up and there's no work.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48I won't be fussy, I'd go out there and do anything,
0:35:48 > 0:35:49cleaning drains, anything.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53Berwyn grew up in a low-wage household.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55His single mum worked as a seamstress
0:35:55 > 0:35:57in a local clothing factory.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Every day, the thoughts are in my head, like, you know,
0:36:00 > 0:36:01thinking about my mam.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04'She was a hard, hard working person.'
0:36:04 > 0:36:07She worked all of her life, she had to.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11'I used to see my mum sew stuff, sew our clothes,
0:36:11 > 0:36:13'fill the holes in, put patches on our jeans.'
0:36:16 > 0:36:19But despite having sewing in his blood,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21it appears Berwyn isn't a natural.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Ah! Look what I've done.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25Look what I've done.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30So, that one's supposed to be...
0:36:30 > 0:36:32For instance, that one's supposed to be like that.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39So, they're inside out, then. Attention to detail.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41And Berwyn's not alone.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43It's like a hanky, isn't it?
0:36:46 > 0:36:50Sabrina is also struggling to make heads or tails of her cushions.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54I've just realised I've done it wrong.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57I've...!
0:36:57 > 0:37:00I've stitched two back to front.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Wish I'd spent a bit more time with my nannan now.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05I would have benefited!
0:37:06 > 0:37:10Today, more than half the people working in the UK textile industry
0:37:10 > 0:37:12are over 45 years old,
0:37:12 > 0:37:17like machinist Pam, who has decades of experience in the business.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19I've been doing it since I was 15
0:37:19 > 0:37:21and I'm 58 now. Wow.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23So, a very long time.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26So, if someone came to you with no experience and said,
0:37:26 > 0:37:28"I want to learn how to sew," would you guys train them up?
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Thing is these days, there's no training schools.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37Because what happened was they took all the work from here,
0:37:37 > 0:37:41from England, to abroad because it was a lot cheaper.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44So, really, we like to take on experienced people.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46What's your working hours like?
0:37:46 > 0:37:52Monday to Thursday, 8 till 5 and on a Friday, it's 8 to 3:30.
0:37:52 > 0:37:53Minimum wage.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Do you not get bonus on how many cushions you make?
0:37:56 > 0:38:01Well, if say like you do 90 an hour, it's ?3.30 for 30 cushions,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04and you do 90, you'd be on ?9-odd an hour.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06You have to work very, very hard,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08it's not easy and it is a very skilled job.
0:38:10 > 0:38:15Knowing that they get minimum wage doing this, I don't understand.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17It should be at least above minimum wage.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22The employment trend in the British textile industry
0:38:22 > 0:38:23is slowly reversing,
0:38:23 > 0:38:28with a possible 15,000 new jobs predicted before 2020.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31But although skilled workers are in short supply,
0:38:31 > 0:38:35pay in this sector remains the lowest in British manufacturing.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36Talk to me about the workers.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Yesterday, they were in a factory doing a very basic job
0:38:40 > 0:38:41and yet they were getting paid more.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Over ?7 an hour compared to what your workers do,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47which is a skilled job. How is that?
0:38:47 > 0:38:49We are in a globally competitive environment.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52We're competing against countries like China and India
0:38:52 > 0:38:56and Pakistan and Bangladesh, so whereas we want to pay our workers
0:38:56 > 0:39:00as much as we can, our customers want to give their customers
0:39:00 > 0:39:02the best price in the high street.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05That's the reality of manufacturing in this country, isn't it?
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Things are starting to change in the fact that
0:39:07 > 0:39:11a lot of the manufacturing that went abroad is now starting to come back.
0:39:11 > 0:39:12Why is that?
0:39:12 > 0:39:17Chinese prices are now going up much more quickly than prices in the UK.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19So, Britain is getting more competitive
0:39:19 > 0:39:20with every year that goes past.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Will Britain ever be able to go back to the heyday of manufacturing?
0:39:24 > 0:39:27We're never going to get back to where we had 30% of the UK workforce
0:39:27 > 0:39:30employed in factories and in manufacturing,
0:39:30 > 0:39:31that's never going to happen.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34But I think most consumers out there would rather buy a cushion
0:39:34 > 0:39:36that was made in England than made in India or China.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Do you think they do? The consumer really cares where it's made?
0:39:39 > 0:39:40Surely what they want
0:39:40 > 0:39:43is the cheapest possible cushion they can get?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Some people will always want the best price and will want a bargain,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47of course they will, that's human nature.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50But what we need to do is differentiate our product -
0:39:50 > 0:39:52better design, better quality, better service -
0:39:52 > 0:39:54and as a result of that, we can survive
0:39:54 > 0:39:56and not only survive, but we can thrive.
0:39:58 > 0:39:59An hour into their shift.
0:40:01 > 0:40:0632-year-old graphic designer Leon is yet to complete a cushion.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10Another hole. Agh!
0:40:10 > 0:40:12My approach to things, if someone else can do it, I can do it.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Everybody has the ability to apply themselves well
0:40:15 > 0:40:17and that's what I aim for.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18I'll get there.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20I knew it'd be a slow start, but I'll get there.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27Four years ago, Leon finished a degree in graphic design
0:40:27 > 0:40:31and since graduating, has been working for himself.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Being a freelance designer, it might sound glamorous.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38But it's not glamorous.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43The hours that I actually put in just to get products finished
0:40:43 > 0:40:45and the pay is not great.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Last year...
0:40:47 > 0:40:50..it was just over 10,000, ?10,000 last year,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and that was my first year of freelancing.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56The advantage of being self-employed
0:40:56 > 0:40:58is that it allows Leon to fit work...
0:40:58 > 0:40:59Are you ready?
0:40:59 > 0:41:02..around his parenting responsibilities.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06You know what lessons you got today? Yeah, I've got English.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08And Science, your favourite, isn't it? Yeah, OK.
0:41:10 > 0:41:16When Amani was born, I was 20, or 19, nearly 20.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21As a single father, it was a whole different responsibility.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22You have to change quick.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25It's ready.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Because I was in work and I would earn money and I could do
0:41:27 > 0:41:30whatever I want with it, I could be out the weekend, do this -
0:41:30 > 0:41:33I didn't want to come home, I don't come home. But that changes.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34What's this?
0:41:36 > 0:41:39What is that? I don't know, can't see it.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Oh, when I fell over.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44You should have told me. Could have just put it in the wash.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47You know? It's like you actually have a child to look after,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49you have a responsibility.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50I'll make them changes for you...
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Getting his business off the ground has been hard work.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55All right, I'll speak to you later.
0:41:55 > 0:41:56And Leon is all too aware
0:41:56 > 0:41:59of how precarious his financial situation is.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Things could go wrong tomorrow.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04I might not get a phone call or e-mail saying there's another job.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08And if that happens, then I have to be prepared to go back to work.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12And if it is just a low-paid job, then I'll just have to accept it.
0:42:14 > 0:42:15Whoop!
0:42:16 > 0:42:19But low-paid work comes with its own challenges.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Each cushion must weigh no more than 31g.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Which is easier said than done.
0:42:35 > 0:42:36Funny old machine.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43First one done.
0:42:43 > 0:42:48Leon, Stewart, Majka and Berwyn have all finished cushions
0:42:48 > 0:42:52and quality control are checking their work, starting with Berwyn.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55All the seam's showing here.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57There's a hole in it.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59All these first three are all failed.
0:43:00 > 0:43:01Berwyn?
0:43:03 > 0:43:07You need to watch your holes in your cushion. OK.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10If you're on here and you see a hole in it... Go back?
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Go back and do it, don't throw it in your box.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Just fix it, OK?
0:43:15 > 0:43:18I've always thought that sewing is women's work.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20I'm not being sexist, no,
0:43:20 > 0:43:23but I don't think I have what it takes in this industry.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Erm, as I say, I'm a farmer.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30As in I don't belong on this machine.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35They've been working for an hour and a half, but Martin and Sabrina
0:43:35 > 0:43:37have yet to finish a cushion.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41I'm struggling. So for example now, I'm not sure how to take it out.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47I think I remember, though, all the instruction, but...
0:43:48 > 0:43:50As you can see, I have been struggling with that.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54I mean, someone has to be on the bottom!
0:43:56 > 0:43:57Oh, Martin.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59No work in the box yet.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01But...
0:44:01 > 0:44:02He's struggling, the poor lad.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04He'll get there.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08Two hours into the shift...
0:44:08 > 0:44:11I don't think anything's coming out of it!
0:44:11 > 0:44:14..and Sabrina is about to finish her first cushion.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19Or maybe not! SHE LAUGHS
0:44:19 > 0:44:20In a bit.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25Press that down with your elbow, when you're holding that.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29How do you get it off?
0:44:32 > 0:44:33I've finished my first one.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37You'd buy that, wouldn't you?
0:44:40 > 0:44:42The first half of their shift is over.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45What matters now is not how many cushions they've made,
0:44:45 > 0:44:47but how many pass quality control.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53HORN BLARES
0:44:58 > 0:45:02The mid-shift results put Sabrina at the bottom of the leaderboard
0:45:02 > 0:45:04and trained tailor Majka at the top.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07I don't have any secret to success.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09Like all my work, I never do the rush.
0:45:09 > 0:45:14I always slow down when I'm nervous, so deep breath and keep going.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16So, I try the best I can.
0:45:20 > 0:45:21She's a professional,
0:45:21 > 0:45:24she can use a sewing machine as well as any of the girls in the factory
0:45:24 > 0:45:27and I'd take her on tomorrow if you give me the chance.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30The way she handles the fabric is just like a professional.
0:45:30 > 0:45:35Hot on Majka's heels in second place is an absolute beginner.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39That's wrong. That's wrong!
0:45:39 > 0:45:43Berwyn made six cushions, two of them passed quality control.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46It really shocks me, that. Absolutely shocks me.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49Obviously, I'm really happy with that, but...
0:45:52 > 0:45:54I know, it's really shocked me.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57As in I thought I'd done very, very poor.
0:45:58 > 0:45:59Over the same time period,
0:45:59 > 0:46:03a professional could produce a 24 perfect cushions.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07Sabrina, Leon and Martin, in joint last place,
0:46:07 > 0:46:08didn't make a single one.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13That doesn't change a thing. The result doesn't change a thing.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16I never give up, I'm Bulgarian.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19Oh, you are kidding me!
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Leon managed to produce five cushions,
0:46:22 > 0:46:26but none passed quality control.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Well, I have to be more focused.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30We're three people at the bottom.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36With the leaderboard, some people can hack it and some people can't.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39That's just human nature.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41I'm quite a competitive person.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45If you're at the bottom, you need to overcome that somehow.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Can I do better? All right, let me go and do better, you know.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Hopefully this one. Hopefully.
0:46:52 > 0:46:53He's got his teeth into it.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56He's picked up the pace, but more importantly,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59he didn't allow himself to be beaten.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02His positive mental attitude carried him through and got him going again.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07While Leon has put his failure behind him,
0:47:07 > 0:47:10coming bottom doesn't sit well with Sabrina.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12I've not made one!
0:47:12 > 0:47:15You're trying your best, you just feel useless, don't you?
0:47:16 > 0:47:20I never want to see a flipping cushion in my life again
0:47:20 > 0:47:22after doing this.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25They've had two hours to get up to speed.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Now, for the rest of the shift,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30the workers are expected to produce at full capacity.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33Pressure's on!
0:47:33 > 0:47:36To help boost her output of pink cushions,
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Sabrina is getting help from her more experienced co-worker.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45Why the space? Because that's going to be where the thingy is.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49No, you must sew it all together, no left that.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51I've been very upset about Sabrina.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54I kick her, "Sabrina, come on, you can do it, come on."
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Shall I fill this up?
0:47:56 > 0:47:59While Sabrina is happy with the arrangement...
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Keep going, Majka.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03..managing director Tony is not.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09You're not allowed to get anybody else to help you with the cushions.
0:48:09 > 0:48:10I'm not?
0:48:10 > 0:48:13Oh, it's because it's faulty, she's just try to fix it,
0:48:13 > 0:48:15but I've just told her to leave it
0:48:15 > 0:48:17because it's faulty, you can't use it anyway.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20Yeah, it's not going to count. Yeah, don't worry about it.
0:48:20 > 0:48:21You need to be careful.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24I've told her anyway, but she just wants to me carry on
0:48:24 > 0:48:25but I will tell her.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32Majka, he's told me that I'm not allowed to use it,
0:48:32 > 0:48:34you have to put in the bin.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38Never mind. She's just trying to help.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43Final push.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48With just one hour left of the shift,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Berwyn is displaying all the traits of a model machinist.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55What's good is he's actually thinking about what he's doing.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58He's not just a moving quickly, but he's using his brain.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00I like that, that's good.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02Even though I'm second,
0:49:02 > 0:49:07erm, hopefully, I've got a chance of coming first.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09I'm hoping to beat Majka to the top spot.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15How are you doing?
0:49:15 > 0:49:18See, you had the face on you before and now you're smiling.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20So, have you changed your mind about it?
0:49:20 > 0:49:21Would you do it?
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Yeah, if there was nothing else on the market...
0:49:24 > 0:49:27You'd give it a go? Definitely, definitely.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29Well, that's an improvement.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33While Berwyn is discovering hidden talents...
0:49:33 > 0:49:35I'm not going to stress out over it.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37This is a difficult task for most people to master.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41..fish and chip shop owner Stewart is having no such luck.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43Stewart. Just want to tell you
0:49:43 > 0:49:45both the cushions you've done so far have failed.
0:49:45 > 0:49:50That's sewn the wrong way and that one, you left a hole in it.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53So, just to be careful what you're doing.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56It's better to do them and get some right
0:49:56 > 0:49:58than not have any in your box at the end.
0:49:58 > 0:49:59OK?
0:50:01 > 0:50:04With his restaurant facing an uncertain future,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07Stewart made soon be looking for another job.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10I would never be back on benefits, even if I lost the business.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14I will work and I don't care what it is.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16He's taking part in the experiment to prove
0:50:16 > 0:50:19he has what it takes to get by in low-wage work.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24Today, we work and we work damn hard at any cost.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Over the past eight days...
0:50:26 > 0:50:28They're too short, some of them!
0:50:28 > 0:50:30..he's shown a steely resolve.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32Walking can get me there before they get there.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35We're particularly impressed with Stewart's work ethic.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37So, we'd also like to keep Stewart.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41I saved Stuart because anybody who is willing to walk through the night
0:50:41 > 0:50:4318 miles, he's such a hard grafter.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47But working in some of the most arduous minimum wage jobs
0:50:47 > 0:50:49is starting to take its toll.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55Shoot me now, Sabrina. Shoot me.
0:50:57 > 0:50:58Go on, Stewart. Keep going.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02I've learned a hell of a lot about how hard all our jobs are.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04And they are extremely difficult.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06The likes of this, to do this for eight hours in a day
0:51:06 > 0:51:08is seriously strenuous work.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14'Manufacturing jobs like these are highly demanding
0:51:14 > 0:51:17'despite their minimum wage pay packet.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21'So, do we want more of these jobs and what are the alternatives?
0:51:21 > 0:51:25'I've come to talk to Ryan Bourne of the Institute of Economic Affairs
0:51:25 > 0:51:27'to see what he thinks.'
0:51:27 > 0:51:29Should we be encouraging manufacturing back to the UK?
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Well, there seems to be this almost fetish for manufacturing -
0:51:32 > 0:51:35you hear it from lots of politicians and individuals
0:51:35 > 0:51:36that we don't make stuff any more,
0:51:36 > 0:51:38and it's just not true.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42We do engage in lots of very high-end manufacturing activities,
0:51:42 > 0:51:45you only have to look at the car sector and the aerospace sector.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48Now, would it be in our interest to try and encourage
0:51:48 > 0:51:52low-level manufacturing to compete with China and countries like that?
0:51:52 > 0:51:54And the answer is unambiguously no.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57These countries can do it in a much more cost-effective way
0:51:57 > 0:52:00and it means that we get much cheaper imports of goods
0:52:00 > 0:52:02from these countries as a result.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04So, what's the alternative?
0:52:04 > 0:52:07Well, many of the things that we're very good at and specialise in
0:52:07 > 0:52:10are going to be in huge demand as China and India develop.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Financial services is going to be something where there's going to be
0:52:13 > 0:52:15a huge demand for our expertise.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Things like educational services
0:52:17 > 0:52:18is going to be really important as well.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21So, you think of all of these high-end service sectors
0:52:21 > 0:52:23and these really do seem the areas
0:52:23 > 0:52:25where we have a huge comparative advantage,
0:52:25 > 0:52:28we do this stuff really well and if we stick at it,
0:52:28 > 0:52:31we can really capitalise on that engine of growth
0:52:31 > 0:52:32that's coming from Asia.
0:52:32 > 0:52:38We still have five million people in low-pay jobs, low-skill jobs.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Are we at risk of having a section of society
0:52:41 > 0:52:44that just are completely losing out and fall through the cracks
0:52:44 > 0:52:46as the rest of us move forward?
0:52:46 > 0:52:49There's losers in any transition period.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53The question from a policy maker's perspective is what do you do
0:52:53 > 0:52:57in order to compensate some of the losers or make sure
0:52:57 > 0:52:59that some of the losers don't fall through the cracks?
0:52:59 > 0:53:03And that requires welfare reform, that requires education reform,
0:53:03 > 0:53:07it means having out-of-work services responsive to people's needs
0:53:07 > 0:53:10and individual community needs and that's all of the stuff
0:53:10 > 0:53:14that politicians are going to need to look at in the next 10-15 years.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19Back at the factory and the workers' experience of the rag trade
0:53:19 > 0:53:20is almost over.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25Bad afternoon at the office.
0:53:25 > 0:53:26That's a fail.
0:53:32 > 0:53:33HORN BLARES
0:53:33 > 0:53:35Oh, Lord!
0:53:35 > 0:53:37Right guys! That's it, job finished.
0:53:49 > 0:53:50Hi, guys.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54You've completed another job, so I'd like to give you your wages.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Leon? Thanks.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00The workers have been paid the pre-April rate for minimum wage,
0:54:00 > 0:54:03which was ?6.70 before tax.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07'I didn't think there were jobs this complicated paid so low.'
0:54:07 > 0:54:11The effort that goes into it, it's not worth the minimum wage.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14I think it's better to pay minimum wage than not have a job.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17'I would work for minimum wage any day of the week.'
0:54:17 > 0:54:18A job is a job.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23So, which of the workers could cut it in the textile industry
0:54:23 > 0:54:26and who would come apart at the seams?
0:54:26 > 0:54:30Mike is analysing the data from the shop floor to find out.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34The performance of our guys just really demonstrates how tough
0:54:34 > 0:54:36this minimum wage job really is.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38This is a skilled job and, of course,
0:54:38 > 0:54:40it does take time to get up to speed,
0:54:40 > 0:54:42but we didn't expect what we saw today.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44The difference is absolutely shocking.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48In these factory conditions, an experienced worker
0:54:48 > 0:54:51could produce 60 cushions over the five-hour shift.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55Our best worker got a quarter of the way there,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58with 16 cushions passed by quality control.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00The person that surprised me in all of this was Berwyn.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03He finished 12 cushions to the right quality standard.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05That was a real shock.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Our least productive worker over a five-hour shift
0:55:08 > 0:55:10got just one cushion past quality control.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14HORN BLARES
0:55:14 > 0:55:15Good luck, good luck.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30Oh, never mind.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32I honestly thought you'd caught me.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36'I'm gutted that I'm going, but it's been a brilliant experience.'
0:55:37 > 0:55:41I've learnt that I need to work harder than I actually am
0:55:41 > 0:55:43to make sure that I don't do these sort of jobs
0:55:43 > 0:55:45because I didn't enjoy them, first of all,
0:55:45 > 0:55:47and I don't want to be like those unfortunate people
0:55:47 > 0:55:50on minimum wage and I just want a better future for me
0:55:50 > 0:55:53and my little boy, so I need to work harder at it.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57Oh, I'm going to miss you all.
0:55:57 > 0:55:58We're going to miss you too.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04'I feel really proud for the job what I've done.'
0:56:05 > 0:56:08So, I can't imagine what will be next.
0:56:11 > 0:56:12A little terrified.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17Experienced seamstress Majka may have come top of the leaderboard,
0:56:17 > 0:56:20but novice Berwyn was only four cushions behind her.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25In the beginning of that, I thought I'm going to fail this.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29For some reason, halfway through, I thought, "I'm enjoying this.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32"It's not just a woman's job. I can do this."
0:56:32 > 0:56:38And then knowing that I came second to Majka, what can you say?
0:56:38 > 0:56:41'I'm really, really happy. I think that my mam'
0:56:41 > 0:56:44would be proud seeing what I've done today,
0:56:44 > 0:56:46just because... She'd be laughing.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49Honest to God, she would be laughing.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54Since taking part in the experiment,
0:56:54 > 0:56:57agency chef Stephanie has still not found full-time work.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59But she's hopeful.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02I am so pleased I took part.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05I found I can work on a production line with food,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07I did quite well on that one.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09There must have been a seven or eight tasks
0:57:09 > 0:57:13that I never thought I could do.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15Now I do.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19But her experience of the low-wage sector was not all positive.
0:57:19 > 0:57:24I learned that there were battles that I thought had been fought
0:57:24 > 0:57:27and won back in the '70s
0:57:27 > 0:57:31'about employment rights and protections.
0:57:31 > 0:57:35'They seem to have all just disappeared.
0:57:35 > 0:57:36'It's so sad'
0:57:36 > 0:57:40and I thought it was just in my industry and I see
0:57:40 > 0:57:42that it's everywhere.
0:57:43 > 0:57:47And in Sheffield, Sabrina has found herself an admin job
0:57:47 > 0:57:51at a law firm and at night, she's studying for her law degree.
0:57:51 > 0:57:53It's going to take me about four years,
0:57:53 > 0:57:57four or five years to be fully qualified.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59Because I want Ali to go to university,
0:57:59 > 0:58:01I want him to be the best.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04I don't want him settling for this sort of lifestyle,
0:58:04 > 0:58:05I don't want that for him.
0:58:06 > 0:58:08Next time...
0:58:08 > 0:58:09Now this evening,
0:58:09 > 0:58:11we're going to be working all through the night picking
0:58:11 > 0:58:15and packing some of the world's finest quality fruit and vegetables.
0:58:15 > 0:58:16..stress levels rise.
0:58:16 > 0:58:18Where's my trolley? What have they done with it?
0:58:18 > 0:58:20It's a big mistake.
0:58:20 > 0:58:22As the workers endure the pressure...
0:58:22 > 0:58:26I'm going for a five-minute break, thank you. ..and pain...
0:58:26 > 0:58:27I'm feeling like a BLEEP!
0:58:27 > 0:58:28..of night work...
0:58:28 > 0:58:30A very good cross going on now.
0:58:30 > 0:58:33..in a bid to become the last worker standing.
0:58:33 > 0:58:35HORN BLARES