Exploring and Analyzing the Challenges faced by Migrant Workers in Tourism/ Hospitality Industry of the UK
Author: Siyu Chen
1 Commentries
Abstract
In this discussion paper, it mainly summarizes the main opinion on the report of the challenges faced by migrant workers in tourism industry in UK. Through critically evaluation, it deems the cultural differences, inflexibility in work, low salary levels with discrimination, lacks enough training and low retention are the main issues for migrant workers in tourism industry. It needs the government to provide more support to this special group to promote the development of tourism industry of the country.
Key words: Tourism industry; Migrant workers; Brexit
In the report, it makes Brexit as the political background to discuss the challenges faced by migrants workers and how these challenges influences on the tourism industry of the country. Brexit influences on the development of tourism industry of the country (Pappas, 2019). Tourism industry supports the economic growth of UK. Migrant workers are the employees of tourism industry. The challenges they face may influence on their work enthusiasm and then to influence on the development of tourism industry.
For the migrant workers who are working at tourism industry, they face the challenge caused by both internal and external factor. Specifically speaking, this report deems that there are five challenges the migrant workers may face in working at the tourism industry most. The migrant workers often have different cultural background with British people. If they are working at UK, they need to overcome the cultural shock brought by different language, the living habit and the social interaction approach (Manoharan & Singal, 2017). Another of which is inflexibility in work. Most of migrant workers are low skilled workers or housewives. They want to do part-time job to earn some salary to improve the life quality of their family, but due to the development of tourism industry, the work in service sector is stressed and most of them are need full-time workers (Yaduma, et al, 2015). It may lead to the high separation rate of this group and cause the tourism industry to lack enough workers. The low salary level and discrimination is existence among migrant workers especially the black migrant workers, the racial discrimination is hard to be eliminated in a short-time. They are often excluded by the local workers (McCollum & Findlay, 2015). Also, the low salary of migrant workers is caused by discrimination and their low educational level and professional skills, but the government does not provide enough training to them (Markova, et al, 2016). That is to say, they are hard to get higher salary level if their professional skill remains same. The last of which is high mobility, because of their basic life demand such as food, accommodation and medical care can not be solved well by both government and employers, they may leave the job position if they find better job opportunity (Solnet, et al, 2016).
The five factors are the challenges for both migrant workers and tourism industry. UK wants to develop the tourism industry and they need more workers to engage in the service work to increase the satisfaction of travelers. Brexit and the challenges faced by migrant workers may lead to the vacancy of the job positions in tourism industry. If it can not solve the issue at present stage effectively, the demand for workers must more than the supply. The discrimination would also accelerate the social inequality. After analyzing the background and challenges that existence in the tourism industry in UK, this report gives effective solution way to protect the interest of migrant workers and promotes the development of tourism industry.
There are several ways to address the challenge faced by the migrant workers. For one thing, it needs the government to provide more support and education to increase their professional skills which can help them to improve their knowledge and to be more competent in the job position (Moyce & Schenker, 2018). It can increase their self-value and make the employers to give higher salary level to them. For another, it is necessary to use legal means to eliminate the discrimination and use minimum salary law to ensure that their salary level can support their basic life expense. In addition to that, it can promote the employers to provide training to migrant workers such as to increase their understanding on local culture and train their oral English to help them to communicate with tourists.
Through the above analysis, it also deems that migrant workers are a special group for the country. Even to some extent, migrant workers have negatively influence on the UK, because they may increase the burden of the country and lead to the unstable of the society, but in modern tourism industry with the background of Brexit, it needs more migrant workers to work at this industry to stimulate the economic recovery, so to take effective means to protect their interest and address the challenge they may face is necessary.
References:
Manoharan, A., and Singal, M. (2017). A systematic literature review of research on diversity and diversity management in the hospitality literature. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 66, 77-91.
Markova, E., Anna, P., Williams, A. M., and Shaw, G. (2016). Migrant workers in small London hotels: Employment, recruitment and distribution. European urban and regional studies, 23(3), 406-421.
Moyce, S. C., and Schenker, M. (2018). Migrant workers and their occupational health and safety. Annual review of public health, 39, 351-365.
McCollum, D., and Findlay, A. (2015). 'Flexible'workers for 'flexible'jobs? The labour market function of A8 migrant labour in the UK. Work, employment and society, 29(3), 427-443.
Pappas, N. (2019). UK outbound travel and Brexit complexity. Tourism Management, 72, 12-22.
Solnet, D., Baum, T., Robinson, R. N., and Lockstone-Binney, L. (2016). What about the workers? Roles and skills for employees in hotels of the future. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 22(3), 212-226.
Yaduma, N., Williams, A., Lockwood, A., and Park, S. (2015). Performance, labour flexibility and migrant workers in hotels: An establishment and departmental level analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 50, 94-104.
In this discussion paper, it mainly summarizes the main opinion on the report of the challenges faced by migrant workers in tourism industry in UK. Through critically evaluation, it deems the cultural differences, inflexibility in work, low salary levels with discrimination, lacks enough training and low retention are the main issues for migrant workers in tourism industry. It needs the government to provide more support to this special group to promote the development of tourism industry of the country.
Key words: Tourism industry; Migrant workers; Brexit
In the report, it makes Brexit as the political background to discuss the challenges faced by migrants workers and how these challenges influences on the tourism industry of the country. Brexit influences on the development of tourism industry of the country (Pappas, 2019). Tourism industry supports the economic growth of UK. Migrant workers are the employees of tourism industry. The challenges they face may influence on their work enthusiasm and then to influence on the development of tourism industry.
For the migrant workers who are working at tourism industry, they face the challenge caused by both internal and external factor. Specifically speaking, this report deems that there are five challenges the migrant workers may face in working at the tourism industry most. The migrant workers often have different cultural background with British people. If they are working at UK, they need to overcome the cultural shock brought by different language, the living habit and the social interaction approach (Manoharan & Singal, 2017). Another of which is inflexibility in work. Most of migrant workers are low skilled workers or housewives. They want to do part-time job to earn some salary to improve the life quality of their family, but due to the development of tourism industry, the work in service sector is stressed and most of them are need full-time workers (Yaduma, et al, 2015). It may lead to the high separation rate of this group and cause the tourism industry to lack enough workers. The low salary level and discrimination is existence among migrant workers especially the black migrant workers, the racial discrimination is hard to be eliminated in a short-time. They are often excluded by the local workers (McCollum & Findlay, 2015). Also, the low salary of migrant workers is caused by discrimination and their low educational level and professional skills, but the government does not provide enough training to them (Markova, et al, 2016). That is to say, they are hard to get higher salary level if their professional skill remains same. The last of which is high mobility, because of their basic life demand such as food, accommodation and medical care can not be solved well by both government and employers, they may leave the job position if they find better job opportunity (Solnet, et al, 2016).
The five factors are the challenges for both migrant workers and tourism industry. UK wants to develop the tourism industry and they need more workers to engage in the service work to increase the satisfaction of travelers. Brexit and the challenges faced by migrant workers may lead to the vacancy of the job positions in tourism industry. If it can not solve the issue at present stage effectively, the demand for workers must more than the supply. The discrimination would also accelerate the social inequality. After analyzing the background and challenges that existence in the tourism industry in UK, this report gives effective solution way to protect the interest of migrant workers and promotes the development of tourism industry.
There are several ways to address the challenge faced by the migrant workers. For one thing, it needs the government to provide more support and education to increase their professional skills which can help them to improve their knowledge and to be more competent in the job position (Moyce & Schenker, 2018). It can increase their self-value and make the employers to give higher salary level to them. For another, it is necessary to use legal means to eliminate the discrimination and use minimum salary law to ensure that their salary level can support their basic life expense. In addition to that, it can promote the employers to provide training to migrant workers such as to increase their understanding on local culture and train their oral English to help them to communicate with tourists.
Through the above analysis, it also deems that migrant workers are a special group for the country. Even to some extent, migrant workers have negatively influence on the UK, because they may increase the burden of the country and lead to the unstable of the society, but in modern tourism industry with the background of Brexit, it needs more migrant workers to work at this industry to stimulate the economic recovery, so to take effective means to protect their interest and address the challenge they may face is necessary.
References:
Manoharan, A., and Singal, M. (2017). A systematic literature review of research on diversity and diversity management in the hospitality literature. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 66, 77-91.
Markova, E., Anna, P., Williams, A. M., and Shaw, G. (2016). Migrant workers in small London hotels: Employment, recruitment and distribution. European urban and regional studies, 23(3), 406-421.
Moyce, S. C., and Schenker, M. (2018). Migrant workers and their occupational health and safety. Annual review of public health, 39, 351-365.
McCollum, D., and Findlay, A. (2015). 'Flexible'workers for 'flexible'jobs? The labour market function of A8 migrant labour in the UK. Work, employment and society, 29(3), 427-443.
Pappas, N. (2019). UK outbound travel and Brexit complexity. Tourism Management, 72, 12-22.
Solnet, D., Baum, T., Robinson, R. N., and Lockstone-Binney, L. (2016). What about the workers? Roles and skills for employees in hotels of the future. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 22(3), 212-226.
Yaduma, N., Williams, A., Lockwood, A., and Park, S. (2015). Performance, labour flexibility and migrant workers in hotels: An establishment and departmental level analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 50, 94-104.