This young Spaniard arrived in London in December after seeing the low future expectations in his country.
Javier Duque
Before his final university exams in June last month, Sergio realised that it was time to leave Spain. With the work offers he could expect to receive at the end of his university career in mind, he made the decision.
“The majority of the apprenticeship work was unpaid, and paid jobs didn’t pay more than 500 euros per month, and with working days of 8 to 10 hours which didn’t cover the cost of living in Madrid, where the jobs were offered.” In summer he thought of working in order to save money for an adventure which would include London but, due to the ill health of a family member, he was forced to postpone.
In September he found a job working at a firm in telemarketing in his native city of Leon, in which he was not content due to the treatment he received.
“If I made fewer than 6 sales per month, they would fire me. Between 6 and 15, I would earn the minimum – around 700 euros. For 16 or more they paid 850, but there was a month in which I made 16 sales and they paid me the same as the month when I made fewer sales. We were under a lot of pressure, if you sold, then you were the best and if you didn’t sell you weren’t worth anything.”
In December, after saving some money, he took a plane to London. Sergio was aware that the first jobs he would find would not correspond to his studies but “if I had to work as a waiter I preferred to do it in London as that way I could practice my English.” This is a language this young Spaniard does not speak well and which he knows will be an obstacle when trying to find a job. In fact, right up until this day he hasn’t found any permanent work.
He has worked for a few days a porter, essentially moving furniture around. “It’s not the best job in the world but it’s not bad to get by on.”
Of the many things which surprised him about the job is how little communication there is between the people who work there: “On the first day I noticed that people didn’t talk to each other. I introduced myself and I tried to maintain a conversation but nobody responded.”
In addition the young Spaniard was “shocked” that one of the men working with him was a Polish man of 40 who told him he had studied Political Science and Journalism but had found no work.
The same solitude was also to be found among the people of London. For example, he noticed it going to a coffee shop and seeing young people sitting alone, without friends, something which in Spain, except among more elderly people, is difficult to come across. As for settling in to London life, Sergio didn’t find it difficult as his girlfriend was already working in London and had a few friends: “They helped me. Above all in the first days when I stayed with them while I found work.”
Now he lives in the area of Willesden Junction, where he says he is not completely comfortable because of what he has heard about the area: “Since I started living here I haven’t seen anything strange, but they’ve got it into my head that I need to be careful.”
Sergio now practices his English every day and has considered various courses with the intention of signing up for the one which is most useful for him.
Once he has mastered the language he doesn’t want to keep working as a waiter or a porter, but to fight for a more qualified job with a better wage.
(Translated by Mark Stokes – Email: mark_y_stokes@hotmail.co.uk) – Photos: Pixabay
.jpg)
