Iain Dale Grills Cafe Owner Who Said Brits Have A Bad Work Ethic

8 February 2019, 10:22

This is Iain Dale's fascinating interview with the café owner who said British people have a poor work ethic.

Jullian Preston-Powers, a supervisor at Intenso Espresso in Hove, commented that the "very poorest type of employee is a British one, full stop" after one applicant asked to rearrange a trial because she had been rained on during her journey.

One union suggested he was vying for the title of Britain's worst employer.

But speaking to Iain Dale, Mr Preston-Powers defended his comments, saying: "I told her no she couldn't have another opportunity, it's too bad you basically gave up the opportunity.

"We find in our experience - we're the oldest coffee shop in our area of Hove - that people who have come from Eastern Europe are determined to do a very good job and work hard to hang on to the position. And they do that for years. They are totally reliable."

Iain criticised the line "very poorest type of employee is a British one, full stop" and Mr Preston-Powers admitted that was a generalisation which he regrets.

But he added: "It's an honour to be a waiter in Italy, whereas here because the jobs are so easy to come by, we find that every time we hire a British young lady or young man, they are lost, gone or late 20% of the time. That is our experience."

The full interview is very honest and very interesting. Watch it in full at the top of the page.