Pay higher wages to attract UK workers, says Immigration Minister

• Mark Harper said firms unable to find workers are not paying enough
• Hit back at claims by Domino's boss Lance Batchelor that the chain could create 1,000 jobs - but too many British people do not want the work
• He said there is no question of government relaxing immigration rules to allow Domino's to 'keep wages low'
• Comments come as Sir Stuart Rose criticised the work ethic of Britons

By James Slack and Becky Barrow

Published: 20:04 EST, 10 December 2013 | Updated: 20:04 EST, 10 December 2013

Mark Harper said that if firms were unable to find willing workers, they were not paying the market rate and should 'reflect' on the salary package they are offering

Businesses complaining about a lack of British applicants to fill job vacancies should pay higher wages, the immigration minister declared last night.

Mark Harper said that, if firms were unable to find willing workers, they were not paying the market rate and should ‘reflect’ on the salary package they are offering.

He hit back at the boss of Domino’s Pizza for claiming that the chain could instantly create 1,000 jobs - but too many British people do not want the work.

Lance Batchelor, the chief executive of Domino’s, said it is ‘harder and harder’ to hire staff in this country, and criticised the government for making it too hard to recruit immigrants instead.

He argued that, for a worker from outside the EU to get into the country, they needed to have a ‘PhD’.

But Mr Harper said there was no question of the government relaxing immigration rules so Domino’s could ‘keep wages low’.

He pointed out that Domino’s can recruit staff from within the entire EU without restrictions – an area that covers 500million people.

Mr Harper told a committee of MPs: ‘If out of a market of hundreds of millions of people you cannot find enough people to work in your restaurant, you should look at how much you are paying.

‘Dominos should pay what the market demands to fill their roles’

The minister was last night backed by Sir David Metcalf, who is chairman of the Government’s migration advisory committee.

Sir David said the comments by the Domino’s boss ‘beggar belief’. He added: ‘What is he wanting? Ukrainians?’

Mr Batchelor, whose chain employs 22,500 people in the UK, said earlier this week that it is ‘only those with PhDs who can get into the UK.’

He added: ‘You don’t need a PhD for our work, but it is work and we need staff.’

Lance Batchelor, chief executive of Domino's claimed his firm could create 1,000 jobs - but many people do not want to work. It comes as Ocado chairman Sir Stuart Rose criticised the work ethic of many Britons

His comments came after the former M&S boss also criticised the work ethic of many Britons.

Sir Stuart Rose, who is now chairman of Ocado, the online delivery business, said it is wrong to criticise immigrants who are prepared to work for lower salaries than Britons turn down.

He was quizzed specifically about Romanians and Bulgarians amid fears of a huge influx within weeks when current restrictions on their rights to work in Britain are lifted.

At present, they can only work if they are self-employed or are one of a limited number of seasonal workers who are allowed to come for up to six months a year but must then go home.

From 1 January 2014, they win the rights to get free access to the labour market in Britain, like other Europeans.

Sir Stuart said: ‘These people are entitled to come here and if these people want to come here and work the hours they are prepared to work for the wages they are prepared to work, so be it.

‘There is nothing against that.’

Official figures, from the Office for National Statistics, show there are currently 542,000 job vacancies in the UK, a number which has risen by 62,000 over the last year.

Sir Stuart added: ‘I believe that if I was out of work tomorrow morning that I could find a job by tomorrow afternoon.

‘It is up to people to decide whether they want to do the work for the pay that is being offered. If they don’t, somebody else is there to do it.

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