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The support for this cause (of legalising asylum seekers and other migrants  
with no UK work rights currently working here illegally) intrigues me,  
especially the class, membership, agenda debates....
 
>>Support has also come from faith leaders, trade unions,  
>businesses and 
>>NGOs concerned at the emergence of a  sub-class of person in today's 
>>Britain who are part of our society  yet without access to the basic 
>>rights which its citizens take for  granted.
 
OK I can see why faith leaders would support it , religion is dying on its  
feet amongst indigenous britons; many migrants come from deeply religious  
countries - Catholic Christian, Muslim, Hindu, etc etc.
 
NGOs. well that's their job, their raison d'etre.
 
Busnesses, well obviously, they gain from an enlarged pool of cheap labour,  
(and just maybe some can thus get labour below the Min Wage, but won't go into 
 that here).
 
But trades unions - now that's interesting.  The Union itself can gain  from 
larger membership, increased dues. But the original members may see their  
earnings power diluted, and if Unions gain their membership more from the lower  
paid in the Uk workforce, the original members gain least, amongst the UK  
consumer population, from the cheaper prices facilitated by an increased lower  
wage UK workforce.  Original members may also lose out in two more ways -  
rents and property prices are trended upwards, this benefitting mostly the  
wealthier with larger houses, - and the lower inflation had produced lower  interest 
rates, again benefitting industrial investors and larger house owners  but 
not so much lower paid Union members renting and facing increased rents with  no 
capital gain in property at all (and maybe reduced wage rises due to lower  
overall inflation).
 
Has there been a debate about the agenda of Union leaders versus the agenda  
of their members?
(this must be one of the few occasions Trades Unions and businesses have  
found common cause)
 
Hillary Shaw, Newport, Shropshire.