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<h1 itemprop="headline">'Speak English' Polish factory workers banned from speaking mother tongue as it 'isolates'</h1>
<h3>EUROPEAN factory workers have been told by bosses to
speak English at all times because they were making other workers feel
"isolated and intimidated" by speaking in their own tongue.</h3>
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<span class="">PUBLISHED: </span>
<span>13:55, Sat, Jul 2, 2016</span>
| UPDATED: <span>14:07, Sat, Jul 2, 2016</span>
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<p class=""><img src="http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/590x/factory-685569.jpg" alt="Factory workers"><span class="">GETTY</span></p><span class="">Polish factory workers have been told they must speak in English</span><p>The new <a style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;border:0px none transparent;padding:0px;background-color:transparent;background-image:none;display:inline" class="" href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/685569/polish-factory-workers-banned-speaking-mother-tongue-isolates-english#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow"><span id="itxthook0w" class="" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;text-decoration:underline!important;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-style:none none solid;border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,204,0);padding:0px 0px 1px!important;color:rgb(0,153,0);background-color:transparent">policy</span></a>
has been slammed as "unfair and discriminatory" and is said to be
causing divisions between Polish and Slovakian workers and English
employees.</p><p>However bosses at medical products factory Orchid
Orthopaedic Solutions, in Sheffield South Yorkshire insists the policy
was introduced as "a means to create harmony at work".</p>
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<p>One English <a style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;border:0px none transparent;padding:0px;background-color:transparent;background-image:none;display:inline" class="" href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/685569/polish-factory-workers-banned-speaking-mother-tongue-isolates-english#" id="itxthook1" rel="nofollow"><span id="itxthook1w" class="" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;text-decoration:underline!important;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-style:none none solid;border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,204,0);padding:0px 0px 1px!important;color:rgb(0,153,0);background-color:transparent">employee</span></a>,
who didn't wish to be named, said the policy is believed to be
introduced after a staff member complained about Polish workers speaking
to each other in their own language.</p><p>Staff have now been forced into signing new versions of the company's rules which includes the language policy.</p><p class=""><img src="http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/590x/secondary/orchiD-581872.jpg" alt="Orchid Orthopaedic Solutions, in Sheffield South Yorkshire " title="Orchid Orthopaedic Solutions, in Sheffield South Yorkshire "><span class="">GOOGLE</span></p><span class="">The policy has come into effect at Orchid Orthopaedic Solutions, in Sheffield South Yorkshire </span><div class=""></div><p>The
worker said: "I feel the company has escalated the problem and turned a
small situation into a big one rather than assessing the cause of the
problem.</p>
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I find it unfair and discriminatory </p>
<p class="">A worker</p>
</blockquote>
<p>"If two Polish guys are conversing it's going to be much quicker for them to get their job done. </p><p>“There's a lot of Polish and Slovakian workers - I find it unfair and discriminatory."</p><p>A spokesman for Orchid said: "We are a multi-cultural <a style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;border:0px none transparent;padding:0px;background-color:transparent;background-image:none;display:inline" class="" href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/685569/polish-factory-workers-banned-speaking-mother-tongue-isolates-english#" id="itxthook2" rel="nofollow"><span id="itxthook2w" class="" style="font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;text-decoration:underline!important;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-style:none none solid;border-color:transparent transparent rgb(0,204,0);padding:0px 0px 1px!important;color:rgb(0,153,0);background-color:transparent">employer</span></a> although English is obviously the common language. </p><p class=""><img src="http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/590x/secondary/workers-581873.jpg" alt="Factory workers" title="Factory workers"><span class="">GETTY</span></p><span class="">Bosses say the policy was introduced to 'create harmony'</span><p>“In
the past we have had situations where individuals have felt isolated
and intimidated when working alongside colleagues with different ethnic
backgrounds who are speaking in their mother tongue.</p><p>"In order for the workforce to feel comfortable at work we ask that during working times everyone speaks English.</p><p>"This would not be considered a disciplinary issue but is simply a means to create harmony at work."</p><p><a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/685569/polish-factory-workers-banned-speaking-mother-tongue-isolates-english">http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/685569/polish-factory-workers-banned-speaking-mother-tongue-isolates-english</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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