This might sound a bit Daily Mail, but my Latvian colleague insists it is true.

[Ashberto]

She works for a subcontractor and manages a team of cleaners on the site where I work. She speaks excellent English, after the few years she has been here, and found England a very welcoming country for someone trying to settle in and build a new life. One of her Spanish cleaners, though, has been here for 14 years and doesn’t speak any English – beyond some basic vocab like ‘mop’ and ‘hoover’. She says that under law, he doesn’t have to speak any English and it is her responsibility as his manager to communicate with him. So basically she has to learn Spanish, because this extremely fat and lazy arsebucket refuses to learn/speak English, which is quite convenient as he never has to do anything that is asked of him (and might explain why I’m always seeing him sitting down in the kitchen). Apparently he was given the job years ago because he knew someone here blah blah, which was clearly a mistake, as once someone is employed they seemingly cannot be expected to speak any English and to expect them to do so is discrimination, or something.

I didn’t know about this law, but perhaps it explains why so many of the staff at the Grove have no idea what a pint of bitter is.

Anyway, Hillary or Peter or someone else to jump in feet first in 5…4…3… but I’m only relaying the story as told my by immigrant colleague.

None of my best friends are Spanish.

[Classic Jorge]

Surely two or three spurious accusations of stuff going missing would do away with the stereotype-conforming lazy dago

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

instructions would be construed as making you unable to perform your duties. Indeed, in the current climate, is there not a Health and Safety issue? What if there's a fire, is the alarm in Spanish?

[Nicosia Gooner]

the thousands in Cyprus who have been there, some over 30 years yet can't speak any Greek at all.

This is reality Ash, it really is

[Berni]

However, if all you speak is gobbledygook, it's up to you to savvy the lingo chop chop quick smart and it's an outrage if you don't.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

the piper etc

[Classic Jorge]

[Classic Jorge]

rude imo

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Berni]

Piece of p*ss, this speaking foreign thing.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Not in a good way.

[Nicosia Gooner]

they expect the locals to speak English

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Mo Britain less Europe]

[Berni]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Mo Britain less Europe]

[Chief Arrowhead]

Isn't Greek a dead language?

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Mo Britain less Europe]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Classic Jorge]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Chief Arrowhead]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Ashberto]

['Neg]

[Ashberto]

[Ashberto]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Chief Arrowhead]

You just HAVE to have a different word for everything!

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Ashberto]

Do you think she's lying?

[Luis Anaconda]

In my defence they shouldn't be so keen to speak English to me

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Classic Jorge]

[Peter]

What of it?