Dear Sirs

I am a British-born Londoner who has some Bulgarian friends whom I like very much, and so because of them I have an interest in, and am well-disposed towards, your beautiful country.

My friend, Emil Iliev is an experienced builder/decorator who came to the UK 2 years ago. Because of our labor restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians he has been obliged to be self-employed until next January, when EU law takes precedence and he will be able to apply for jobs as a direct employee.

In the meantime he has been one of those unfortunate Bulgarians who has been exploited shamefully, this time by a well-known British building company (or more accurately, one of that company's sub-contractors).

I tried repeatedly to obtain justice for Emil and eventually I gave up and contacted the Islington Gazette, which is the local paper for the area in which Emil was working.

Yesterday, finally, his story was published http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/builder_waits_to_be_paid_a_year_after_finishing_archway_job_1_3021362 and I can attest that it is true.

The 'wife', Ani, referred to in the article is his civil partner, who has been here in the UK for 5 years, but the essence of the story is that this company repeatedly and cynically kept over 30 Bulgarians on a string every week up to Christmas and then beyond new year before telling them to go away because they won't be paid.

What the article doesn't say is that the 'subcontractors' who cheated Emil and his co-workers are themselves Bulgarian. So the picture is even uglier because Emil and Ani tell me that Bulgarians here prey on their unfortunate countrymen. And worst of all, Emil has no legal recourse in this matter.

I gave the story to the press (with Emil's and Ani's permission) in the hope that it may embarrass Mulalley and Company into doing the right thing. It's a vain hope but worth trying for.

Yours faithfully

David Garfield

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