Thanks Sancho, there's a new perspective for me. Those old folks are exploited by seasonal employers but are very relieved to be exploited. I don't know. I keep remembering a sentence from the Guardian piece - about having the luck to fall on the right side of a very thin line. I've never been in desperate straights, I may have a strong "work ethic"- but I know its down to luck in the end.
ps. I downloaded a book from Google Play last night - another multi-national corporation.