The modern workplace

[Scary Bear]

I saw this report on Channel 4 News the other night. Most of the other reports about dreadful working conditions have washed over me, but for some reason this one shocked me. It's probably down to there being video evidence of what people have to put up with.

https://www.channel4.com/news/prison-conditions-at-jd-sports-undercover-investigation

This comes in a long line of shite stories about the modern workplace. Not just these distribution centres like JD Sports, Sports Direct and Amazon, but call centres, NHS, prison service, train operators, care homes, zero hour contracts, etc. etc. We should probably start to record these for discussion and posterity.

I noticed on the Birmingham Prison Riot thread the usual discussions about private v public sector, with the usual stuff, such as 'if you don't like it, leave' versus the 'it's a vocation rather than a job and it burns you out' argument.

Anyway, my personnal view is that if you let the likes of JD Sports away with this, the gig is fucked. I have a similar view to the government with regards to the Prison Service, NHS, railways, etc. No surprise that all this stuff is happening under a Tory government.

Anyway, what is your take on moden working life?

 

 

 

[54_and_counting]

its unreal how, even faced with damning evidence, that the higher ups in these companies still say they dont break any rules etc

ashley right got ripped for SD's shambolic worker treatment, and partly thats due to him being the face of them, he was an easy target to haul in front of cameras and committees, bet the head honchos of JD never appear before a commons committee or whatever

[Benjamin_Nevis]

We seem to be slowly creating modernised versions of Victorian workhouses. 

I hope a disgruntled member of staff takes a boxcutter to that fat supervisor's puss. "I've fired people for sitting down". What a c**t. 

[Scary Bear]

Unfortunately we're probably stuck with all this shite for the foreseeable. You would need to get the Tories out and some form of competent government in who were capable and willing to sort things out. Not sure who that would be.

[DI Bruce Robertson]

I see nothing wrong with having shitty conditions for shitty workers.
If you want a PA who will bring you a cuppa every half hour & will most likely suck you off in the toilets at the Christmas night out - stick in at school and become a solicitor or at least senior management!
The "race to the bottom" is perpetuated by those who are actually participating by being uneducated lazy people, it's not the employers fault that these types are incapable of getting anything more than a zero hour, minimum wage contract. In fact, all these workers are lucky to have a job at all.
To top it all, the hard working tax payer is likely subsidising these lazy sods by way of tax credits!

Insulted - Tunbridge Wells

[NotThePars]

1 hour ago, 54_and_counting said:

its unreal how, even faced with damning evidence, that the higher ups in these companies still say they dont break any rules etc

ashley right got ripped for SD's shambolic worker treatment, and partly thats due to him being the face of them, he was an easy target to haul in front of cameras and committees, bet the head honchos of JD never appear before a commons committee or whatever

 

There was a lot of vested interest in having Mike Ashley take most of the heat for shitty working conditions and presenting it as an abberation rather than the norm.

[Mark Connolly]

1 hour ago, DI Bruce Robertson said:

I see nothing wrong with having shitty conditions for shitty workers.
If you want a PA who will bring you a cuppa every half hour & will most likely suck you off in the toilets at the Christmas night out - stick in at school and become a solicitor or at least senior management!
The "race to the bottom" is perpetuated by those who are actually participating by being uneducated lazy people, it's not the employers fault that these types are incapable of getting anything more than a zero hour, minimum wage contract. In fact, all these workers are lucky to have a job at all.
To top it all, the hard working tax payer is likely subsidising these lazy sods by way of tax credits!

Insulted - Tunbridge Wells

Is it bad that I actually agree with some of this? 

[Scary Bear]

Is it bad that I actually agree with some of this? 

Yes.

[Mark Connolly]

1 minute ago, Scary Bear said:

 

Yes.

 

Good.

[Hillonearth]

Whilst it's probably safe to say in the 1970s the unions held too much power and were ultimately counterproductive, the ideologically-inspired dismantling of workers' rights that began in the Thatcher years has now gone too far in the opposite direction, with employers being given almost completely free rein to shaft their workforce. It's a nice idea that enlightened employers would treat their staff well without being legally obliged to or with the threat of withdrawal of labour hanging over them, but not one too often borne out IRL.

It's got to be said that throughout the period since the economy tanked the Tories along with heir pals on the likes of the Daily Heil etc. have played an absolute blinder on the divide-and-rule front, setting private v. public sectors and so on to the point where rather than seeing something - pensions for example - as something to aspire to in your own T&Cs, many just want the "other side" to have as shitty a deal as they have. That's the race to the bottom.

[DI Bruce Robertson]

Whilst it's probably safe to say in the 1970s the unions held too much power and were ultimately counterproductive, the ideologically-inspired dismantling of workers' rights that began in the Thatcher years has now gone too far in the opposite direction, with employers being given almost completely free rein to shaft their workforce. It's a nice idea that enlightened employers would treat their staff well without being legally obliged to or with the threat of withdrawal of labour hanging over them, but not one too often borne out IRL.
It's got to be said that throughout the period since the economy tanked the Tories along with heir pals on the likes of the Daily Heil etc. have played an absolute blinder on the divide-and-rule front, setting private v. public sectors and so on to the point where rather than seeing something - pensions for example - as something to aspire to in your own T&Cs, many just want the "other side" to have as shitty a deal as they have. That's the race to the bottom.

It's all money, as long as the top are making themselves richer (public & private) they couldn't give a shit.
In the private sector, the BOD have to answer to shareholders or investors to justify a reduction in dividend therefore, they'll cut bottom line expenses such as wages & pensions.
Around 20 years ago, the only job my father could find was within the Health Service, as chief accountant within a major Health Trust, within 3 months of his employment he quit, this was despite his salary being around double to the closest offer from the private sector.
His reason for quitting was " I'm not going to help the leader of the Trust get a massive bonus, whilst people are stranded in corridors in agony"
This is far from a new phenomenon.

[invergowrie arab]

3 hours ago, Duff Man said:

Sports Direct got boycotted a while ago 

There's a surprise.

[Gaz FFC]

3 hours ago, DI Bruce Robertson said:

I see nothing wrong with having shitty conditions for shitty workers.
If you want a PA who will bring you a cuppa every half hour & will most likely suck you off in the toilets at the Christmas night out - stick in at school and become a solicitor or at least senior management!
The "race to the bottom" is perpetuated by those who are actually participating by being uneducated lazy people, it's not the employers fault that these types are incapable of getting anything more than a zero hour, minimum wage contract. In fact, all these workers are lucky to have a job at all.
To top it all, the hard working tax payer is likely subsidising these lazy sods by way of tax credits!

Insulted - Tunbridge Wells

Are you seriously saying if people aren't academic and didn't do well at school they should expect to get treated like shite?

 

[DI Bruce Robertson]

Are you seriously saying if people aren't academic and didn't do well at school they should expect to get treated like shite?
 

Ffs Gaz, my use of the word cuppa, and signing off as Insulted - Tunbridge Wells, may have been a small indicator I was being satirical?
Unless of course, you are one of these uneducated arseholes?

[Gaz FFC]

Just now, DI Bruce Robertson said:

Ffs Gaz, my use of the word cuppa, and signing off as Insulted - Tunbridge Wells, may have been a small indicator I was being satirical?
Unless of course, you are one of these uneducated arseholes?

To be fair on my part I was quickly scouring your post whilst trying to eat my dinner and keep my dog off my lap.

Having read it back properly I wish to retract my post.

[Gaz FFC]

43 minutes ago, DI Bruce Robertson said:

It's all money, as long as the top are making themselves richer (public & private) they couldn't give a shit.
In the private sector, the BOD have to answer to shareholders or investors to justify a reduction in dividend therefore, they'll cut bottom line expenses such as wages & pensions.
Around 20 years ago, the only job my father could find was within the Health Service, as chief accountant within a major Health Trust, within 3 months of his employment he quit, this was despite his salary being around double to the closest offer from the private sector.
His reason for quitting was " I'm not going to help the leader of the Trust get a massive bonus, whilst people are stranded in corridors in agony"
This is far from a new phenomenon.

I find the way humans at the top of the tree treat people at the bottom as very inhumane.

Why anyone would like to see others suffer really makes me question the way these people were brought up and operate.

[DI Bruce Robertson]

To be fair on my part I was quickly scouring your post whilst trying to eat my dinner and keep my dog off my lap.
Having read it back properly I wish to retract my post.

Is ur dawg a Staffie? Lolz, shared Brsden.

[Gaz FFC]

1 minute ago, DI Bruce Robertson said:

Is ur dawg a Staffie? Lolz, shared Brsden.

A beautiful and very old collie cross who thinks if I eat something that I will want to share it

[DI Bruce Robertson]

A beautiful and very old collie cross who thinks if I eat something that I will want to share it

Your dog obviously subscripts to, and has adopted true Marxist values! More power to the Collies!

[GingerSaint]

That video doesn't show anything near the workplace conditions you expect before watching it. The report is moaning that workers have productivity targets,, have to clock in and out, aren't allowed to wear whatever they feel like, aren't allowed to eat chocolate and are being searched in case of theft. That's pretty standard. I'm sure there are a few arseholes working as Supervisors but "prison conditions" - behave yourself. Zero hour contracts are obviously disgraceful but get a better fucking job if you're not happy.