Working hours

Before I start I live in Britain but I'm sure its the world over and it has to stop.

It used to be the case that shops opened monday to friday and then saturday mornings, except in towns.

Then the supermarkets wanted all day saturday everywhere so they got their way.

If that wasn't enough one of them flouted the law and started opening sundays (just at christmas mind, we won't do it any other time of year).

Then they opened sundays between 10 and 4 every week.

Now Tescos want to open sundays 24 hours just like every other day.

I heard a journalist say "why not, why shouldn't people shop when they want".

Here is why not!!!!

Leading experts over here say that the problem with the youth today is that they are brought up on tv, convenience food and childminders and the parents should stay home more to look after them.

How can parents stay home with their kids if stores like Tescos demand they work every day of the week.

Kids are generally off school saturdays and sundays and so sundays used to be a day where kids and parents could spend time together. Now parents may get a tuesday and thursday off instead. What use is that?

My mum works at Tescos and it makes you wonder whether Hitler went into hiding and opened a large chain of supermarkets. She does everything they say when they say it or they'll replace her with someone else.

Why can't people squeeze their weekly shop between Monday and Saturday. Why do people need to shop at midnight?

 

I'm in Ireland, and from what I've heard about our local tescoes, it ain't impressive.

They never give the employees a proper timetable, but just change their work hours around each week. Thats just not on like. The fact is they can make money 24hours aday now, society revolves around consumption and material wealth.

 

It's all about money baby, the bottom line. Doesn't matter if it's here in america, Scotland or any other place, companies want to make money and they feed off of each other. We have 24 hour McDonalds, Wal Marts, Gas Stations, Gyms, full service diners, round the clock manufacturing companies..... 8-5 hours are quickly becoming a thing of the past. If there is money to be made then they will do it and find some poor soul to work the graveyard shift, damn their family and well being.

 

I work in retail - The problem doesn't just lie in the working hours, the whole industry is geared to exploit workers - cancelling shifts at late notice, cutting hours due to the incompetency of executives, retrenching valuable staff members without a moment's notice because they need to save money. The bottom line is money - before we can change anything about worker's rights the balance of power has to shift back to the people.

On a different note, I took advantage of every overnight shift I could over the holiday season and made thousands of dollars. The company made less money on those evenings than they could to pay the staff. I made a quick dollar and my company fucked up...24 hour opening hours aren't all bad.

 

Please don't bash the graveyard shift. I can't work days. I'll be sick within two weeks, and I don't know why. I'm nocturnal by nature, which guarantees employment, but screws my social life. My crowd needs that night shift.

 

Thats fine squirrel but Tescos don't offer it in that way.

They do shift patterns whereby you get your shifts on a weekly basis ie monday 9 - 5, tuesday 2 - 10pm, wednesday 5am - 12pm etc etc.

The next week you could get Monday 2 - 10pm, tuesday 9 -5 etc.

There are problems with this.

1. Parents can not work in Tescos easily because they need to pick their kids up at school. its hard enough trying to find people to look after your children whilst you work without having changing shift patterns.

2. You can have no social life whilst working for Tesco. Say you play football on a saturday. You are supposed to train every Thursday night. You can't do it because every other week Tescos make you work that night.

Why can't they have set shifts? Why can't they advertise a job as being from 5am - 12pm (for the people who like being early birds), 9 - 5 (for parents), 2 - 10 for people who like working late and then a night shift. Why? Because then you'd have your life back.

 

Damn them. Damn them all.

 

Yes, goddamn sones of bitches. Damn them to hell

 

I worked in retail a few years back, reading these posts things have changed for the worse. Had the best boss ever at Safeway, knew we had young kids and always obliged fitting in shifts to suit pick up times etc. He practised give and take and so did we, worked an extra shift if he needed us to, but we were never pressured. Seems now part-time jobs have to be treat like a career and big business wants more than its pound of flesh. Glad I'm out of it!

 

The days when employers even considered that employees have a life outside of the job are over. Employee's here in the States unless union have little or no rights. Things were different after WWII, employers offered hours that made sense, and benefits that supported families and working people. People seemed to be important then, now it's all about the bottom line.

 

No offence, but if you have managed to find a job where management actually respects you, then let us know

 

The company I work for now used to take us on holiday twice a year, once in the summer and once in the winter. They used to pay for all our lunches as well (so there was such a thing as a free lunch).

The owner though got a huge offer from .com company when it was all the rage and sold the company for £20 million. (good luck to the guy because he really did treat his workforce well).

The .com became a plc and since then it is all about share value and I can live with that to a certain degree. My job is ok, don't hate it and I'm not treated badly. If I was I'd leave.

 

Oh great reply, so we can all just walk away and pick any old position from the numerous small businesses out there. We don't always have a choice dude

 

its not that simple - we're trying to establish the fact that retail on almost every level, including in small businesses, because of the laws today - is geared to exploit workers. Arguing that the employees can just go away and get rosy jobs (in small towns, what work is there? fruit harvesting?) is taking the focus off the real issue. Thats why im angry.

 

You want proof, OK

Suppose I work for Company. In one day my work causes a $100 increase in Company's value. Company is not going to pay me $100, they're going to keep some of that money for themselves. So, my pay will never match the increase in value that my work causes.

There; "all emplyoment is oppression" is proved.

 

^^^^^
Thanks

Ihatedirtyhippies - With a tendency to start sentences with "You're an idiot" and with an obvious bent towards hippy hating, you're pretty likely to get banned very soon.

Oh by the way, the one simple fact you've failed to consider is that the number of decent jobs compared to the number of people, of which a small percentage are always unemployed, is terribly low. We have to take what we can get. I can try getting a job i love, but that will just boot someone else of getting the same chance.

I have joined a union - They haven't done anything for me and they failed to fenf off overnight working hours. Unions are becoming increasingly powerless.

Ok, so we can all go to university and get a degree and be scientists, teachers, doctors, lawyers and artists? But whos going to make your clothes and stock them on the shelves and sell them to you?

Think friend, THINK

 

Ihatedirty...
Pick whatever word you want. Employees will never be fully paid for the value they create. The proof works in capitalism or communism, small buisness or multi-nationals, just about any circumstances.

 

Yes, life is very rosy for Ihatedirty, but eventually big business will creep into his sleepy town, and people won't be able to look after each other like they used to.

As for all of us moving back small towns, unfortunately I dont have a magical time machine to take me back to a rural existence.

 

Yeah, but it doesn't have to be that way. Maybe we can't do anything about it, but it's still not right.

Humanity should always be a greater priority than money. But as long as money is the bottom line, we all have to fight for ourselves.

 

People now a days work harder and harder and longer for less.