supermarket sweep!!!

we all know about the bankers lining their pockets, and recently a number of 'comfortable wealthy, 'busnessmen' signed a letter backing the Tories to stop the proposed rise in National Insurance contributions if they get into Number 10.

A number of these types operated Supermarket chains. Now the big Supermarkets rightly claim that they are now the biggest employers in the UK.

Good, one might say, but heres the startling truth. Those tens of thousands of supermarket employees are only strictley part time. I had the experience of working at one of these store just before I retired. I applied for one of the posts advertised. I was offered (following 3 selection interviews) 20 hours per week. Fine I thought it will just wind me down to retirement. I was told that I could claim government tax credits that will make my pay upto a 'living wage. OK I thought, if I neededextra income I could apply elsewhere and tak a second job . WRONGE! the Supermarket spilt my 20 hours up to work a differen number of hours on four days, and one had to be a weekend day at normal rate of £5.60 per hour, these hours werent set, meaning one day I might start at 6am til 10-30am, anothor 4pm -8-30pm etc, etc And they wernt set days either, so I could notget an extra job anywhere else. The Supermarket said if I wanted I could work overtime at the same rate in another department. Working 'over' my 20 hours would affect any benefit or tax credit allowance, so you are 'trapped. The Supermarket (Axxx) employed over 300 staff on the same contract and was open 24/7

So you see, these super rich who signed the letter are as bad and as greedy as the bankers and most of their workforce are on benifits paid by the tax-payer!

Oh dear Michael, you really have got it bad haven't you? Lol

Stop for a moment and ask yourself just which Government allowed this all to happen......so that they could fund benefits from tax collected, allow the banks to get too big and eventually shaft us all from which we are all now squirming like never before!

Sorry mate, I'm still going to support the Tory Party (they handed it on a plate to Labour 13 years ago) although my vote at this next Election will go to the United Kingdom  Independence Party (UKIP). I want immigration stopped! Britain is FULL and like car parks when a space become's available you pay to go in!

Ukip, Ron, like many other party's have very few substance policies, rather like a bag of licorice allsorts, some are good the others not so good, depending on your taste.

 watching the main party leader programme on tv last thursday was like watching the x factor, Gordon (susan Boyle ) Brown, not much to look at but worth listening to. and david cameron and nick clegg (John and Edward, 'Jedward'), couple of pretty boys prancinig around making it up as they go.lol You will note that my prediction a couple of months back is right on track, remember, Labour to win with a reduced majoriy, the Lib Dems just 'pipping' the tories into 2nd place and a possibility of a hung parliment? even the press hadnt forecast that. better start cooling that beer Ron lol

Hah, no chance Michael, no chance! Lol

And yes you are right.....UKIP>>>>rather like a bag of licorice allsorts, some are good the others not so good, depending on your taste.

Isn't that what Labour have been for the past 13 years, or Tory, or Lib's which is why we need change. I say bring on UKIP.

Poor old Gordon, he really is on his way Michael make no mistake, best he starts oiling the bicycle wheels!

I understand where your coming from Micheal, I've worked it, and get this..over here if your an "part time" worker where I worked it was impossible to ever get an weekend off...you had to be an full time worker, most pay raises the company gave out were to "new" employees to be cost incentive in wages with other like stores...so you got very little in raises(most were pro-rated by hours you worked also)..plus they were lousy hours... and they really work you over when you get near retirement pension plan time, hoping you'll quit and even at that routinely "go broke" to constantly be re-opening to all new set of employee rules. If you don't make set amount of hours, you mostly likely also have no health insurance or pro-rated insurance...and Obama thinks we should pay for our own health plans?????...with what?????  I admire his stupidity. I hear the "new" Social Securty health plans are only going to pay 40 percent of the highest of costs if you have anything other then preventive care...why don't they pay for "all" of it...these seniors have earned and paid for full coverage...esp if they worked some 30 plus years in their lives.  We are getting an "sham" her in the states on health care. 

My employer "boss" at Boston Market did an cutie also, she said we were getting less hours in order for her to "train" some new employees, (she looked like Sarah Paulin)...anyway she took my hours down to 2 hours per week, and my assistant store manager even more, and he had an family to support...so she could have 60 hours per week, and she took this on, apparently knowing we'd be closed in business within an month...that way she was left sitting at home with an full unemployment check, based on percentage of hours worked previously....while I was suppose to declare an 2 hour week????  Excuse my language, I thought it was one of the crappiest deals ever given to an employee...esp when it was done by "authority" of her as an "boss'.  May she get the same treament some day. Can you not see why the Eastern divison pulled out from the Western division....I can. The eastern division is still "operating"...pretty much like it always has. 

One of the new things going on now is....changing hours on you. After they have been posted. My friend worked for K-mart (well over 20 plus years) was forced into retirement on that alone having been an floor level manager over the cashiers. They simply get in an "new' boss with "new" rules, and her hours which had been set for many years having had "MS"..that she could only be on her feet so many hours. She told me, they kept changing them on me, stating  "new manager"....I knew what they were doing in trying to get me to quit..so I picked thier busiest time and left..took my retirement. Word gets around you know in an town this small. The place hardly has any business these days....it's almost all out of USA merchandise also, which doesn' t help it...it sold out to bigger "Sears" retail stores here some time ago...if they even as yet own it.

I earned at one time more money working along side "Hipsanics" in an "Holly farm" making Christmas weaths for six weeks, 10 hour days, 6 days an week and getting paid cash each night...then I did having my prestige "retail" cashier job.  Why?....back then we had no taxes taken out of our checks until after we made $600. In the meantime I was having the whole gammit taken out of my check at the retail store, but not making the hours per week...but paying tansporation to get there daily....to and from for the little hours....and we had union dues to pay, if we didn' t get in enough hours we had to pay our own health insurance (once again with what?) to keep them valid, they took out an set amount for "United Good Neighbors" organization, and expected us to give our "off work" time to chaitable events the store arranged for to look community concerned with...usully running marathons of some type..I had an small baby back then.  WE were expected if soem other department went out on strike to honor the picket lines. We also had to be"nice" and frely give for the contstant on-going employee "gifts" they collected for or had "parties for...and bought our own clothes to work in which had to be somewhat "presentable" and kept up...at the Holly farm we wore any old clothes we could find. I figures out, working there at the store as such...I had to put in 6 to 9 months of part time work to clear what I did in two months at the Holly Farm. For the most part the retail's BEST jobs were held by friends or relatives of the higher managers. I asked an person, so how you get promoted in this palce, and they looked at me and said...you let the guy ahead of you slip on the old proverbial bannna peel and leave. I laughed, but I realize it was the truth in ways now when I look back on it..prime objective...setting others up to take an "fall"...or "office" politics.

Micheal...do you think this "tainted" beef is an thing to say they got back so much bad beef, so they can claim it as an store loss on thier profits?  Was thinking about that today also. It helps to cover-up for sales when you don' t have your usual customers due to the economy maybe. Henceforth the reported "higher sales" for retail in an month on the economic index are lies.

I Know were your coming from Shirley. The Supermarket Company that I worked at (for 10 months) was taken over by the American Co. Wallmart, however as we have a minimum wage (introduced by the Labour government Ron!) in this country, we were actualy paid an hourly rate higher than the Walmart workers in America.

When we were younger, if you worked in retail you worked a full 40 hour week plus overtime, (and Sunday off!), now ALL major retailers sign their store workers on short hours, this way they can dictate the actual hours their staff work, leaving the benefit system (and taxpayers) to make up their wages. Now if Mr Cameron got into number 10, he will (as promised) cut some benefits. This will result in certain job losses as staff couldnt afford to work the hours the Supermarkets give without government subsidy. Another reason that the tories dont think things through. The wealty businessmen that signed the letter have shot themselves in the foot, however, they dont care because they've already made their money! just like the Bankers.

Next time you visit your local supermarket, dont stand their looking down your nose at the shelf fillers and checkout staff, they are strugging to make a living but at least they are working, you'd be surprised at some of the looks the staff get from customers.

They sent us out letters saying that they were changing our electric meters.. to ones they can read in their offices....wait until they lay off all the meter readers they have working for them. Unemployment "big time" in an area where there's an million plus people like it is here in Portland (Oregon)...I would be really surprised if it rolled back their prices like they do at Walmart. Defineately be an "first" for the utilty company.