Mr Tickle Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Just heard about this, apparantly in Slough, seems to be everyday now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban_hymn Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Just heard about this, apparantly in Slough, seems to be everyday now.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> These jobs are going to eastern europe aren't they? No more Mars bars for me anymore. How about boycotting the products of people who export British jobs Dyson, Mars etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjamin Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Add Aviva/ RAC to that list of job-exporting firms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schadenfreude Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 These jobs are going to eastern europe aren't they?No more Mars bars for me anymore. How about boycotting the products of people who export British jobs Dyson, Mars etc.? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I suppose you would be happy if the Japanese stopped exporting car manufacturing jobs to Britain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkG Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 How about boycotting the products of people who export British jobs Dyson, Mars etc.? Sure, if you don't mind paying twice as much for competing products assembled in Britain from foreign components. The simple fact is that most unskilled and low-skilled workers in Britain are hugely over-priced compared to the competition abroad: there's no way a typical British company can compete hiring British workers. Unless you have skills that can't be bought for $5 an hour in China or India, or absolutely must have a person on the spot to perform the job (and there are far fewer of those jobs than people imagine), your job will be outsourced before long. The odd thing is that some people still think that house prices will go up when we're all on the dole or making minimum wage at Starbucks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 It’s not just the jobs going to India but it’s all the number of immigrants allowed in to undermine our wages that’s doing the damage, we are not even on a level playing field with em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 I used to enjoy a Mars bar every now and then... and then they stopped selling normal sized ones and starting selling these ENORMOUS ones that made my stomach churn just looking at them... so I stopped buying them and can't have eaten a Mars now in several years... I wonder if their own greed has resulted in their own demise... On a slightly sdifferent note, several years ago I got a telephone interview for an IT contract at Mars in Slough. It, along with one for M&S, was the biggest rip-off ever as it quickly became clear that the people on the other end of the telephone were not only completely arrogant but that they were in fact using the 'interview' as a way to gather info and knowledge on how to address a particular IT problem they had. I sure hope those IT people lose their jobs this week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkG Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 It’s not just the jobs going to India but it’s all the number of immigrants allowed in to undermine our wages that’s doing the damage Yep. The destruction of the British economy by NuLab would be funny, if it wasn't going to result in so many people living on dog food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustYield Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Yep. The destruction of the British economy by NuLab would be funny, if it wasn't going to result in so many people living on dog food.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, Mars (Pedigree) would benefit from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Southern Seller Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 On a slightly sdifferent note, several years ago I got a telephone interview for an IT contract at Mars in Slough. It, along with one for M&S, was the biggest rip-off ever as it quickly became clear that the people on the other end of the telephone were not only completely arrogant but that they were in fact using the 'interview' as a way to gather info and knowledge on how to address a particular IT problem they had.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> I too had an interview with them a few years ago and the guy was as arrogant as hell. They told me I was to be interviewed for most of the day and when I got there it turned out it was for 45 mins. He even said "you came a long way for 45 mins" Tw@t! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban_hymn Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Sure, if you don't mind paying twice as much for competing products assembled in Britain from foreign components.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> I hear what you're saying but it's a fact that the British "High Street" is nothing more than a showcase for foreign made goods these days. If we boycott stuff made by foreigners who will get hurt over here? Will the overall nett effect be beneficial or harmful? Discuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorn Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 It’s not just the jobs going to India but it’s all the number of immigrants allowed in to undermine our wages that’s doing the damage, we are not even on a level playing field with em.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Unemployment went from 5.0% in Q4 2003 to 4.7% in Q4 2004 (as defined by the ILO, not the UK government; the claimant count was at 2.6%, down from 2.9% the previous year). Average earnings December 2003 to December 2004 increased by 4.3%, a real increase of 0.8% (or 1.8% if one looks at underlying inflation rather than the headline rate, or 2.7% if one uses the CPI, which are arguably more representative of real inflation). I have to say, the government is not doing a very good job of outsourcing jobs to India and undermining wages at home. They'll have to try much harder. Does no one here know how to use www.nationalstatistics.gov.uk, preferably before making wild, unsupported and incorrect claims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkG Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Sorry, but I trust any unemployment figures about as far as I can throw a family of chavs who are scrounging on disability benefit. We know vast numbers of jobs have been outsourced, and lots of remaining low-paying jobs given to illegal immigrants: where are all these _new_ jobs coming from to replace them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban_hymn Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 I can state from first hand experience that foreign workers in Britain are depressing wage rates. The company I work for is making ever increasing use of Polish carpenters at £10.50 per hour from an agency. We are using about 50 at the moment. UK carpenters cost about £14.50 per hour for a good one. My boss could use British guys but if he can save money he will not hesistate to employ foreign labour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorn Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Sorry, but I trust any unemployment figures about as far as I can throw a family of chavs who are scrounding on disability benefit. We know vast numbers of jobs have been outsourced, and lots of remaining low-paying jobs given to illegal immigrants: where are all these _new_ jobs coming from to replace them?<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Tiny numbers of jobs have been outsourced -- a few hundred thousand at most, out of a total of 28 million jobs, let's just say it's 1% of all jobs and be done with it. New jobs are being created all the time thanks to robust economic growth and extra spending on public services. My own employer has added about 50 full-time, permanent jobs in the past year. But it's in the nature of things that you get many fewer big tranches of new jobs being created at once, and so the headlines about 500 jobs going here and 600 being outsourced there aren't counter-balanced by corresponding headlines about job creation. It's yet another illustration that anecdotal evidence is worthless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AteMoose Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 i know a bloke who works for Nestle Roundtrees and he told me an interesting fact. Apparently Nestle make and sell Marsbars that look exactly like marsbars in russia because of lax copyright laws! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorn Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 I can state from first hand experience that foreign workers in Britain are depressing wage rates.The company I work for is making ever increasing use of Polish carpenters at £10.50 per hour from an agency. We are using about 50 at the moment. UK carpenters cost about £14.50 per hour for a good one. My boss could use British guys but if he can save money he will not hesistate to employ foreign labour. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> If UK carpenters still cost you £14.50 per hour, then their wage rates aren't being depressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustYield Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 If UK carpenters still cost you £14.50 per hour, then their wage rates aren't being depressed.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Run that by us again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorn Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Run that by us again... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You say that UK carpenters cost you £14.50 per hour, so you're using cheaper Polish carpenters instead. But if the UK carpenters are still charging you £14.50 per hour, then their wage rate hasn't been depressed -- it's gone from £14.50 per hour to £14.50 per hour, a change of 0%. Maybe they're working fewer hours, maybe they're working for someone else instead, but the only evidence you have is that their rates haven't changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkG Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 New jobs are being created all the time thanks to robust economic growth What robust economic growth? and extra spending on public services. Ah, so it's mostly worthless government jobs and contracts for Tony's cronies. There's a big future as a 'diversity counsellor' in an economic depression, I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorn Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 What robust economic growth?<{POST_SNAPBACK}> 2.9% GDP growth from Q4 2003 to Q4 2004, one of the best rates of any G7 country. That robust economic growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustYield Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 2.9% GDP growth from Q4 2003 to Q4 2004, one of the best rates of any G7 country. That robust economic growth.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Is it sustainable in your view? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmy Manson Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 2.9% GDP growth from Q4 2003 to Q4 2004, one of the best rates of any G7 country. That robust economic growth.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Funded by a doubling in public sector spending. Growth in the UK economy & wage rates has been funded by a massive and unsustainable ramping in public sector spending. This is what is creating a bizzare economy where the private sector is, if anything in recession, but the public sector is booming, thus distorting the figures. Zorn you have to be far more careful in simply accepting stats at face value and ignoring the way they are calculated, I would have thought a hpc reader/ contributor would know this more than most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockdoctor Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 My mate (top first from Oxford, plus Oxford PhD) applied to Mars. They interviewed him and sounded very enthusiastic, then interviewed him again and were even more enthusiastic. Then he didn't hear for a while and rang to tell them about several other job offers he was considering and would they hurry up and decide. Next Mars invited him for a very stressful all-day assessment, with other candidates all under constant observation. At the end of the day they told him he'd done really well and they would definitely get back in contact soon. A couple of weeks went by.... You guessed it. He had been working for another firm for a week or so when Mars finally decided they would..... like to interview him again. It's a wonder they have any employees to lay off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorn Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Funded by a doubling in public sector spending. Growth in the UK economy & wage rates has been funded by a massive and unsustainable ramping in public sector spending. This is what is creating a bizzare economy where the private sector is, if anything in recession, but the public sector is booming, thus distorting the figures. Zorn you have to be far more careful in simply accepting stats at face value and ignoring the way they are calculated, I would have thought a hpc reader/ contributor would know this more than most. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You can't ramp GDP just by increasing government spending, because the amount you take out of the economy to finance it is then not available for spending in the private sector. You can ramp it by increasing government borrowing, but UK goverment borrowing remains prudent, and low by international standards -- if Gordon Brown misses his "golden rule", it will only be by a whisker. Everyone here follows the Bank of England interest rate announcements. Don't you read their reports? Private sector growth of 3.0% from Q4 2003 to Q4 2004, look at chart 3-4 in the BoE inflation report for February 2005. The economy is robust. The private sector is doing well overall. Manufacturing is not doing so well, as part of a shift of low-wage manufacturing jobs out of the UK, being replaced by better-paid and more pleasant service jobs. If you deny any of this, give me some reputable figures to back you up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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