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The workers aren't loving it! Staff at Mc Donald's vote to strike for better pay and conditions.

UnderAnOpenSky said:
They won't as £10 would put their workers on more money then many people doing more "skilled" jobs. On a 40 hour week it be a bit over 20k. Whilst I agree everyone should be getting at least that, it's isn't going to happen.
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There is also the fact that people on McDonald's wage rates don't have the resources to hold a strike going for long.

In my days as a PCS rep, something I did for five years or so, It was very difficult getting the members out for a one day strike, many refused om the grounds that they couldn't afford it, the wage loss was circa £60.00. No amount of exhortation that it was money well spent would make them change their minds.

My hourly rate is £9.18 (was, really). This for doing a highly skilled job.
 
ska invita said:
Whilst "not quite losing money yet"? Are they on the breadline? You sound concerned.
Do you know how much money McDonalds makes a year?
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A fortune, but revenues are dropping. Do I care? Only in as much as if the company fails, they are a lot of people out of work.

Should have made it more clear that I don't think that a company with falling revenues is going to give in to a £10.00 an hour basic rate. Cunts are cunts.
 
Sasaferrato said:
There is also the fact that people on McDonald's wage rates don't have the resources to hold a strike going for long.

In my days as a PCS rep, something I did for five years or so, It was very difficult getting the members out for a one day strike, many refused om the grounds that they couldn't afford it, the wage loss was circa £60.00. No amount of exhortation that it was money well spent would make them change their minds.

My hourly rate is £9.18 (was, really). This for doing a highly skilled job.
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Yeah, I didn't want to make it about how much they make compared to me, but I don't earn a tenner an hour and have quite a broad skill set.
 
UnderAnOpenSky said:
Yeah, I didn't want to make it about how much they make compared to me, but I don't earn a tenner an hour and have quite a broad skill set.
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I was extracting sums of up to £250,000.00 from unwilling punters. Debt management for HMRC. I could set time to pay to £250k on my own, £500k with a nod from my manager.
 
Sasaferrato said:
A fortune, but revenues are dropping. Do I care? Only in as much as if the company fails, they are a lot of people out of work.

Should have made it more clear that I don't think that a company with falling revenues is going to give in to a £10.00 an hour basic rate. Cunts are cunts.
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nope: McDonald's shares surge as strong restaurant sales show turnaround is working
sales fell in 2015/16 but they have been rising again since then. Profits are $$$$$$$$$$$ obviously. near $6bn globally in revenues although I can't find the profit figure quickly.

It's always been my opinion that a business that cannot pay its workers a living wage should fail. Why on earth do we accept people working full time not being paid enough for a decent (material) life? That's a fucking scandal imo and jobs that don't pay enough to live on should not exist.
 
BigTom said:
nope: McDonald's shares surge as strong restaurant sales show turnaround is working
sales fell in 2015/16 but they have been rising again since then. Profits are $$$$$$$$$$$ obviously. near $6bn globally in revenues although I can't find the profit figure quickly.

It's always been my opinion that a business that cannot pay its workers a living wage should fail. Why on earth do we accept people working full time not being paid enough for a decent (material) life? That's a fucking scandal imo and jobs that don't pay enough to live on should not exist.
Click to expand...

The brutal reality is that people doing low skill jobs will be paid the minimum that is legally possible. If they complain, they are easily replaced.

I'm trying to get over to my grandson that he needs to pass his exams, because otherwise, life is not going to be good. The next step is to try and get him to do something at university which leads to employment. There are too many graduates working in low skill jobs, because their degree is not considered relevant by employers.

What we would like is one thing, reality is another.
 
Sasaferrato said:
The brutal reality is that people doing low skill jobs will be paid the minimum that is legally possible. If they complain, they are easily replaced.

I'm trying to get over to my grandson that he needs to pass his exams, because otherwise, life is not going to be good. The next step is to try and get him to do something at university which leads to employment. There are too many graduates working in low skill jobs, because their degree is not considered relevant by employers.

What we would like is one thing, reality is another.
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aye, and the legal minimum should be a proper living wage, which in London, is going to be at least £10/hr I should think. It's also why we need unions and unionisation so that it's not one person they would need to replace, it's everyone and that's not so easy to do.
We could make this reality, but too many people accept the idea that companies that can't afford to pay people enough to live on should be allowed to pay less than that because they'll go out of business otherwise, and attack workers who are making efforts to increase their wages.
 
The "I don't get £10 an hour" argument is a dumb one, if people think they're worth more pay than people working in McShit's they should be organising and agitating for more for themselves. It's like the people who moan about public sector pensions. they should be demanding the same not begrudging others.
I wish the strikers all the best good on them, I don't think they'll get anything though, if it's only 2 restaurants (not really the right word) I suspect McShit's will just close the offending places down.
 
BemusedbyLife said:
The "I don't get £10 an hour" argument is a dumb one, if people think they're worth more pay than people working in McShit's they should be organising and agitating for more for themselves. It's like the people who moan about public sector pensions. they should be demanding the same not begrudging others.
I wish the strikers all the best good on them, I don't think they'll get anything though, if it's only 2 restaurants (not really the right word) I suspect McShit's will just close the offending places down.
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I tried, God knows I tried. When people only see the short term loss of wages, rather than the benefit over the coming years, it is inordinately difficult to get them to strike.
 
BigTom said:
nope: McDonald's shares surge as strong restaurant sales show turnaround is working
sales fell in 2015/16 but they have been rising again since then. Profits are $$$$$$$$$$$ obviously. near $6bn globally in revenues although I can't find the profit figure quickly.

It's always been my opinion that a business that cannot pay its workers a living wage should fail. Why on earth do we accept people working full time not being paid enough for a decent (material) life? That's a fucking scandal imo and jobs that don't pay enough to live on should not exist.
Click to expand...

I agree, a crap business should fail, including Mac's. People don't have to use these crap business's, they do have a choice, there are alternatives. All the time people support them, they will survive. Simple fact of life, some people are ignorant, some don't care, some choose not to care. :(
 
hash tag said:
I agree, a crap business should fail, including Mac's. People don't have to use these crap business's, they do have a choice, there are alternatives. All the time people support them, they will survive. Simple fact of life, some people are ignorant, some don't care, some choose not to care. :(
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A crap business should fail? The barometer of success being the profit the owners screw out of the workers. So workers who allow themselves to be fucked over worst should get fired sharpish. Maybe make a competition of it. Call it capitalism.
 
hash tag said:
I agree, a crap business should fail, including Mac's. People don't have to use these crap business's, they do have a choice, there are alternatives. All the time people support them, they will survive. Simple fact of life, some people are ignorant, some don't care, some choose not to care. :(
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You like this nasty neo-liberal drivel stupid cunt?
 
butchersapron said:
You like this nasty neo-liberal drivel stupid cunt?
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I didn't read his post in the way you did, he doesn't mean crap in that sense, not from the business pov. The last bit is kind of sneery and the failure of consumer activism is that capitalism replaces one company with another one the same but small victories can be achieved through it when used alongside other tactics.
 
BemusedbyLife said:
The "I don't get £10 an hour" argument is a dumb one, if people think they're worth more pay than people working in McShit's they should be organising and agitating for more for themselves. It's like the people who moan about public sector pensions. they should be demanding the same not begrudging others.
I wish the strikers all the best good on them, I don't think they'll get anything though, if it's only 2 restaurants (not really the right word) I suspect McShit's will just close the offending places down.
Click to expand...

It's why I said I was hesitant to mention it, not because they don't deserve it, just as it seems very unlikely it will be achieved given how many other people are also on sub 10.

The cynic in me says thinks that if we do achieve it for everyone, all that will happen is a loaf of bread will become £2 and so on, the rich will get more and nothing will really change.
 
Oh fuck off Sasaferrato - you will be harping on about bootstraps next. Do you honestly think a bit of hard work and application makes everything alright. All my children have done the right thing - one has been in education for almost 7 years and still works like a maniac for £30,000 a year, stressed to high heaven, as a social worker...or did until complete despair made her leave and take a £10,000 pay loss. The others earn far less, despite having a far better work ethic than myself, paying for their own training - one is a gardener, the other a welder...who earns less than £9 in insanely expensive Cambridge. Do you think they are idle slackers? Oh...and to get these 'skills, how much do you think that costs. Open your eyes man. Do you think everyone has the option to strike? That unions have no teeth in many sections of work. That sacking is not inevitable. Oh...and the sneery 'low skilled shit - time and effort amounts to the same. Working and yet being unable to support yourself, or keep a roof over your head - this is an abomination...so shareholders, landlords, employers (parasitical fucks) get wealthy. This is not some sort of simple minded work hard and all will be well, you arse.

And when grandson does all the right things...then finds himself in huge debt, unable to afford rent, with many jobs going to the wall...will it be his fault? Who's?

This low skill/worthless narrative has to stop - there are basic minimum human requirements. Employment needs to be a fair sustainable contract - all else is fluff and aspirational bullshit.
 
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Sasaferrato said:
The brutal reality is that people doing low skill jobs will be paid the minimum that is legally possible. If they complain, they are easily replaced.

I'm trying to get over to my grandson that he needs to pass his exams, because otherwise, life is not going to be good. The next step is to try and get him to do something at university which leads to employment. There are too many graduates working in low skill jobs, because their degree is not considered relevant by employers.

What we would like is one thing, reality is another.
Click to expand...

You're telling him to pass his exams so he doesn't end up like all those other kids who passed their exams?

Why not tell him the truth. The neoliberals have decimated industry and engineering, privatised everything, deregulated everything else and then turned the housing market into their own private piggy bank. Tell him he's doomed to live in overpriced, substandard housing from which some scumbag will make a tidy profit, tell him he's doomed to a life of soul-eating drudgery from which some scumbag will make a tidy profit. Tell him it won't be long before he can't even see a doctor for free, or send his kids to a functioning state-funded school. Tell him his retirement age goes up two years for every year he lives. Then tell him you voted for all those things.
 
Sasaferrato said:
The brutal reality is that people doing low skill jobs will be paid the minimum that is legally possible. If they complain, they are easily replaced.

I'm trying to get over to my grandson that he needs to pass his exams, because otherwise, life is not going to be good. The next step is to try and get him to do something at university which leads to employment. There are too many graduates working in low skill jobs, because their degree is not considered relevant by employers.

What we would like is one thing, reality is another.
Click to expand...

I currently work with graduates. Even the line managers are on shit pay. They're thousands in debt and so am I, but my debt is by luck of circumstance though, because I no longer struggle to keep a roof over my head. I'll still probably drop dead before I get to live my golden years in pensioner poverty, though. My 'choice' of future medical insurance probably won't adequately cover my cancer treatment or similar.
 
SpookyFrank said:
You're telling him to pass his exams so he doesn't end up like all those other kids who passed their exams?

Why not tell him the truth. The neoliberals have decimated industry and engineering, privatised everything, deregulated everything else and then turned the housing market into their own private piggy bank. Tell him he's doomed to live in overpriced, substandard housing from which some scumbag will make a tidy profit, tell him he's doomed to a life of soul-eating drudgery from which some scumbag will make a tidy profit. Tell him it won't be long before he can't even see a doctor for free, or send his kids to a functioning state-funded school. Tell him his retirement age goes up two years for every year he lives. Then tell him you voted for all those things.
Click to expand...

My nephew is an electrical engineer MSc MA. He graduated, and worked for a company in Bristol. Whe he moved up home again, he had five job offers. His salary at 26 is twice what I've ever earned in a year. Train in something people want. My neighbour has not a Higher to his name, but he is a software and networking expert, also database construction. Self taught, and earning in excess of £50k. If you have an essential skill, in a small cohort, you will never be idle.

Anyway, pit. Night all.
 
campanula said:
Oh fuck off Sasaferrato - you will be harping on about bootstraps next. Do you honestly think a bit of hard work and application makes everything alright. All my children have done the right thing - one has been in education for almost 7 years and still works like a maniac for £30,000 a year, stressed to high heaven, as a social worker...or did until complete despair made her leave and take a £10,000 pay loss. The others earn far less, despite having a far better work ethic than myself, paying for their own training - one is a gardener, the other a welder...who earns less than £9 in insanely expensive Cambridge. Do you think they are idle slackers? Oh...and to get these 'skills, how much do you think that costs. Open your eyes man. Do you think everyone has the option to strike? That unions have no teeth in many sections of work. That sacking is not inevitable. Oh...and the sneery 'low skilled shit - time and effort amounts to the same. Working and yet being unable to support yourself, or keep a roof over your head - this is an abomination...so shareholders, landlords, employers (parasitical fucks) get wealthy. This is not some sort of simple minded work hard and all will be well, you arse.

And when grandson does all the right things...then finds himself in huge debt, unable to afford rent, with many jobs going to the wall...will it be his fault? Who's?

This low skill/worthless narrative has to stop - there are basic minimum human requirements. Employment needs to be a fair sustainable contract - all else is fluff and aspirational bullshit.
Click to expand...
My grandson, should be go to university in Scotland, will have no fees debt, because there are no fees. He will have no other debt because he will be supported by us and his mother. We have been putting money aside for this purpose for a decade.

Your child who chose to be a social worker chose a hard road, and must have been aware of the problems within that profession, they have been there for a decade or more. I also took a substantial pay cut to get out of a high pressure job, best thing I ever did.

I am not being 'sneery' about low skilled jobs, it is a simple fact that pretty much anyone can cook burgers, because of this, wages are never going to be high. Incidentally, it is no fault of mine that your children are struggling. Yes, Cambridge is expensive, but it is the person's choice to live there. Perhaps they are willing to forgo a higher standard of living, in order to stay in a place they really like.

My comments regarding the unwillingness to strike was a comment on my workplace, the HMRC office in which I worked. I would have thought that that would have been obvious to anyone of even moderate intelligence.

Wind your neck in with the 'ad hom', I am not responsible for the appalling level of pay in this country.

Oh, yes, I did get where I am by my own efforts.
 
seventh bullet said:
I currently work with graduates. Even the line managers are on shit pay. They're thousands in debt and so am I, but my debt is by luck of circumstance though, because I no longer struggle to keep a roof over my head. I'll still probably drop dead before I get to live my golden years in pensioner poverty, though. My 'choice' of future medical insurance probably won't adequately cover my cancer treatment or similar.
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To be perfectly honest, if you offered me the chance to be 21again, I wouldn't accept. The world is turning into something I really don't like the look of. Things are changing rapidly, and not for the better. I can't help but feel that my generation has had the best of things.
 
belboid said:
you voted tory for years, so you are responsible. And no one, not one person, gets where they are solely through their own efforts, you relied on a large network of others to get you where you are.
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Really? How extraordinary that you know so much more about me than I do myself.

And no, my voting choice did not ever change anything, except the election of a Labour councillor. I have never voted for a parliamentary candidate who was subsequently elected. Always lived in the wrong constituency.
 
Sass wanted macdonald's to run the education system a few years back - the state one that is, not the sort of boarding school he went to.
 
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