DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
26 February 2010
23:1541444Good blog there Bob, glad it wasn't in newspeak.
It's a hard one this and I watched the program the other night but have to say I found the whole thing contrived. I could see the outcome 5 minutes in. This very real problem is created just as much by the 'overclass' as it is by the 'underclass' (as Winston calls it). The whole notion of 'our jobs' doesn't really exist and if people are prepared to fill those positions sobeit. I find it amusing that we can vilify people for not contributing to our system, yet commend those that exploit all of these people (indigenous and migrant) and proportionally contribute less.
It was interesting that the program focused around the produce/packing of british variety food and not around, for instance, the manufacturing of clothes. Something that people interested in making money have 'out-sourced' to 'foreigners' for years. Ironically the staple source of our ephemral clothing (produced by people on less money than those on benefits in this country) and now worn by this 'underclass' is the very concept that perpetuates their abilty to live so efficiently.
You could make an argument that in the pursuit of making things cheaper to increase profit, the very people that moan about this situation are the very same that have created it. By no means am I saying that the people in this TV program were not lazy, because most were!
'Winston' writes a blog about benefit fraud, something that costs the UK taxpayer around £900 million each year, a shocking amount of money. Now although this upsets me greatly, I have more of an issue with the £18.5 billion of offshore tax evasion, avoidance and tax scams carried out by those who clearly don't have to buy their clothes in Tesco.
26 February 2010
23:2641445Good Blog, but it made my blood boil in all the wrong ways. It matters that we ask people using the services what works for them - that doesn't mean giving them exactly what they ask for: they could say that having an iPod and tutu would help, that doesn't mean we provide them. No - it means properly consulting, not consulting inthe same way as LAs do about housing and local improveemnts, when the deal is done and they want us to rubber stamp it because we havebeen hoodwinked and flattered into it. Consulting in a measured and open way, measuring what has worked for people and what may work again. Those proper consults actually work, not for target-achievement, but for being useful to people. Addiction is hard to move away from, andevery person trying needs support. Not hand-outs, not bribes, support. Ask the fella who started the Big Issue, he knows!!
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
28 February 2010
22:4041650While agreeing with DT1 on the tax evaders, not to mention the 'bonus' culture, I also agree with the problems of indigenous 'workers' I was once working as a 'support tutor' in the local Jobclub where I was on hand to assist with CV's and letters etc. while papers, phones, computers and stamps were laid on to help people look for work. We used to run every morning from 9 til 12 and people unemployed for 6 months or more were sent along to at least get their CV's sorted. One day as I was leaving at about 1 pm I was greeted by a young lad, who had three or four of his mates hanging around outside the door, demanding to know why we didn't stay open in the afternoons because he "didn't like getting up early".
Another part of the problem is companies insistance, and official pressure towards the same, of only employing youngsters. At one of the last interviews I went to I was surprised to find that I was the only one sporting a shirt and tie. The interview itself, for a panel of three, seemed to go well but as I left one of the interviewers followed me out, congratulated me on a good interview ans said that left up to him I would have the job but 'company policy' was to only take school-leavers so I should keep looking. A study a few years ago on the length of time people stayed in a job showed that those under 35 averaged 18 months while those over averaged 5-6 years.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,036
Like Chris above, I went for an interview with best suit and tie on for a job that was only going to last for three months. It was in September and I thought that I would give it a go as it would take me up to Christmas. There was a panel of three and you would have thought that they were going to pay me £50,000 grand a year instead of £4.00 per hour. This was in 1994 when I was 60 years of age, I was an ex. seaman and Channel Tunnel worker and the job was in warehousing, something I had never done before.
I thought that I had no chance owing to my age but I got the job and instead of lasting three months I was there for over three years and it nearly took me up to retirement age. I took a drop in wages but I was working office hours 9 till 5 and after having worked watches and shift work, days and nights and weekends for 44 years it was a piece of p..s
. I even got to learn to use a computer
Nice one Alec! It is outrageous when people are passed over for their age, whichever end of the market it is.
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
Good to see you today Alec, also an interesting story there, ageism is rife, having personally experienced it myself.
I once interviewed a guy, aged 60, for an IT Shift Leader job at a well known local ferry company. He had the right experience and qualifications, met all our job criteria and would have been a trememndous mentoring asset for the young shift teams.
Having given my recommendation to employ him to the HR Department I was summoned to be told that on no count would we be hiring anyone of that age. Their view was he just wanted to get a chunk of our pension fund. Despite an appeal, supported by the IT Director, the HR decision held fast.
I am delighted there is legislation against this sort of behaviour now, but genuinely feel it is ignored or just given lip service by those at the sharp end of recruitment. It would be a good start to changing attitudes if just asking the date of birth question were banned!
At the J D Edwards campus in Denver there is a large concrete plaque in the staff gardens (yep, you read it right) with a message from Mr Edwards, the company founder. It bears the inscription "Remember, grey hair is good when dealing with large complex systems". It was nice to see at least one company owner appreciated experience over a piece of paper.