Gunstones on strike

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Are they good enough reasons why companies should not pay employees a living wage?

They are some reasons. I've no idea of:

a. the Company's financial state and profitability; nor

b. the market rate for bakery employees and whether supply exceeds demand or vice-versa.

So perhaps you'll enlighten us.

[Wonder Boy]

Great gag, but it would have been a fantastically great gag if you'd said in knead of a rise.

 

brilliant...opportunity missed!

[chem1st]

They are some reasons. I've no idea of:

a. the Company's financial state and profitability; nor

b. the market rate for bakery employees and whether supply exceeds demand or vice-versa.

So perhaps you'll enlighten us.

 

The market rate is whatever the workers demand. There will always be demand for bread. BAFWU are in a position to start the wage increases needed for the country to reduce its debt in relative terms via inflation.

 

Tories should join the workers on the picket line. More wages = less benefits (tax credits). More wages = more tax revenue. Higher wages are good for the UK government.

 

£10 an hour minimum wage required now, whilst rents are frozen. It's time the hardworking people got some of the fruits of their labour.

[logan.m.p]

I,m not surprised about the holding back of pay and other skulduggery if its still run by the cowboy outfit Vision Finance!,they screwed all Fletchers HGV drivers out of their redundancy money a few years back.A fair deal had been arranged by their representative,their reaction was to send him down the road with a payout and it was two fingers to the transport staff!,they are past masters of dodgy dealing!.Fingers crossed for the Gunstone workers they are going to need all the luck going with those shysters!.

 

Its now run by a company called 2 sisters, who are run by an indian family from Birmingham. worth around 200m.

A friend of mine works for another one of their companies in the area and they are having issues at the moment with pay and T&C,s.

They have more or less said that if they don't accept they may close the factory.

Not good.

[mda03cn]

Its now run by a company called 2 sisters, who are run by an indian family from Birmingham. worth around 200m.

A friend of mine works for another one of their companies in the area and they are having issues at the moment with pay and T&C,s.

They have more or less said that if they don't accept they may close the factory.

Not good.

 

Was this the same company who closed La Baguette Doree or were they owned by a different company? I worked for them when they were owned by Northern Foods about 10 years ago. The staff were underpaid and had poor working conditions then.

[ECCOnoob]

£10 an hour minimum wage required now, whilst rents are frozen. It's time the hardworking people got some of the fruits of their labour.

 

I love it when people say this nonsense.

 

£10 minimum wage. A 53% increase on the current rate.

 

So, when all the min wage workers get that and then everyone above minimum wage also demand a 53% increase how do you think that's going to effect your average business? How do you think that's going to effect the prices of a company's products. How many businesses do you think will go under with such dramatically high overheads.

 

What overall benefit would such a dramatic increase have on society.

 

Keep dreaming

[chem1st]

I love it when people say this nonsense.

 

Why is it nonsense?

 

£10 minimum wage. A 53% increase on the current rate.

 

Housing costs increased by 300% whilst wages increased by 20%, the housing was artificially inflated in price by various subsidies and forms of government spending, this is the route of our economic problems.

 

Wages have a lot of catching up to do. For them to increase by a measly 53%, whilst housing costs stayed still, would still not increase wages enough to bring earnings and housing costs back into proportion with each other.

 

So, when all the min wage workers get that and then everyone above minimum wage also demand a 53% increase how do you think that's going to effect your average business?

 

Brilliantly. consumers would have a lot more money, lower real term debt, and a hell of a lot more disposable income if their largest outgoings (e.g. housing), do not increase.

 

How do you think that's going to effect the prices of a company's products.

 

They would go up, but it wouldn't be a problem, as wages would be higher.

 

How many businesses do you think will go under with such dramatically high overheads.

Very few, potentially a lot less than otherwise. Only the ones that would have failed anyway, and some that would've failed, might not, if their customers could afford to use them.

 

What overall benefit would such a dramatic increase have on society.

 

Private and public debt would be massively reduced in real terms via inflation. Aggregate demand would increase. The lack of money in the economy would be no more, as those in most need of currency to trade and consume would be able to access it.

 

Keep dreaming

 

You call me loopy yet you have just spouted out the same lines that have been used time and time again by right wing neo-liberal corporate welfare junkies for the past 30 years, and have consistently been seen to be false.

[ECCOnoob]

Why is it nonsense?

 

Because it is totally impractical for a lowest grade and lowest skilled workers to be paid the equivalent of 19.5k a year.

 

Are you seriously going to suggest that should be correct? Do you honestly think an increase that sudden and dramatic would not have a negative effect.

 

Do you also honestly think that everyone else about would not demand the same. How do you think a company would deal with the rest of the salaries increasing like that Senior grades demanding £26k, team leaders demanding £31k a year, junior management/entry level grads demanding £45k a year, lower grade professionals and skilled trades demanding £60k

 

That's before we even get to management grades, seniors, academic professionals who would be demanding at least £100k+

You cannot have a large majority of a workforce earning six figure salaries.

 

That's why it is nonsense.

 

 

 

Housing costs increased by 300%

 

 

Where are you getting such figures?? Are you actually saying that my modest 1 bedroom flat in North Sheffield is now worth over £200k? You must be joking.

 

House prices have crashed several times over the past few years. Its why some people get in to a mess with their mortgages. Its not just a constant increase.

 

Brilliantly. consumers would have a lot more money, lower real term debt, and a hell of a lot more disposable income if their largest outgoings (e.g. housing), do not increase. They would go up, but it wouldn't be a problem, as wages would be higher.

 

Learn about how cost of living works. More salary does not automatically mean more money in the pocket. That's something a child comes up with.

 

PRICES OF GOODS/SERVICES INCREASE WHEN OVERHEADS INCREASE.

 

Don't think your precious housing would be exempt either. How much do you think your builders, labourers, contractors, skilled trades, architects, managers would demand if every minimum wage bod is on £10 an hour!

 

You call me loopy yet you have just spouted out the same lines that have been used time and time again by right wing neo-liberal corporate welfare junkies for the past 30 years, and have consistently been seen to be false.

 

I call you loopy because that's what your suggestions are. Its always about the housing. Everything wrong in your world is due to "greedy landlords" and spiralling housing costs.

 

There could be an earthquake and you would blame greedy private landlords for it.

 

Get into the real world. Some of us have been living it and understand how life works.

 

You really show yourself up on here with your childish simplistic views.

[logan.m.p]

Was this the same company who closed La Baguette Doree or were they owned by a different company? I worked for them when they were owned by Northern Foods about 10 years ago. The staff were underpaid and had poor working conditions then.

.

 

Northern foods were bought out by 2 sisters in 2012/13, but I think La Baguette were closed before the buyout. A friend of mine used to work there in maintanence.

[brian1941]

Where is Gunstones factory and where can i buy Gunstones slice bread,

i never see it on the shelfs. Sheffield.