https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/02/empty-shelves-britain-workforce-workers
This is as clear-eyed an analysis of where we’re headed – and why – I’ve read in some time.
Brexit is merely a symptom.
Yep TBH us old uns bang on a lot of how nothings made here.
(I actually started my IT career in a shoe company loading mag tapes,course it wasn't long before the land was worth more as housing than as a factory as making shoes is a bit labour intensive and you couldn't be competitive against making it abroad.(Plus 50 Safety shoes).
Took a pay cut from an office job as well.)
Ah so this is the tip of the iceberg.
Interestingly I did see some one going on about how you've heard very little reported about the Swindon Honda factory closing and machinists finding that the pay outside is 50% less.
Interestingly I did see some one going on about how you’ve heard very little reported about the Swindon Honda factory closing and machinists finding that the pay outside is 50% less.
It's being repurposed as a tat distribution centre isn't it?
More jobs, but less pay. Just what the likes of Truss et al were on about in Britannia Unchained. This bunch of chancers do not want an educated workforce.
Edit: From that Graun article:
Germany’s Angela Merkel shouts about her highly trained workforce; Boris Johnson brags about how cheap his labourers are.
Never a truer word.
Germany’s Angela Merkel shouts about her highly trained workforce; Boris Johnson brags about how cheap his labourers are.
20 years ago I worked for a UK-based PLC with equivalent businesses in both the UK and Germany (plus many other countries) and we did live in Germany for a while while working for them. Something I saw was that the UK-based Executives were quite happy that the two businesses were run on 'cultural' lines with the German one very organisationally and technology led while the UK one concentrated on spending as little as they could. Germany spent (capital) near double what the UK did and it was accepted that they'd contribute less 'cash' into the PLC ordinarily, but interesting that their contribution was more stable and the UK businesses also suffered more outages and 'issues'.
My current experience of UK management 'culture' is that it's getting worse (for the vast majority of staff) and moving more to the American model - there's a line, and if you're below the line you're expendable and if you're above it you're showered with riches. Unfortunately I've only been above the 'line' a couple of times 🙂
Investment in the best tools always pays it back, even as a small business we buy all top of the range IT kit and we are all on starlink working from home with back up 4g wifi routers, all using fully loaded surface pros with a back up desktop and multiple monitors.
Phones are also all top of the range, some people might think this is overkill but i like the best belt and braces and a spare pair of trousers...
Slight change of tack but I notice no overt government condemnation of the racist abuse suffered by England's black players in Budapest.
In all honesty everyone knows there'll be racist abuse dished out in Hungary because their government condones it.
Less edifying for the UK is that we are now lumped in with Poland and Hungary in many European assessments of politics across the continent. And they're right. It makes me want to puke.
The plight of a British farmer who has lost the Europeans who used to pick, process and transport his carrots made TF1 news tonight. They said 80% of British food is imported, no idea how accurate that is.
Didn't make the ****ing Beeb News, though.
Censored.
It is on the German news most evenings
They said 80% of British food is imported, no idea how accurate that is.
Did they say “fresh” food? Sounds about right there. If you include ambient beverages the % falls a lot. There must be a pretty graph somewhere…
Probably not directly censored. My guess is that the BBC is feeling threatened by the government (deliberately) so it needs to keep as many viewers as it can, and it daren't risk upsetting the large numbers of leave voters by appearing pro-remain. Government exerting 'soft' but string influence rather than actively censoring. Cos it doesn't need to. The BBC can say what it likes about government incompetence or scandal, no-one cares, the government knows this. But it can let that happen to make it look like it's letting the BBC be impartial.
They said 80% of British food is imported, no idea how accurate that is
It varies seasonally, in winter we get almost all of our fresh fruit and veg from abroad, most of it from southern hemisphere (eu drops tarifs during winter, despite what Rees Mogg etc said)
Probably not directly censored
TBH may as well be, but it’s all being countered by the papers attempting to cover for the shortages not being Brexit related.
No empty supermarkets shelves where I am and plenty of beer and Diet Coke and I haven’t heard of blood tests being cancelled and my bins still being emptied.
It’s very bizarre sitting on the outside looking at you going down the rabbit hole.
TLDR : number of Germans studying in the UK has halved.
Some will no doubt cheer every step towards isolation and division. I find it depressing and disheartening.
Some will no doubt cheer every step towards isolation and division. I find it depressing and disheartening.
Those that are cheering are the ones who feel most threatened by anyone who can string a sentence together - foreign or not.
TLDR : number of Germans studying in the UK has halved.
A friend's son is currently trying to get to Manchester. The year in a UK university was signed for before "the deal" and he couldn't pull out and still get the qualification. It's been an administrative nightmare with a series of Catch 22 situations over paperwork. We've done our best to help but when it's impossible to get hold of anyone at Manchester and e-mails aren't answered, we aren't much help. Current situation is limbo simply because he started filling out a form on line for a visa, missed a box and found he couldn't navigate back to the page to correct.
What it has done is give father and son a lousy impression of everything English before he's even got there. Students who enjoy their expereinces abroad are great ambassadors for that country even if they don't stay. Not only will there be fewer ambassadors, they're likely to take a negative impression away with them.
What it has done is give father and son a lousy impression of everything English before he’s even got there.
That'll teach the devious kraut. Sponging off of our universities, taking our, er, rooms in halls, flirting with our, er, female students.
At least he found out now, rather than having the shit kicked out of him by a bunch of scallies patriotic English boys for sounding 'forrin'.
There'll always be an England and England shall be....etc.
MrsRNP has found her Irish grandmother's birth certificate, gonna take an age to sort and we should have done it years ago but 🤞 EU residency here we come.
FU Boris.
I need to do the same with my grandad's birth/death cert
Guess we're still waiting for that magic technology solution to come into effect.
On the plus side, I see The Telegraph is reporting that Scottish independence is going to be like "Brexit times 10"
How good is that going to be!!?!?
The Telegraph is reporting that Scottish independence is going to be like “Brexit times 10”
In terms of the Tory nastiness/bullshit then very probably.
If Scotland goes independent and immediately rejoins the EU, then they will be better off than the rest of the UK.
On the plus side, I see The Telegraph is reporting that Scottish independence is going to be like “Brexit times 10”
Wow!
Based on them saying Brexit would be brill - then SCExit will be FANTASTIC, as FANTASTIC is ten times brill 🙂
I've mentioned this elsewhere, UK politics and business have a lot in common, far too many see it as a game. See the crap being spouted by M&S.
So rather than actually fix problems it's about who can be blamed whilst you line up the next roll.
So rather than actually fix problems it’s about who can be blamed whilst you line up the next roll.
Immigrants, EU, Remainers, lefties etc.
Just keep cycling through.
Immigrants, EU, Remainers, lefties etc.
Just keep cycling through.
My m8s theory was that by removing the eu from the decision making it would stop the government from blaming everything on them and they would be held more accountable.
Ah well,like all good plans lasted till the boots hit the floor.
In it or out of it it’s still the EUs fault.
Shit-filled rivers as another Brexit Benefit delivered. Add that to motorway pile-ups due to dozing HGV drivers.
Temporary my arse.
^ drivers are not just Brexshit, but it's worrying too read that.
Why are they not asking military to assist with such fundamental things?
Another promise over protecting the environment broken.
-
In other news, my brother in law who is finance director at an NHS trust has written his querterly letter to Prime Minister. He usually requests his share of £350m a week, but now he's upped the game by asking for confirmation of NI rise + £350m share.
Why are they not asking military to assist with such fundamental things?
Assuming this is a serious question.
UK armed forces are no where near big enough to have the manpower to cover a shortfall of 100k drivers.
The total is about 150k+50k reservists, of the 150k there aren't 100k with HGV licences and of those 50k many of those with HGV licences will already be driving as the day job.
Yes you can find a handful, but it's simply PR and not a practical solution.
Now how about offering visas to Afghanis with HGV licences or willing to train....
In other news, my brother in law who is finance director at an NHS trust has written his querterly letter to Prime Minister. He usually requests his share of £350m a week, but now he’s upped the game by asking for confirmation of NI rise + £350m share.
Ha. Came here to ask if anyone had heard what they're spending the £18bn a year from the red bus on...
Brexit + climate change … as you were expecting (unless you were one of those shouting “Project Fear” with your fingers in your ears)…
https://twitter.com/femi_sorry/status/1435547227599118336?s=21
https://twitter.com/samcoatessky/status/1435549961018544132?s=21
https://twitter.com/samuelmarclowe/status/1435551075810086920?s=21
Why are they not asking military to assist with such fundamental things?
Because the one thing guaranteed to interest Brexity flag-shaggers is the army being involved. They love it. But then loads of sassy remain-type folk will force the flag-shaggers to acknowledge that the army are being drafted in to sort out the Brexit **** ups. And the armed forces ain't big enough.
Also agree that the 'temporary' (cough - bullshit) measures to allow us to pollute the rivers and seas etc are the tip of the iceberg. Not that there'll be any icebergs anywhere in 20 years at this rate...
🔥🥵
Those Tim Tams coming with a big price tag then 🙂
^ drivers are not just Brexshit
But some of it is and that will become apparent soon enough. Funnily enough I haven't seen any stories about Carrefour shelves being empty in France....
🤔
^ drivers are not just Brexshit
But some of it is and that will become apparent soon enough. Funnily enough I haven’t seen any stories about Carrefour shelves being empty in France….
🤔
Yep lots of stuff on the Shelves in Sunny Spain, and lots of stuff being grown,planted and picked.
I can even get Cheddar Cheese as the supermarket has their own brand made for them in the West Country in the UK, I did wonder if they'd get issues but tbh not even a blip and the shelves of the Carrefour are er rammed.
That story about sewage plants really shows what's important in UK PLC. We could easily prioritise essential supply chain activities like that, but instead it'll be shit in the rivers so that we can keep having 30 different types of bottled water in tesco.
And the driver shortage isn't going to be any better by the end of the year when that "temporary" rule change runs out.
But it's all OK, you need a specific approval from the Environmental Agency, an organisation whose task now is to occasionally give people fines that are smaller than the amount of money they saved by deliberately breaking the rules
We could easily prioritise essential supply chain activities like that, but instead it’ll be shit in the rivers so that we can keep having 30 different types of bottled water in tesco.
Partly. 30 types of bottled water at 100 bottles each per massive Tesco = 3,000 bottles to that store. One lorry from hub to store sorts it. 3 types of bottled water at 1,000 bottles each per store is the same amount of logistics effort near enough. The problem isn't too much choice it is too much stuff to move, full stop. Of course there are other things at play (minimum stock quantities per sku can lead to over-stocking and different bottle shapes/sizes can make it slightly more difficult for two) but it isn't choice that is the main problem. The UK being led by childish pricks is far more pertinent.
And the driver shortage isn’t going to be any better by the end of the year when that “temporary” rule change runs out.
It will be rolled over. More can-kicking. Even a couple of motorway pile-ups won't stop them.
But it’s all OK, you need a specific approval from the Environmental Agency, an organisation whose task now is to occasionally give people fines that are smaller than the amount of money they saved by deliberately breaking the rules
Cost-Benefit innit? When the direct cost of a fine is the only thing you care about (and it is diddly squat) then why give a shit? If the indirect cost (rivers full of shit) is someone else's problem. Take your dividend and/or exec pay and leave someone else to suffer. It is part of the vision of Brilliant Buccaneering Brexit Bulldog Britain, after all. Environmental standards? Just tell a few lies. Dismiss anyone who points it out as unpatriotic. Remember the bullshit about diverging on Environmental standards so we could have higher standards than Europe? Well, it was intentional bollocks then, it is bollocks now and it will continue to be bollocks.
Brexit was mostly a one-off smash and grab on the postwar consensus and standards that cost capital to ensure normal people's standard of living is even marginally protected. This is Britannia Unchained. The bit they didn't shout about was that it was private capital that would be Unchained in order to **** over the little guy.
But this was all said at the time and the bellends ignored it.
🤷♂️
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/3/why-are-there-food-shortages-in-the-uk
Basically the UK supply chain problems are less (much less than Boris Bullshit would have you believe) to do with global covid issues and more to do with epic Brexity Bellendery.
But we knew that anyway. Willingly looking for umpteen other scapegoats notwithstanding.
🇬🇧🍆💦🇬🇧
🤷♂️
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/07/government-ease-sewage-discharge-rules-amid-chemical-shortageAnd you thought "Brexshit" was just a slogan?
dannyh
Full MemberPartly. 30 types of bottled water at 100 bottles each per massive Tesco = 3,000 bottles to that store. One lorry from hub to store sorts it. 3 types of bottled water at 1,000 bottles each per store is the same amount of logistics effort near enough.
Still all has to get to the hub, but from a load more places. And you have to carry more stock for 30 brands overall than you do 1.
But, my main reason for choosing bottled water is that it makes ****-all sense for there to be a massive supermarket aisle of bloody water which comes out of a tap, but even more so when the cost of stuff like that, is having dirty water in rivers.
bloody water which comes out of a tap
Shouldn't that be 'shitty water which comes out of a tap'? There might be a run on bottled water if we run out of more chemicals for sewage treatment / water purification.
Can't wait for the headline.
"Boris urges every patriotic Brit to filter their own piss through their Brita to thwart evil EU".
"When asked if he would be doing his patriotic bit Boris replied that he would, although a photographer managed to snap a massive consignment of bottled water and champers being delivered to No 10 - "Let them drink piss" Carrie Antoinette was heard to mutter".
"Meanwhile it was rumoured that the drinking water shortage was exacerbated by a friend of Robert Jenrick bottling pre-pollution stocks of tap water 'on am industrial scale'".
😅
Someone post an Only Fools and Horses clip please.
There is a definite sense that the fall out (plop out?) from Brexit is gathering pace now and haven't even really got going yet.
The news about the dumping of crap into rivets is deeply depressing.
So desperate for a trade deal with Australia that we signed away any integrity we had left, COP 26 later this year will be a farce.
Australian government stands by coal after 2030
I guess Drax will be retro fitted to burn Australian coal in the near future.
What can possibly go wrong?
BBC News - Government to shorten HGV driver testing process
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58487347
To be fair, I don't know enough about lorry driving to make an informed comment.
