Unilever cancels christmas

[Cookie172]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/8945625/Un...

Sounds like a smart business decision! Strikers get no benefits, I wonder if UK plc could implement the same thing for the public sector strikers

[frosted]

Cookie172 said:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/8945625/Un...

Sounds like a smart business decision! Strikers get no benefits, I wonder if UK plc could implement the same thing for the public sector strikers

I guess it's ok for them to keep prices up artificially high yet it's wrong for their workers to go on strike ?

I wonder why you didn't start a thread about that, or that is a level playing field for you then ?

[Happy82]

Well done to Unilever

[Cookie172]

frosted said:

I guess it's ok for them to keep prices up artificially high yet it's wrong for their workers to go on strike ?

I wonder why you didn't start a thread about that, or that is a level playing field for you then ?

Possibly because I've no interest in the reasons for their strike (or any strike, really)

I don't believe anyone is forcing you to buy their products either

[bicycleshorts]

This had me nodding my head.

Article said:

The consumer goods giant suffered its first ever strike in Britain on Friday as workers at the Persil detergent and PG Tips tea group walked out in a dispute over the axing of their final salary pensions scheme.

But in retaliation, Unilever has chosen to cancel striking workers' Christmas parties, hampers and bonuses, instead opting to give away thousands of hampers to charity, along with £15 gift vouchers.

[turbobloke]

bicycleshorts said:

This had me nodding my head.

Article said:

The consumer goods giant suffered its first ever strike in Britain on Friday as workers at the Persil detergent and PG Tips tea group walked out in a dispute over the axing of their final salary pensions scheme.

But in retaliation, Unilever has chosen to cancel striking workers' Christmas parties, hampers and bonuses, instead opting to give away thousands of hampers to charity, along with £15 gift vouchers.

Looks like a suitable response. Good move, Unilever.

[Digga]

turbobloke said:

bicycleshorts said:

This had me nodding my head.

Article said:

The consumer goods giant suffered its first ever strike in Britain on Friday as workers at the Persil detergent and PG Tips tea group walked out in a dispute over the axing of their final salary pensions scheme.

But in retaliation, Unilever has chosen to cancel striking workers' Christmas parties, hampers and bonuses, instead opting to give away thousands of hampers to charity, along with £15 gift vouchers.

Looks like a suitable response. Good move, Unilever.

Impressed. The yoon-yuns can't accuse them of profiteering by cutting the benefits if they've been donated. Smart minds at work there, almost Machiavellian.

[MacW]

[SpeedMattersNot]

It tickled me, but how stupid are you to go on strike, for what's more than likely a meaningless job?

Shame for those who didn't strike though.

[Digga]

SpeedMattersNot said:

Shame for those who didn't strike though.

At least they don't have to endure the forced joviality of a Christams party half-full of millitant tts.

[Saddle bum]

Companies get the workforce they deserve - basic management mantra.

[davepoth]

Saddle bum said:

Companies get the workforce they deserve - basic management mantra.

Although this company seems to be quite good if they came up with this wheeze - makes the unions look petty and them look quite good IMO.

As to the price fixing point above - it's tea and washing up powder, not cancer drugs. Buy own brand products if you don't like it.

[Deva Link]

davepoth said:

Although this company seems to be quite good if they came up with this wheeze - makes the unions look petty and them look quite good IMO.

I think it makes Unilever look vindictive. These global multinationals are not the great places to work they used to be.

[randlemarcus]

Deva Link said:

I think it makes Unilever look vindictive. These global multinationals are not the great places to work they used to be.

They're factory workers, making marmite. It was never going to be the Elysian Fields as a workplace.

[frosted]

Cookie172 said:

Possibly because I've no interest in the reasons for their strike (or any strike, really)

I don't believe anyone is forcing you to buy their products either

I guess because they were in cartel that gave you much choice then ? So them being fined 100 million is something normal to you ?


By 2004, the scheme began to crumble. The companies couldn't come to an agreement on price increases and promotions. Unilever was the first to break the accord, launching a June "D-Day" deal of 10% off. At the end of the year, P&G responded by slashing the price on its entry-level Gama detergent by 25%. At the beginning of 2005, Henkel fired back with 40% off one of its detergents. Shortly thereafter, both Unilever and P&G rolled out buy-one-get-one-free deals.

P&G was fined €233.6 million, Henkel €92.3 million and Colgate €35.4 million. P&G said the larger fine reflected the size of its business in France.

After its own investigation, the European Commission fined P&G €211.2 million and Unilever €104.0 million in April. Henkel wasn't fined, because it alerted the commission to the cartel and received immunity, a factor the company cited Thursday in protesting the French decision.

Edited by frosted on Friday 9th December 18:40

Edited by frosted on Friday 9th December 18:41

[BOR]

This is a workforce that hasn't gone on strike for 81 years. Millitants ? No, not really.

[Randy Winkman]

Cookie172 said:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/8945625/Un...

Sounds like a smart business decision! Strikers get no benefits, I wonder if UK plc could implement the same thing for the public sector strikers

Since when did the public sector get Christmas parties, hampers and bonuses?

[davepoth]

Randy Winkman said:

Since when did the public sector get Christmas parties, hampers and bonuses?

Quite a lot of them get bonuses apparently. And the parties are immense - I was working at the MoD for the summer and got to go to the Civil Service Sports Day...

[Hooli]

bicycleshorts said:

This had me nodding my head.

Article said:

The consumer goods giant suffered its first ever strike in Britain on Friday as workers at the Persil detergent and PG Tips tea group walked out in a dispute over the axing of their final salary pensions scheme.

But in retaliation, Unilever has chosen to cancel striking workers' Christmas parties, hampers and bonuses, instead opting to give away thousands of hampers to charity, along with £15 gift vouchers.

Excellent reaction by Unilever.

[Sticks.]

davepoth said:

Randy Winkman said:

Since when did the public sector get Christmas parties, hampers and bonuses?

Quite a lot of them get bonuses apparently. And the parties are immense - I was working at the MoD for the summer and got to go to the Civil Service Sports Day...

And.....any others? Friends of mine in the CS have for many years organised and paid for their own parties (quite right, too), and not on work premises. 'Bonuses' = how their pay is calculated and so some get less than others, rather than just the across the board annual increment everyone complains about afaik.

Eta good for Unilever imho.

Edited by Sticks. on Friday 9th December 19:40