In light of the horrid atrocity that is the Covid-19 virus, it got me thinking on how little I have heard on Brexit.
Especially after reading a positive article on the subject. You definitely don't see them in the MSM!!
This article was some research I was doing for a project at work, so I did stumble across it.
https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2020/05/19/Brexit-does-UK-Global-Tariff-benefit-food-industry?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20-May-2020
But all the scaremongering about how Brexit was going to wreck our industries and turn us against each other, is nothing compared to how Covid is torturing us.
Surely the people with the bleakest opinions of EDIT** how our country may look, post-Brexit, must be more optimistic that we can get through whatever is thrown at us?
Brexit Negativity Cancelled?
posted on 21/5/20
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 1 hour ago
comment by Hector (U3606)
posted 1 hour, 47 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by sandy (U20567)
posted 35 minutes ago
The only thing that is certain that mass unemployment is coming and all those Northerners who voted Tory are going to be the first casualties. Well done fellas, you got what you voted for. You were warned.
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What a silly comment
The unemployment rate of the United Kingdom in 2019 was 3.8 percent, the lowest it has been since the mid-1970s. From 2000 until the 2008 financial crash the unemployment rate in the UK fluctuated between 4.8 and 5.7 percent, before it rose suddenly in 2009 to 7.6 percent. After peaking at 8.1 percent in 2011, the unemployment rate gradually declined before returning to the levels seen in the early 2000s by 2015
Tory governments got the unemployment rate lower than it was even during the boom years under Labour governments.
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If you're on a zero hour contract, for example, you're regarded as employed despite not having the protection and benefits enjoyed by normal contracted workers.
It's nuanced but to say unemployment is at an all time low is a fact but a distortion of the reality.
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Less than 3% of the working population so not exactly a huge distortion
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and not only that, ZHCs work very well for some people.
When people discuss them they assume they are all evil and exploitation of workers. They are not. There is flexibility on both sides (employee/employer).
posted on 21/5/20
“ and not only that, ZHCs work very well for some people.
When people discuss them they assume they are all evil and exploitation of workers. They are not. There is flexibility on both sides (employee/employer).”
Yes they work for some people. However employers are using them for far more than for some people. Most retail, carting & hospitality, construction etc industries use them across the board. Not for the minority they are convenient for. They do this because the cards are stacked in their favour.
posted on 21/5/20
comment by manusince52 (U9692)
posted 2 hours, 4 minutes ago
Not everything the Conservatives do is bad.
Not everything Labour does is good.
But Labour believe in a more equal society, the Conservatives don't.
So Labour gets my vote.
Both sides make foul ups.
At the moment it's Boris' turn to make them and he's grabbing the opportunity with both hands.
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Fair dat
posted on 21/5/20
Seems that w@nkers are still gonna be w@nkers.
posted on 21/5/20
comment by FieldsofAnfieldRd (U18971)
posted 4 hours, 20 minutes ago
“ and not only that, ZHCs work very well for some people.
When people discuss them they assume they are all evil and exploitation of workers. They are not. There is flexibility on both sides (employee/employer).”
Yes they work for some people. However employers are using them for far more than for some people. Most retail, carting & hospitality, construction etc industries use them across the board. Not for the minority they are convenient for. They do this because the cards are stacked in their favour.
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"Most" That's some claim.
And of that most, how many employees are dissatisfied with it? Is that also "most"
Again you fall into the trap of considering every use of these contracts in these sectors is either unfair or in the employers sole interest.
Yes in some circumstances they put people in an uncertain financial/employment position. But of the 3% or so of the workforce on these you cannot tell me how many are caught in this working poverty trap and how many are absolutley happy with the arrangements. I know a couple delivery drivers who are on these, get plenty of work and can turn down work when suits or do extra if offered them. Many use it to their advantage, will have more than one job and work smart.
posted on 21/5/20
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 20 minutes ago
comment by FieldsofAnfieldRd (U18971)
posted 4 hours, 20 minutes ago
“ and not only that, ZHCs work very well for some people.
When people discuss them they assume they are all evil and exploitation of workers. They are not. There is flexibility on both sides (employee/employer).”
Yes they work for some people. However employers are using them for far more than for some people. Most retail, carting & hospitality, construction etc industries use them across the board. Not for the minority they are convenient for. They do this because the cards are stacked in their favour.
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"Most" That's some claim.
And of that most, how many employees are dissatisfied with it? Is that also "most"
Again you fall into the trap of considering every use of these contracts in these sectors is either unfair or in the employers sole interest.
Yes in some circumstances they put people in an uncertain financial/employment position. But of the 3% or so of the workforce on these you cannot tell me how many are caught in this working poverty trap and how many are absolutley happy with the arrangements. I know a couple delivery drivers who are on these, get plenty of work and can turn down work when suits or do extra if offered them. Many use it to their advantage, will have more than one job and work smart.
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Bet you can’t find a job in the above sectors not on ZHC’s.
I employ people on ZHC’s as part of my job. The majority can’t stand them and aren’t happy about it. Obviously I can’t extrapolate that to the wider population . However if ZHC’s work well for ‘some’ people that implies it doesn’t for those not in that ‘some’ category.
I’m just going off my experience not an empirical study.
posted on 21/5/20
There is certainly a balance to be had. They help some smaller businesses who cannot afford to employ FT staff at time when perhaps demand etc is down, but they are also exploited by companies who really do not need have such flexibility, who should be able to absorb the cost of full time staff in fluctuating markets. McDs uses or used to use them and i think such massive companies like this should not be allowed to. Multi Billion valued company making 10s to 100s of millions in profit. I recall some time ago they switched to offering employees the option, so it clearly does work for some people, but these should never be allowed to prevent employees from also having other work. That really does load it all in the employers favour and potentially limit the employees earning potential
posted on 21/5/20
Wetherspoons uses zero hour contracts and it's brutal. To be fair it's only a very small sample I asked, but they could go from working 50 hours a week to 10. That's before you fall out with the manager for daring not to take a shift. How can you plan your life let alone budget on that?
There will be people who are able to exploit the situation to suit themselves, but labour laws are there to protect everyone. The 3% you're talking about very largely don't have a choice - these are crappy jobs we're talking about which typically pay a third less than regular contracts. For me, it's up there with food banks as an indicator of how badly the UK is doing in the quality-of-life stakes.
posted on 21/5/20
Dev
It’s all loaded in the employers favour. I work in a business that has quiet periods. I have to sack people off for months on end. You can’t ask for employees to commit to working for you if they know they’re going to be sacked off/have hours reduced the minute it gets quiet.
We pay holidays luckily. However there are plenty out there that don’t. Of your hours reduce you’re fooled basically.
posted on 21/5/20
^very likely/largely.