Or rather, that’s the price of ASDA.
Or rather, that’s the price of ASDA.
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MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 
Tris
Most of the supermarkets do it, although I believe Lidl and Aldi pay the living wage, and it is a sign of how weak our economy is and always has been. The so called Tory living wage has actually resulted in many becoming poorer as a result, but they knew that would be the case anyway. The press just jumped on the bandwagon as they were told to and Labour were too afraid to look like actual lefties by strongly opposing it.
I don’t see it changing soon, any increases in the hourly rate will just result in less hours or job losses and that might happen anyway depending on who you believe regarding the results of leaving the EU. Something will have to give in the medium term, the Tories should be under serious pressure right now but the Tory MPs in the Labour Party are more interested in fighting amongst themselves. Many people do shop at the alternatives, and I tend to shop around as much as I can, but it’s not easy as not everywhere stocks all the things you want so you do have to go to tesco and ASDA at times, even though it leaves a bad taste and it is not the fault of the people forced to work there, I do think the Supermarkets could be taxed more though. Maybe a higher rate of buisness tax when you reach a certain level of profit, Tories of all colours won’t go for that I suppose.
Either way it is a sad state of affairs that we punnish the poorest while practising socialism for the wealthiest and the share holders. Britain in a nutshell.
Bruce
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Yes, I know, Bruce. I guess they are all the same. I’m a Lidl/Aldi guy when I can be. And I do try to buy from local shops too, but it’s pretty expensive.
It is a sad state of affairs, we subsidise so many businesses making massive profits by making up their wages to the point where their employees can just about manage to live.
It’s a horrible unkind grasping greedy country. http://www.thecanary.co/2016/11/08/uk-government-just-slammed-violating-human-rights-theresa-may-doesnt-care/
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I am honestly angry that we have a definition of a “living wage”, in a country where there are minimum wage laws, and the minimum wage is not set, in law, as equal to the “living wage” a declared by government.
The fact that companies have to advertise that they pay a living wage (ie. enough money to live on) is something that is ridiculous to me.
Of course, I also ask, every time I see it: “Is that the one set by Westminster, or Hollyrood?”
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Minimum or Living wage (and Mr Osborne declared them to be the same) are set by the Brits. Naturally they are inadequate and niggardly. Rather like the state retirement pension which, by comparison to average earnings, is the second lowest in the OECD (being pipped by Mexico).
I can’t remember whether it was the Smith Commission or the Commons debate on the Scotland Act that suggested that Scotland should set its own minimum wage/living wage. That was rejected.
The Tories, and presumably Labour (who can tell them apart) decided that we were definitely too stupid to do that on our own.
The advantage of the living wage NOT in fact being a living wage, is that people then have to claim various types of social security, which means that the rich (who often benefit from this social security in the form of high rents) can complain that the lower orders cost them a fortune by being benefit dependent.
Oh the joys of being a brit.
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As a single person, shopping locally allows me to buy in smaller quantities, so there is much less waste. I know the serving staff are decently paid and the profits stay local.
It takes a bit of getting used to, but it is worthwhile.
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Absolutely, where it is practical, and can be afforded, I absolutely agree.
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Depends on whether or not you count what goes in the waste bin. Cheese, for example may be more expensive by the gram bought at the Farmers market stall, but I can buy a small piece for £1.50 and eat it all whereas if I buy a similar cheese in a huge block at £3.99 in the supermarket but end up throwing out half because it has gone mouldy, which was actually the better buy?
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True.
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I have heard and read many a right wing commentator crying foul on the evils of subsidising nationalised companies and public services. They don’t seem to have the same objections when taxpayers money is going to private companies.
I believe the privatised rail companies get more government subsidies than British Rail did.
I try to shop at small local shops whenever possible, especially ones that displayed Yes stickers in the run up to the IndyRef!
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Yep. Remember Major telling us how good it would be when the trains paid for themselves… how wicked it was that people who never used trains had to subsidise those who did?
Ahhh we were suckered.
Now they are down to selling off the table in No 10’s dining room; the rest has gone. The family silver is now down to zero and the are selling off the drawers it used to be kept in… and still the debt approaches £2 trillion.
Unimaginable madness.
Yes organisations get my business too and I let YES cars out in traffic. I only ever once saw a car with a UKOK sticker.
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Don’t quite understand how this is possible tris. There is something rotten in the State of Denmark or summat.
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Well, the UK.
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I think ASDA is owned by Walmart (?). Walmart does the same and the employees wages are topped up by benefits from the state. Walmart also insures all it’s employees, but not for the employees, Walmart collects if the employee dies.
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Yes, it is Walmart. I didn’t know that. I thought that you had to have an insurable interest to insure. Let’s be honest, a massive company like Walmart doesn’t really lose much if an employee is injured or dies. No more than they would if the employee got another job. So I wonder how that works.
I remember a case some years ago covered by Keith Olbermann (calling Walmart the “Worst Person in the World” on his tv show. An employee had been run over and seriously injured by one of Walmart’s trucks I think, and they refused to pay out compensation. Utter heartlessness. I’m pretty sure the bad publicity on cable tv changed their minds.
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What would Walmart gain with the insurance? I suppose this observation on the wealthy is apposite: just because the top 1% own 85% of the world’s wealth, it doesn’t mean they don’t want the other 15%.
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Aye that’s true
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Lidl and Aldi are both German companies. Just saying…
On the same thread, it’s telling how both of those companies are now “socially acceptable”. I remember an obvious middle class family loading their 4×4’s boot with Waitrose carrier bags – in Lidl’s car park.
Unfortunately you cannot get German mustard anymore in the branches I go to; that, bratwurst, sauerkraut and cheap beer, being the reason I started going in the first place.
I go to a local shop for my cheap Polish beer now though ;¬)
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I remember a friend of my mothers (a snob) saying that she would never buy anything from Lidl or Aldi. What a muppet.
There are some neat Polish shops here in Dundee. Polski Sklep is one (The first time i saw it I read Polski Skelp!!!)
You soon won;t get Polish beer though. You’ll have to buy good sold British Beer, don’t y’know… the stuff that tastes of nothing and costs a fortune.
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Aye. Brewdog have priced themselves out of my market for sure.
When the Polish food shops and cafés started springing up in Edinburgh, the huge variety of extremely cheap, strong beers was very pleasing indeed. Every day something different; it was like being in Belgium!
And no more Hungarian wine for Munguin either… Damn those Brexiteers.
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Pain huh?
What will Nigel do?
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Emigrate. I’m sure all his followers will appreciate the irony.
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I do hope so.
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