New reasons to boycott

[Thomzo]

Two new reasons to boycott big businesses. One is an old enemy of Ish, the other is a new one.

T£SC0 really won't get the message that they aren't wanted. Despite several hundred protestors in Bristol.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8570076.stm

Again in Bristol, Kraft, the new owners of Cadbury's blatantly lied to the staff and shareholders when they said that they were going to keep the Keynsham factory open. Within days of the takeover being approved, they announced they were going to close it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8570188.stm

Zoe

[citizentwiglet]

Oh T$sco do make me chuckle - admittedly with my head in my hands. Notice they only move into an area ONCE other groups and businesses have 'regenerated' it. And whoop-dee-doo, a whole 20 job opportunities! Should nicely cover the amount of redundancies in the other local businesses.

As for Kraft......just be aware, folks, that they now also own Green and Blacks, as they were acquired by Cadbury prior to the takeover.

I'm going off the whole idea of chocolate, to be honest. I've been reading big clever books again, and currently feeling guilty about breathing, farting and weeing too much; so chocolate is one of my current 'problem items'...

[Silver Ether]

I'm going off the whole idea of chocolate, to be honest. I've been reading big clever books again, and currently feeling guilty about breathing, farting and weeing too much; so chocolate is one of my current 'problem items'...

You gotto stop doing that cuss one day you will be dead and it doesn't mater what your life style thats a fact ... Sooooooooooo before that you just gotto do your bit, have some pleasure and try not to hurt anyone or thing unless they really piss you off...

I am really mad about the Cadbury thing and I dont like their chocolate ... Its not just the chocolate .. its represents a way of life. The reasons Bournville was set up as it is ... whats going to happen there ... and I really don't get why Kraft was allowed to bully them into selling and why did the Royal Bank of Scotland lend them the money especially when we got the bank out of the muck they were in ????? oooh I am off for a coffee top up ...

[crowsashes]

not happy about cadburys, firts rover, then hp and now cadburys.... all factories i got to go on 'field trips' to at school. ( think ive given away my brummie up bringing!)

i love chocolate but im having to make do with co-ops fairtrade rather than green and blacks.

http://www.the-chocolate-tree.co.uk/order.htm#buttons

theres a fair few organic bars on there as a replacement havent tried it yet but im thinking about trying a few bars

[seasidegirl]

Many of the jobs now are temporary contracts with flexible hours.

The temporary contracts allow them to sack you for any reason they want. The flexibility on the hours is entirely on the side of the employee. Basically you have to work when they say as long as they give you 24 hours notice.

Every part of their employment policy is about saving money. eg, like most supermarkets I think now, they decided that as they have to give people a tea break after 4 hours they would only employ them in 3 3/4 hour shifts. It's a long time, imo, to be either on your feet, stretching high or bending low like shelf fillers or for the cashiers sitting or standing.

Why give people proper jobs that can sustain a family anyway when the state will top up low paid jobs with tax credits?

I was employed on one of these temporary, flexible contracts and had the misfortune to become unwell with a problem that affected my mobility. There was a way they could have let me do my job for a while but maximum performance is their minimum requirement. Speed is everything. In the end I had to go sick, was signed off by the doctor while investigations to my problem were ongoing. Turns out I do have a condition that will require an operation but no get well cards from my empl..oyer. Not even Statutory Sick Pay (which they could claim all back from the
govt) .

My last communication from T£sco was a P45. Not just me. Another colleague who was supplying medical certs. was sacked too.

[seasidegirl]

Forgot to say...


VERY LITTLE HELPS!

[bonniethomas06]

Just read the article on the link to the Tescum story -

During the day, a crowd of protesters cheered the squatters from the street. Seventy police officers were at the scene.

Seventy police officers!! How ridiculous. It wasn't exactly a riot!

I know this area well - Stokes croft is possibly the only high street left in Britain with an independant butchers, bakery and greengrocers, not to mention lots of other lovely little independants like florists and an organic grain merchant. What a shame that it will soon look like every other high street in the country which has been bled to death by these big bullies.

[Susie]

We had this with T***o in Cambridge as well (also in a nice quirky street full of independent shops):

http://www.nomillroadtesco.org/

It was a huge issue. Not every local trader didn't want them (I could tell by the competing window stickers...) but I think the majority didn't, and most of the residents were furious. And in any case where they opened was right next door to a great big Co-op, so it was hardly like the area needed a supermarket (and Asda is just up the road.) They've gone on to open another one nearby. It does seem odd that they force through these openings where there are huge amounts of local opposition. Is it just to prove they can? I've definitely never looked at them in the same way again.

I'm going off the whole idea of chocolate, to be honest. I've been reading big clever books again, and currently feeling guilty about breathing, farting and weeing too much; so chocolate is one of my current 'problem items'...

What books are you reading? They sound scary I'm actually not that wild on chocolate shock horror but I like this kind http://www.divinechocolate.com/about/default.aspx
(But you'll have to prise my coffee from my cold dead hands and that's probably ethically much worse)

[Rosendula]

Help please
Te$co are also trying to open yet another store in our town. There are many people opposing it but I have some things going through my mind that are hampering my enthusiasm in the protests. I'm hoping you can help me work my way through them.

Where Te$co are proposing to build their new (big) store here is in walking distance of lots and lots houses, on the site of a derelict Tradex building. In that area, the only other supermarket is a Nettto. Others, which would be a long walk or short drive IYSWIM are A$da and L!dl.

Local shops round there are not much use to residents on a daily basis - one sells water sports equitment, there's a funeral directors, a cafe, and several takeaways (OK, the takeaways probably ARE used by some residents on a daily basis). So a new Te$co would be where they would go to buy things like cooking oil, butter, flour, etc. Their local alternatives - Nettto, A$da and L!dl are not British owned, so a lot of the profits go out of the country don't they? Whereas if people shopped in the new Te$co, isn't that British, and so keeping the money in our own economy?

Please can someone help with this. I hate Te$co with a passion, but I can actually see the benefits of them building a new one here I'm very confused.

[citizentwiglet]

I'm currently reading the Economical Environmentalist which is undoubtedly excellent, but does make you really reconsider things you thought were relatively harmless to the environment. Like breathing........

[seasidegirl]

Please can someone help with this. I hate Te$co with a passion, but I can actually see the benefits of them building a new one here I'm very confused.

Even though I've got a personal issue with them it does sound like it would be very useful to many local people. The supermarkets and superstores they are opening bother me actually a lot less than the corner shops. Example here they have a superstore, but within fifteen minutes walk they have two small shops. One is an Express and in the other direction there is a One Shop which I BELIEVE they also own. Should check into this.

When you add up all the pies they've got their fingers in, financial services etc, then they will monopolise every part of the economy. Dangerous I think. And not great for shopping choice, or as in my case, employment opportunities.

Another thing is that supposing they had some problem with their supply chain, or power, or financially. Where would everybody get their food?

[citizentwiglet]

Seems they want to open another one in the next village to ours, too. They took over the old Somerfield last year (inc. the petrol forecourt), and now it seems they want a larger store out on the industrial estate. This is far removed from houses and is on direct bus route and is in a fairly run-down area so I assume most folk will drive there (you wouldn't want to run the gauntlet of drunken teenagers who hang around down there). This is despite them having built a massive new store in Bellshill, which is only about 2 miles away, and there is another big one in Coatbridge.....they really will not be happy until the entire country is saturated with their shops.

[seasidegirl]

they really will not be happy until the entire country is saturated with their shops.

Country? World more like. Seriously the manager at my local Store told us that they are already number one in UK and number two in world. Goal is to be number 1 in world.

[southeast-isher]

a funny bit of Banksy graffiti:

[crowsashes]

i love banksy and was lucky enough while in london to spot a piece of his work !my partner ( who calls himself a photographer!) didnt even notice it! oh well