General Chat

Goodnight Tec - sleep well <3

I will say goodnight to you too, Amanda as I have a meeting to go to. Sleep well <3

From what I gather Tec , the un-employed are to work for 30 hours a week ( for six months at a time ) and spend another five hours a week doing " job searches " . It has been pointed out to the DWP that even criminals don't get sentanced to THAT many hours of " community pay back " . It simply equates to slavery doesn't it :-|

It sounds very dire in your area Tec , my heart goes out to the local folk that have just lost their jobs and probably their homes in some cases :-(

I am going to be off now as OH has just started the off to bed routine .

I have to go to bed now,

Enjoy your day Sue - hope the sun shines,

Sleep well Amanda,

Goodnight,
Tec :-)

No we don't have the zero hours contract but employers still have ways to exploit people - generally young people and people who may have some intellectual issues. The vulnerable ones :-(

Amanda - What I don't understand is if the unemployed are to be forced into doing thirty hours work a week unpaid.
When are they supposed to be out looking for a job?

In this area there is absolutely no work to be found whatsoever.
A local small factory producing snack bars recently re-located making 110 people redundant. They have no hope of finding work.

Tec , I know nothing of the habits of Wisteria but I'm guessing it has just let you know what it likes ........ lol
I have been pruning my roses as you instructed a couple of years ago , they are budding up splendidly and I even have a few blooms out already :-D

Sue , do they have zero hour contracts in Austrailia ? they are insidious and a great tool of these multi national corporations :-(

I'm glad to know your son wised up fast and found another job .

I don't know much about African lilies - I found this plant already flowering in a garden centre. I put the pot to one side when it was finished and left it with the hopes it would come up again. I didn't expect it to now.

Yes Amanda - I keep wondering what will be left, and will the garden end up looking spent already in July/August. :-(

Because I wasn't here, things didn't get pruned this year as they usually. Consequently, I have huge rose bushes, but the wisteria is flowering better than it's ever done :-)
Maybe I should leave things alone in future :-D

It is because of her age Tec . Mind you , now that the Govenment are going to be forceing the un-employed into " work fare " 30 hours a week for their " dole " money , then wages are bound to be forced even lower down , it is modern slavery I'm afraid :-(

I've just had a read about the zero hour contracts. Dreadful and so open to exploitation :-(

When my youngest first left school he worked in a restaurant for a short while. They would call him in for a 'trial shift'. He didn't get paid and after three weeks of realising that they only gave him the work on a Friday and Saturday night he found another job.

I'm not at all sure what " African Lillies " are either :-S

My garden is a month ahead , it is looking rather splendid but I'm wondering if it will run out of steam in July instead of August like it usually does ?

Amanda - £5 an hour is an insult these days. I didn't think that was legal, but I suppose unscrupulous employers have found a way round it, maybe on account of her age.
I hope Meg finds something better paid soon

Sue, many things in my garden are at least a month early in flowering - It seems things are confused all over the world.
Should your African lily's flower, I would like a photo to identify them. :-)

I agree with you Tec , I like the sound of a " living wage " that Labour have been speaking of. My Meg ( being only 19 ) doesn't get £ 6.39 an hour , I think she gets £5 and a few pence an hour . She found out last week , that you are suppossed to get a half hour break every 6 hours ( and they dock the half hours pay ! ) , sometimes she does a four hour shift , with NO break but they have been docking half an hour anyway !! Being sensible she has always kept a detailed record of hours worked , which she has taken into work , so hopefully will get some back next wages day .

Goodnight Linda - hope Esme is good for you <3

I can't imagine a business surviving when their customers aren't happy. Isn't that what business is all about? I hope Megan finds something soon and can tell them what they can do with their jobs.

Tec - we really do need some rain here. The weather is glorious and quite warm but very dry :-(. I have a pot of African lilies and they are shooting up already. I've told them to stop but they won't listen :-0

Goodnight Linda - sleep well.

Most people working in the care industry are on minimum wage, as were the care ladies that were visiting me at home until recently.
They really do deserve to earn a lot more, considering some of the work they have to do.

There are many people having to visit the Food Banks in order to survive. In many cases they are working in low paid jobs, but just can't manage the cost of living.
I get so cross when I see them branded as scroungers.
Some may be exploiting the facility, but only a small minority.
I believe the minimum wage is to be raised to £6-50 an hour from £6-39p

Clever Eve ..... lol I hope you sleep okay Linda and that Esme is still all smiles come tomorrow <3

Yes Sue , a lot of youngsters are taken advantage of , having said that , my Meg is no " shrinking violet " , she can be very outspoken and has told the new owners that they are at risk of looseing more and more custom . The old regulars ( that are still about ) , complain to her about things because they know her from before , I told her to tell them " complain to the new manager " . Not sure if it will change anything but a buisness that ignores it's customer base does so at its peril , I would have thought ?