Amazon

[fullupandslowingdown]

well. I've never worked at an amazon building, but I have worked at various curry's sites. obviously one can't state that because the standards at one business are poor, then other businesses running in similar ways, must also be poor. But I also know of a couple of people who have worked at the sports direct warehouse, and a few shop workers in their stores. So knowing what I do, I'm inclined to believe people who have criticised amazon because on balance of probability, if amazon warehouses were better places to work, then they wouldn't have such a high turnover of staff and so much bad publicity, let alone have to spend a fortune advertising jobs on telly. as a contractor if you open your eyes, you see stuff that others miss because once you're on site, you tend to get left alone to do your trickery. you see the looks of faces screaming out for decent conditions and treatment as a human being. you know by how much jollity among the workers in the queue for security at the end of the day, whether they are happy workers or abused. in my experience, in places like these, the only happy folk are some of the permanent staff on supervisor rates typically 50% over NMW. though even them aren't always happy because they're the ones caught in the cross fire between workers trying to meet targets and management pushing for ever more productivity and lower costs. Those warehouses are god forbidden places. Not where I'd ever want a permanent role, even on maintenance salary.

[carpetcleaner]

well. I've never worked at an amazon building, but I have worked at various curry's sites. obviously one can't state that because the standards at one business are poor, then other businesses running in similar ways, must also be poor. But I also know of a couple of people who have worked at the sports direct warehouse, and a few shop workers in their stores. So knowing what I do, I'm inclined to believe people who have criticised amazon because on balance of probability, if amazon warehouses were better places to work, then they wouldn't have such a high turnover of staff and so much bad publicity, let alone have to spend a fortune advertising jobs on telly. as a contractor if you open your eyes, you see stuff that others miss because once you're on site, you tend to get left alone to do your trickery. you see the looks of faces screaming out for decent conditions and treatment as a human being. you know by how much jollity among the workers in the queue for security at the end of the day, whether they are happy workers or abused. in my experience, in places like these, the only happy folk are some of the permanent staff on supervisor rates typically 50% over NMW. though even them aren't always happy because they're the ones caught in the cross fire between workers trying to meet targets and management pushing for ever more productivity and lower costs. Those warehouses are god forbidden places. Not where I'd ever want a permanent role, even on maintenance salary.

All we can do is tell people what we think of Amazon. Some people will still use them because they are convenient.

Probably the same people who buy Apple products despite the publicity about how the workers in the factories are treated.

[reohn2]

This is the brass face of unbridled neoliberalist capitalism.
Should we be surprised?

[Oldjohnw]

Talking of Apple products, it has been interesting seeing people - including very loudly a Mr Farage - getting all worked up about buying PPE stuff from China. They make their post on their iPhone, which is, of course , made in China.

Mr Farage not long ago claimed that once we'd left the EU we could do deals with China.

[Syd]

Talking of Apple products, it has been interesting seeing people - including very loudly a Mr Farage - getting all worked up about buying PPE stuff from China. They make their post on their iPhone, which is, of course , made in China.

Mr Farage not long ago claimed that once we'd left the EU we could do deals with China.

You’re not a daft person and therefore must know there is a very large difference in Chinese made products from the cheap tatt to high end stuff made under proper controls!

[Oldjohnw]

Talking of Apple products, it has been interesting seeing people - including very loudly a Mr Farage - getting all worked up about buying PPE stuff from China. They make their post on their iPhone, which is, of course , made in China.

Mr Farage not long ago claimed that once we'd left the EU we could do deals with China.

You’re not a daft person and therefore must know there is a very large difference in Chinese made products from the cheap tatt to high end stuff made under proper controls!

Of course. But Farage et Al were condemning Chinese goods per se, regardless of quality. His issue was not about quality: I assume PPE would be made to standards. But simply it being Chinese.

[Syd]

Talking of Apple products, it has been interesting seeing people - including very loudly a Mr Farage - getting all worked up about buying PPE stuff from China. They make their post on their iPhone, which is, of course , made in China.

Mr Farage not long ago claimed that once we'd left the EU we could do deals with China.

You’re not a daft person and therefore must know there is a very large difference in Chinese made products from the cheap tatt to high end stuff made under proper controls!

Of course. But Farage et Al were condemning Chinese goods per se, regardless of quality. His issue was not about quality: I assume PPE would be made to standards. But simply it being Chinese.

In theory medical devices should be made to a standard but in practice, especially outside of Europe and the US they are often not.

[Oldjohnw]

You’re not a daft person and therefore must know there is a very large difference in Chinese made products from the cheap tatt to high end stuff made under proper controls!

Of course. But Farage et Al were condemning Chinese goods per se, regardless of quality. His issue was not about quality: I assume PPE would be made to standards. But simply it being Chinese.

In theory medical devices should be made to a standard but in practice, especially outside of Europe and the US they are often not.

But would the NHS accept not approved kit?

[Syd]

Of course. But Farage et Al were condemning Chinese goods per se, regardless of quality. His issue was not about quality: I assume PPE would be made to standards. But simply it being Chinese.

In theory medical devices should be made to a standard but in practice, especially outside of Europe and the US they are often not.

But would the NHS accept not approved kit?

That would be on a case by case basis.

For example Scottish Government are looking at infusion pumps made for the Chinese market as, despite not being CE marked, may be suitable for use in general wards thus allowing their higher spec pumps to be used further up the tree.

On the other hand they quickly discarded an offer of ventilators which were very poor indeed.

[Oldjohnw]

Thanks.

[merseymouth]

Hello again, I think you'll find that folk like Al & myself don't berate all goods from the PRC, but seriously question over their dominant position in the market place?
Far too many countries have abandoned their own manufacturing base, exporting domestic jobs, thereby putting themselves totally in the hands of the PRC for an over large portion of the goods they require! not just British names, I find that my Bosch Electric Kettle originated in China, as do the vast majority of Bosch products.
So not a jingoistic complaint, but objection to the "All our eggs in one basket" manufacturing system. MM

[Psamathe]

In theory medical devices should be made to a standard but in practice, especially outside of Europe and the US they are often not.

But would the NHS accept not approved kit?

That would be on a case by case basis.

For example Scottish Government are looking at infusion pumps made for the Chinese market as, despite not being CE marked, may be suitable for use in general wards thus allowing their higher spec pumps to be used further up the tree.

On the other hand they quickly discarded an offer of ventilators which were very poor indeed.

I still remember (but maybe not 100% accurately so do double check on Google) the baby milk scandal where melamine was added to baby milk because it "fooled" the protein level tests (made protein levels test as higher than the were). Toxic but $$$$ involved and it caused tragedy (deaths and vast numbers hospitalised. Moderately recent as well.

Ian

[merseymouth]

Yes, Chinese manufacturers producing lethal baby milk substitutes! Ten month old babies needing kidney stone removal???
Nestle were bad, China was even worse! MM

[carpetcleaner]

Here's the news from a year or so ago that ambulances were called out quite a lot to Amazon warehouses.

From the Guardian for those of you who don't like doing your own triangulation to check facts and who assume that everything the Guardian prints is true.

Amazon has its excuses, but a happy and well treated workforce wouldn't be calling ambulances that often.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... ike-robots