Volunteer Lock Keepers

[Laurie Booth]

More people that are without jobs, the more tax we will pay. Don't volunteer

Sue

I agree 100%

No volunteers please.

[ymu]

More people that are without jobs, the more tax we will pay. Don't volunteer

Sue

This. The rich economy to which we have become accustomed needs people who can actually afford to buy things - the mass of ordinary working people, that is. There are people who would work for less than minimum wage - and plenty who do - because if it's the only way to survive, it's the only way to survive. It doesn't make it a good thing for the economy though. Either the benefits/tax credits budget balloons, or the Tories succeed in abolishing the welfare state and we end up like India - very rich but with no internal market, with the vast majority of people working incredibly long hours for obscenely low pay, living alongside a handful of billionaires.

 

Be careful what you wish for. It might be your job/wages they come after next.

[blodger]

I agree 100%

No volunteers please.

I will not use the self check out tills at supermarkets for similar reasons.

 

Manned locks are a little different because most you can now use yourself out of hours.

 

As boating is quite expensive I can imagine quite a few folk would find operating locks attractive as an alternative or to make up for lack of remunerative work.

 

Once again, if it cuts costs rather than keeping BW directors on fat salaries why not?

 

In making the change it would be wrong of BW to make redundant staff it has hitherto felt necessary and I would hope that nobody would knowingly volunteer to fill such shoes.

[canaldrifter]

I don't see Robin Evans volunteering to work for nothing.

 

Tone

[sueb]

I will not use the self check out tills at supermarkets for similar reasons.

 

Manned locks are a little different because most you can now use yourself out of hours.

 

As boating is quite expensive I can imagine quite a few folk would find operating locks attractive as an alternative or to make up for lack of remunerative work.

 

Once again, if it cuts costs rather than keeping BW directors on fat salaries why not?

 

In making the change it would be wrong of BW to make redundant staff it has hitherto felt necessary and I would hope that nobody would knowingly volunteer to fill such shoes.

Pigs are flying.

Sue

[blodger]

Pigs are flying.

Sue

Yes, I keep forgetting we are in the real world

[Tiny]

I agree 100%

No volunteers please.

Except for the job as a director of BW or to do the chief exec or chairmans job for nowt.

Edited January 26, 2011 by Tiny

[Laurie Booth]

Except for the job as a director of BW or to do the chief exec or chairmans job for nowt.

Must admit, I would love to see a volunteer doing those jobs.

[ymu]

Now that's a nice simple direct action campaign. Let's all volunteer for the exec/board jobs! That would be a fantastic response. Not unlike UK Uncut's Big Society Revenue & Customs branding.

[Guest]

I will not use the self check out tills at supermarkets for similar reasons.

 

 

I'm not sure I'm convinced yet by the 'self serv checkout' costs jobs argument. At least in terms of job loss.

 

Most of the folk that use the ones in our local Sainsbury's and Morrison's are so inept at it they require 1 sometimes 2 staff on to oversee the four tills and to do the approvals of age restricted items.(alcohol and the like).

 

The four tills take up the space of two previous standard checkouts which would have been staffed by the same two staff anyway.

 

For me it's about them getting more folk through with the same number of staff rather than less, so whilst they might stop more jobs in a particular store being developed – I'm still not sure they actually cost jobs as such.

 

I would be interested in some hard evidence either way TBH.

[RLWP]

 

I'm not sure I'm convinced yet by the 'self serv checkout' costs jobs argument. At least in terms of job loss.

 

Most of the folk that use the ones in our local Sainsbury's and Morrison's are so inept at it they require 1 sometimes 2 staff on to oversee the four tills and to do the approvals of age restricted items.(alcohol and the like).

 

The four tills take up the space of two previous standard checkouts which would have been staffed by the same two staff anyway.

 

For me it's about them getting more folk through with the same number of staff rather than less, so whilst they might stop more jobs in a particular store being developed – I'm still not sure they actually cost jobs as such.

 

I would be interested in some hard evidence either way TBH.

 

I don't want hard evidence, I want them out. I loathe, hate and detest them with a vengeance. They are truly the works of Satan himself!

 

"Unexpected item in the checking area" indeed...

 

Pah!

 

Richard

 

I don't like them

[Guest]

I don't want hard evidence, I want them out. I loathe, hate and detest them with a vengeance. They are truly the works of Satan himself!

 

"Unexpected item in the checking area" indeed...

 

Pah!

 

Richard

 

I don't like them

 

No Richard it's folk like you that prevent the stores cutting jobs when they install them...

 

that message simply means 'you've tried to nick something by putting it in the bagging(not checking) area without scanning it..' tut tut

 

 

(or it might mean the software that runs them (must be Windows underneath all that interface somewhere) is having a bit of a 'benny' or a fly has landed in the bagging area...

 

Of course normal checkouts are thankfully still available for those that can't master them..

[RLWP]

No Richard it's folk like you that prevent the stores cutting jobs when they install them...

 

that message simply means 'you've tried to nick something by putting it in the bagging(not checking) area without scanning it..' tut tut

 

 

(or it might mean the software that runs them (must be Windows underneath all that interface somewhere) is having a bit of a 'benny' or a fly has landed in the bagging area...

 

Of course normal checkouts are thankfully still available for those that can't master them..

 

It's not can't master, it's won't master them.

 

Some of them are too bloody polite too, all those please and thank yous

 

Richard

[Guest]

It's not can't master, it's won't master them.

 

Some of them are too bloody polite too, all those please and thank yous

 

Richard

 

 

I like - 'approval needed, Approval needed, Approval needed, Approval needed'

 

Note to self - I must cut down on the booze shopping - at least the Morrisons ones have the decency to point out there is someone buying excessive amounts of booze just the once (the first time) and not shout it out for each and every bloody item..

 

Happy to concede in the main I like 'em though - I would be less enthusiastic if they'd cost somebody their job mind.

[blodger]

I like - 'approval needed, Approval needed, Approval needed, Approval needed'

 

Note to self - I must cut down on the booze shopping - at least the Morrisons ones have the decency to point out there is someone buying excessive amounts of booze just the once (the first time) and not shout it out for each and every bloody item..

 

Happy to concede in the main I like 'em though - I would be less enthusiastic if they'd cost somebody their job mind.

It is just progress. If the supermarkets can get enough people convinced it is quicker to use them and familiarised with the process then the writing is on the wall for the till girls.

 

Our town Tesco kitted out one weekend with a majority of the serve your self efforts and the queues were horrendous. A month later it was reversed but then it is a Conservative town

[ymu]

I've asked the checkout staff about them a couple of times and they both said that they were more trouble than they were worth. They certainly don't use less manpower, and being watched intently by someone to make sure I don't steal something just makes me want to steal something!

 

I saw some self-scan trolleys the other day though ... The first iterations of the technology won't be that good, but it'll get better. And then the job losses will start.

 

Boycott justified, I reckon.

 

Local shops are usually cheaper for stuff that isn't milk and bread anyway. Even One Stop Shop is - and they're owned by Tesco. One of the better aspects of CCing is that the local shops are often a lot more convenient than the supermarket, so it's easier to save money by just avoiding the damn places altogether.

[carlt]

But what about the poor old worker who is employed in the self-scanning checkout machine factory?

[ymu]

[RLWP]

But what about the poor old worker who is employed in the self-scanning checkout machine factory?

 

He's made his choice...

 

Richard

 

Time for a confession. Much as I loathe and detest those fiends in machine form, the self check out machine, I'm a great fan and enthusiastic user of the Waitrose portable barcode scanner

 

Hey, so I'm inconsistent

Edited January 26, 2011 by RLWP

[Guest]

He's made his choice...

 

Richard

 

to obvious to hook a catch surely - ?????

 

I was going to bite at blodgers till girl comment but.....

[canaldrifter]

I asked a York library assistant what she thought of the new book scanning devices.

 

Were they taking over their jobs?

 

She said, no, they actually gave them more work sorting out the mistakes that were made.

 

Tone

[alan_fincher]

I saw some self-scan trolleys the other day though ... The first iterations of the technology won't be that good, but it'll get better. And then the job losses will start.

We have had self-scanning (at the point you take an item from the shelf) with hand-held scanners in several of our local supermarkets for many years already.

 

Waitrose and Sainsburys for a long while, and some local Tesco stores are now adding them.

 

Generally they work without bother, apart from the occasional "problem item", and they not only avoid queuing for a conventional checkout, they avoid double handling every item. Once scanned it is already in our bags, ready to go in the car, or to the boat. (Of course they check you with an occasional "rescan" but it's a price worth paying for the convenience 95% of the time).

 

By comparison the Tesco attempt at self scanning stations are an absolute joke. As has been said, as many staff to sort out the issues as there used to be at the tills they replaced. And all advantage is lost to the customer, as you still have to put it all in a trolley first, then transfer to bags at the (hellish!) bagging area.

 

I can't believe Tesco have this so wrong, and hard to see it is doing them any favours. By comparison the self scan with "carry around with you" scanners they have put in at a local store recently works near faultlessly.

 

I guess it's about trust ? If you scan as you go round, it is far easier for people to "miss" scanning an item. Done at the checkout, and watched by staff, I suppose it's more likely the customer will scan every item ?

[sueb]

We have had self-scanning (at the point you take an item from the shelf) with hand-held scanners in several of our local supermarkets for many years already.

 

Waitrose and Sainsburys for a long while, and some local Tesco stores are now adding them.

 

Generally they work without bother, apart from the occasional "problem item", and they not only avoid queuing for a conventional checkout, they avoid double handling every item. Once scanned it is already in our bags, ready to go in the car, or to the boat. (Of course they check you with an occasional "rescan" but it's a price worth paying for the convenience 95% of the time).

 

By comparison the Tesco attempt at self scanning stations are an absolute joke. As has been said, as many staff to sort out the issues as there used to be at the tills they replaced. And all advantage is lost to the customer, as you still have to put it all in a trolley first, then transfer to bags at the (hellish!) bagging area.

 

I can't believe Tesco have this so wrong, and hard to see it is doing them any favours. By comparison the self scan with "carry around with you" scanners they have put in at a local store recently works near faultlessly.

 

I guess it's about trust ? If you scan as you go round, it is far easier for people to "miss" scanning an item. Done at the checkout, and watched by staff, I suppose it's more likely the customer will scan every item ?

There is no way you can trust customers to scan everything. Some will try and defraud others, like me, will be completely incompetent and make mistakes.

Sue

[alan_fincher]

There is no way you can trust customers to scan everything. Some will try and defraud others, like me, will be completely incompetent and make mistakes.

Sue

They obviously consider that the chances of people being dishonest or inept are outweighed by the staff cost savings they must achieve, though.

 

Otherwise why would they ever bother to let us use hand held scanners ?

 

And checkout staff do make mistakes too. I've bought ten of something, for example but found twelve on the bill when I got home.

[Guest]

We have had self-scanning (at the point you take an item from the shelf) with hand-held scanners in several of our local supermarkets for many years already.

 

Interesting - we used to have them oop north (Redcar Safeway had them what must be 10 years ago).

 

Strangely they have never re-appeared....