Over six hundred of us just made redundant

[Beren]

Damn, sorry to here it. Had a company fold I was working for a few years back and it wasn't pleasant. Good luck, hope you get a reasonable package and find yourself something better.

Just remember not to do anything that might jeapordise any redundancy payments, but other than that get yourself on the market as hard and fast as possible.

 

[GarethDW]

Sorry to hear about the redundancy... I've been there too, and have the t-shirt to prove it. I'd only been in my job for 3 years at the time, so the payoff wasn't anything to write home about.

However, I was lucky and got a job after only a couple of months - especially as I had a family to feed and my nipper was only 4 at the time. In a way, it was the kick up the backside I needed, and although it took me a very long time to realise it, it was probably one of the best things (from a career perspective) to have happened to me.

What I'm trying to say is that although things may look glum at the moment, don't let it get you down and something will come up... and at least you've got a better package than I had to ride out the time till you find something else

 

[chimaera]

I bought a Hotpoint washing machine a few months ago, to be honest i wasn't impressed with the after sales support after it turned up broken, they kept sending me round and round until i eventually told them to send out an engineer or its going back to the store.

To be fair the guy was great and fixed it in 20 minutes, i'd read dmpooles posts and asked him about the job and he didn't seem to happy about how they're being treated.

Just hope it goes well for you, definitely wont be buying Indesit/Hotpoint now.

 

[Doosht]

Actually it isn't JUST poor sales, it is also that despite all the talk about our national pride, the British don't really seem to have any commitment to "Buying British". In my experience, the French, Italians, Japanese and Americans all believe that they have a responsibility to support their own industries.

I seem to recall that there was a time when Great Britain used to have a car industry? Nowadays, we tend to buy most of our cars from countries with which we were at war some sixty years ago - the same is true of motorcycles, where are the Triumphs, BSAs, Nortons, Velocettes, Vincents, Royal Enfields and Ariels of yesteryear?

To be fair the sort of machines the japs started sending over made our bikes, cars etc look like a crock of *****! Cant fault the british public for getting better value for money.

No swearing

 

[Doosht]

Is this country any good at making anything... seems to me that we are outclassed in EVERY industry?

MUSIC

 

[Dave M]

Are you honestly trying to tell me that the 1970's British Car Production workforce were diligant and hard working?

They spent more time standing around in donkey jackets outside the factory gates pointing at things than making cars, and when they did make cars, they threw them together.

As a result, our car industry died.

Is this just from bits you heard on news clips or from your studies / personal research?

I know the unions, management and government of the time were trading punches but I'm not so sure about the idea of the entire workforce being lazy good for nothing scallies.

 

[lay-z-boy]

Good luck finding a new job, where I work (royal doulton in barlaston) most of the factory has been turned off and most of the workers there have been made redundant

British production is no competition for eastern production, the few bits that are left in production is the new product lines that are doing well. Management might have been able to prevent the laying off.

 

[Yas786]

MUSIC

Debatable again...

To the OP, sorry to hear that....but chin up and hopefully you will/can find another job. Not nice being made redundant at all.

 

[QABoy]

To be honest I didn't actually know Indesit was British. Perhap they should mention this on their adverts now and then to improve sales...

Indesit are Italian. They bought the company in 2002 and slowly destroyed it.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Yeah, me and QABoy plus over 600 of our mates will soon be on the dole
Tomorrow we get a letter telling us exactly when we finish because it will be staggered and those in important jobs will have to stay.
Its just my luck that I will probably have to turn off the lights because of my job.

 

[Cyber-Mav]

At the very least I will get fifty times my weekly wage + other loyalty bonuses. It will add up to over a years wages for me. Its all tax free too.

well, id be happy with that. then take a holiday for 1 year and travel the world then get back and start another job.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Is this just from bits you heard on news clips or from your studies / personal research?

Mostly the latter - I did a 2nd year research project on the British Car Industry. The Unions, Strikes, Low productivity and poor quality workmanship as well as apalling management made UK car production uncompetitive compared to European and Japanese counterparts.

 

[kibblerok]

Arent British products more expensive?

No, you'll pay exactly the same for indesit products no matter where they are made. Any saving difference will be taken as profit/bonuses

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Good luck finding a new job, where I work (royal doulton in barlaston) most of the factory has been turned off and most of the workers there have been made redundant

Do you know Chris Hackney?
He's worked there for over 30 years and just been made redundant.
We went to see every major rock band when we were kids from Led Zeppelin to the Sex Pistols.

 

[Judge Mortis]

Because although in the UK we have an excellent selection of designers, our general workforce is, or at least always was, lazy, bone idle and known for shoddy quality.

We are to blame for our poor industry.

What an arrogant, blinkered and generalising comment from someone I will place a good sum of money on to have very little knowledge on how the world turns.

 

[[TW]Fox]

What an arrogant, blinkered and generalising comment from someone I will place a good sum of money on to have very little knowledge on how the world turns.

You could personally insult me. Or, alternatively, you could make my opinion look silly by telling us why YOU think British manufacturing collapsed.

Your choice.

It is my opinion that Unions and the low productivity of the labour force, coupled with poor management practices killed our manufacturing industry throughout the 1970's and 1980's by resulting in us being able to compete with more efficient, cheaper, foreign companies. We've made HUGE improvements over the last decade - look at Honda car production in Swindon for example - but it is too little, too late.

Whats your opinion?

 

[Edinho]

Manufacturing in the UK can survive, companies need to be smart about it, and usually specialise.

We have had various orders lost and gone to China only to come back when the Chinese are making crap. Mass production, I agree, is pretty much dead because the Chinese can do it cheaper, and cheap is all you get.

In the end the government really dont give a hoot about manufacturing, no matter what they say. But when inflation rises and the pound weakens maybe they will.

Just hope it goes well for you, definitely wont be buying Indesit/Hotpoint now.

People said the same about Dyson when they relocated, now they are cheaper I very much doubt people's loyalty or principles will stick.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Whats your opinion?

My opinion is that we can't do it cheaper because we live in England but we can do it a lot better.
Just take my word for it that if you see a cooker made by the Indesit Company in Britain which includes Creda Collection, Hotpoint, Canon, Ariston and Indesit then buy it.
If it comes from abroad then don't say I didn't warn you.

 

[Slinwagh]

I worked at a company that went bust, there were many issues as to why it failed:

• Two sites, one loss making the other covering the losses.
• Poor investment in the wrong machinery.
• Poor throughput, lower volume of product manufacture as a result of the above.
• Quality issue directly linked to the above.
• Production of new untested products "Gold dust products"
• The sacrificing of some established products for the above.
• Unrealistic leads times promised on orders again compromising quality.
• Low prices offered "To secure the next order"
• Raw material costs.

 

[Edinho]

Think the point that is being missed at the moment is the $£ exchange rate and the high oil prices is really hurting British exporters and are at breaking point.

Most of country dont understand or are just to stupid to realise whats happening when all they care about is going to Tescos and seeing Toasters and Washing Machines at stupid prices.

Anyway best of luck finding something else.