Of course they are not comparable. In the distribution depot male colleagues can swear at each other at the top of their voice, scratch their balls and arse with impunity and eat the produce. Totally different to working in public view in a store. I should be a judge, me. --- "Asda has lost a legal battle against female store workers calling for the same pay as their male colleagues in distribution depots. The bitter dispute began when more than 40,000 shop assistants, two thirds of them women, brought the supermarket to court after complaining they were unfairly being paid less than colleagues. Today’s judgment came after Asda argued that the two job roles were not comparable."
When I was in the RAF, the WAAFs wanted equal pay but did not want to be armed. The never had to shut the hangar doors at the end of the day because it was hard work. They got equal pay in the end (and had to agree to be combatant), but the annual fitness test was still much harder for males than it was for females, so much for equality.
That article quoted is not correct. The shopworkers are male and female though a majority are female. The reverse is true of the warehouse but both men & women are employed. The question is whether the warehouse employees are doing heavier labour which is deserving a higher rate. If I were unloading trucks all day by hand, I'd want more money than someone putting small items onto shelves.
I didn't quote the whole article (because facts are boring) but it did say that. Unloading trucks and doing delicate, girly things like putting cans on shelves, equal? Still think that I should be a judge.
Even so, the headline is heavily implying a case of gender inequality has been won, when this may not be an issue at all.
From what I’ve seen whilst working at the back of supermarkets it’s taken from the trucks either unbroken on a pallet or roll off cages. Then it’s taken inside to be stored or put on shelves. Only once it’s gone to the shop floor does it become ‘just shelf stacking’ someone has to take it from the truck into the back room. IMO both tasks are comparable, from what I’ve seen working for a supermarket shop floor is grim and not something I’d wish on anyone for the reward they get.
There are no boys and girls jobs anymore everyone is trained to do everything even trolley retrieval and unloading the lorries.
I guess that times change. When I lived in Thornbury, the Tesco there had trolley retrieval as the sole preserve of the Polish. I guess that there are no polish there anymore but just "trolley skirts"!
I worked in an Asda Warehouse part-time when I was a student. But in a larger store, not a distribution hub. You know you've done an evenings work when you've been handballing trays of 24 tins of baked beans around all evening. As warehouse operatives we did have a higher pay grade than shelf fillers, but it was very neatly justified by the requirement for all warehouse operatives to be put through a 3 day residential course to gain a Forklift truck licence. Once qualified you jumped a pay grade, maybe even a couple, I can't remember. Simple. Having the Forklift Licence proved very useful for getting temporary and other holiday work later on, and actually I was very grateful to Asda for many years for putting me through the course. Nasher.
Anyone who is capable of fulfilling the role or carrying out the task. Regardless of gender, colour, race or creed, should get the financial reward that goes with the job.
I worked down in the Falklands years back. Loads of RAF personnel and there were some right fat bastards among them. Didn’t look like there were any fitness tests going on down there.... Not all of them granted. A lot were into fitness but it did surprise me to see chubs lardy here and there.
In this instance -warehousing at Asda- every warehouse emplyee recieves the same rate of pay and this is not questioned. This case is not about any gender or other discrimination whatsoever within the role. The claim is made by shop staff that working on the shop floor, is as hard/demanding as working in the warehouse, and that the rates of pay for both roles should be made equal.
I'd say they both work hard, but in different ways. The warehouse is physically demanding work to often tight deadlines and urgent requirements. Working in the shop environment is less physically demanding, but can you imagine the mental stress of dealing with questions from the average Asda customer. Nasher.
