Banana republic

democrates

Just back from the Horse and Hound pub in cabinteely after a few pints with a friend. He was telling me stories about various business shenanigans involving the destruction on employees lives for the profit of the employers, and then in the jacks, some guy followed us in, and warned us off talking out loud about it!

He told us a brother of one of the guys involved was sitting near where we were, and that we should 'be careful'!

And there was I thinking we lived in a free country. Was my grandad wasting his time in the free state army? Sadly my mate took fright and shut up.

DublinWriter

Oh for feck sake, any eejit can earwig and follow you into a pub toilet!

democrates

Except the 'eejit' in question was sitting with the people he was warning us about.

Anyway. There's nothing really surprising in it, the funny thing was that he kept telling us "but he's in business", as if that was supposed to make us quiver in our boots.

I know another guy who's father was in the freemasons God rest him, and the official line was that they're just a few guys helping each other 'in business'. I've such respect for ordinary decent entrepreneurs, but people who think they're some kind of master race ruling the rest of us like battery hens are such a joke.

Has anyone else experienced people like this?

simu

I wouldn't go making my tinfoil hat just yet...

nesf

Some people have a nasty habit of validating their existences by the fact that they own a business. They take things like that said very personally.

Some seem to think it makes them "better" to be giving a wage rather than earning one.

*shrugs*

People are idiots. It's easier to just accept that and try to ignore them, in my experience.

democrates

You're so right nesf. I've let myself get annoyed by something I perceive as wrong (yet again), and forgot to ignore it and concentrate on doing what's right. Thanks.

DublinWriter

democrates wrote:

I know another guy who's father was in the freemasons...Has anyone else experienced people like this?

The media sector in Ireland is riddled with Opus Dei members.

Personally, regarding secret societies, I follow Groucho Marx' quote that I wouldn't be a member of any club what would accept me as a member.

People always have hidden agendas, it's part and parcel of human nature. We're also fascinated by intrugue and machinations. Don't go looking for conspiracy where there is none.

RainyDay

democrates wrote:

He was telling me stories about various business shenanigans involving the destruction on employees lives for the profit of the employers, and then in the jacks, some guy followed us in, and warned us off talking out loud about it!

So come on now & spill the beans - tell us more about the shenanigans, as yer man from the jacks doesn't read boards.ie.

lomb

Yeah tell us more about these shenigans. and they do rule us like a bunch of battery hens, for christ sake the stamp duty they pay on their properties is more than the value of the average dublin joes house

SkepticOne

Come on now, spill the shenanigans.

democrates

All that happened was the company outsourced a profitable function to avail of cheaper labour. The owners had been putting it together for about nine months. In the interim two people had gotten income statements from the company and bought family homes. Management knew their jobs were going but told them nothing and let them go ahead and take on big morgages. Their jobs were quite specialised and now those two families face serious difficulty.

Their may have been good reasons why this had to happen, and that's another isssue. It's just disconcerting to be warned off even talking about it by a goon.

democrates

lomb wrote:

Yeah tell us more about these shenigans. and they do rule us like a bunch of battery hens, for christ sake the stamp duty they pay on their properties is more than the value of the average dublin joes house

That's it, now I'm not an entrpreneur-basher, quite the opposite, most of them are admirable and inspiring, and we owe them a debt of gratidude for their contributions.

As for the lot in life of PAYE workers and the marginalised as Eddie Hobbs described in rip-off republic, I don't think the way forward is to have a go at those who are doing well (excepting scoundrels), rather to help those who are not.

If you want an inspiring read about how this can be achieved, check out Ricardo Semler, and imagine if all companies were run that way.

DublinWriter

democrates wrote:

All that happened was the company outsourced a profitable function to avail of cheaper labour. The owners had been putting it together for about nine months. In the interim two people had gotten income statements from the company and bought family homes.

It happens all the time, just look at all the American companies that set up here in the late 80's/early 90's.

democrates wrote:

Management knew their jobs were going but told them nothing and let them go ahead and take on big morgages. Their jobs were quite specialised and now those two families face serious difficulty.

In this day and age you really have to be mobile and you can't afford to hitch your wagon to one particular employer. Although tell that to the poor ex-Fruit of the Loom employees in Donegal.