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Talk about Newsnight

Newsnight

Thursday, 27 September, 2007

  • Newsnight
  • 27 Sep 07, 05:35 PM

burma.gifBURMA

Reports today from Burma suggest things have taken a turn for the worse. We'll examine what - realistically -- the outside world can do to help end the bloodshed. Diplomatic Editor, Mark Urban will bring us the latest.

ELECTION

Will he, won't he? Well, would you give up your job to help Labour next week? Some activists are being asked to do so. Does that add up to an election in November? Political Editor Michael Crick will read the tea leaves.

DOMINOS

We've a follow up to our report on the conditions for some young workers in the pizza chain. The Chief Executive will respond to the new allegations and we hope to be joined by a Government minister responsible for the rights of workers.

NATALIE CLEIN

She's the first female cellist to record Elgar's concerto since Jacqueline du Pre made it her trademark in 1965, but she's having to struggle with unsought comparisons to a tragic legend. Our Culture Correspondent, Madeleine Holt talks to her about the du Pre comparison, Elgar, plus sex and sales.

Comments  Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 10:59 PM on 27 Sep 2007,
  • George Edwards wrote:

I am amazed by the Domino's pizza report. After all, it sells dreadful pizza, so why be surprised it's an apalling place to work? But perhaps stranger, the staff who have to deal with customers actually don't seem to speak English! Is that a stupid management decision, or is it?

I must declare a vested interest from the off - I work in the Domino's Pizza Press Office.

I'd simply like to draw your attention to a video news release @ and also direct those who are interested to our statement in response to tonight's piece which can be found @ www.dominos.co.uk.

  • 3.
  • At 11:48 PM on 27 Sep 2007,
  • simon wallace wrote:

For all those who have a problem with any employer the best advice i can give is be part of a union. Unite (T&G) for which i am now an officer has always supported me through out my career and give sound advice and support.

  • 4.
  • At 12:04 AM on 28 Sep 2007,
  • simon wallace wrote:

I to like Bernadette have a vested interest. I am the local union rep who brought this out in the open. I have seen the clip and yet again ask where is the evidence to prove our allegations wrong. I am truly amazed at there stance yet again when there investigation has not been open.

  • 5.
  • At 08:57 AM on 28 Sep 2007,
  • steve wrote:

Sir, Newsnight taught me two beautiful lessons, one is never to go near a Domino pizza ever again (they were never that good anyway) and second to write to my MP for our country to boycott the Beijing games if China refuses to take a tough stand against the fascist regime in Burma. I fully relise that may set our own games in 2012 to a risk of their boycot but the suffering of a whole nation at the hands of these despots would be small price to pay, besides it would wipe the smile off Coe's face and all the other freeloaders. Sincerely, Steve

  • 6.
  • At 11:26 AM on 28 Sep 2007,
  • Adrienne wrote:

#5, another perspective on the 'fascist' regime:

/blogs/newsnight/2007/09/wednesday_26_september_2007.html

  • 7.
  • At 01:31 PM on 28 Sep 2007,
  • csharp wrote:

Is it just to go to the country when a mandate has already been given? Or is it insecurity? If so then it would be unjust to go to the country and dangerous as people will think you are just insecure always looking for reassurance. The evidence is the clingy girlfriend usually ends up dumped.

Like spectators of the Roman arena we clap and cheer as the orange robed monks and folk in flip flops are put into the pit with the stick carrying internal security forces. 'How noble, what courage' we cry yet knowing somewhere something is gnawing at our conscience.

What splendid employment laws we have. So precious we keep them under lock and key in secret offices where we are told people are paid to polish them bright every day. They are not used and displayed in society but are themselves kept, ironically, unemployed.

If music displays proportion, harmony and beauty then lack of these things can be called noise. If a country lacks proportion, harmony and beauty what do we call that country?

  • 8.
  • At 03:47 PM on 28 Sep 2007,
  • The Krankies Scotland wrote:

Michael Crick's film was just so

"Och, fandabidozi!"

Putting both thumbs up and the way he directs a mischievous look at the camera.
Good old Newsnight !

  • 9.
  • At 09:26 PM on 28 Sep 2007,
  • Ayme Jones wrote:

I work for Dominos pizza, and its a fantastic place to work. There really is a great atmosphere and i think that are quality and service can not be found any where else.I have never encounted any problems working for this company which where stated in the report.

  • 10.
  • At 07:02 AM on 29 Sep 2007,
  • Simon wrote:

I to work for Dominos Pizza as a store manager in the Newcastle Group. I cannot speak about the issues regarding anything other than the Newcastle Stores.

What the interview did not mention is that the uniform and insurance deductions were only placed on new employees and NOT on existing ones. This was relayed to everyone at the time of their job interview. On the first payroll after the charges were introduced, the out-sourced payroll company DID make a mistake and charged everybody working in the group. All the money was returned the following payroll.

With regard to the 16-18 year old's for instore positions, none of the managment staff were ever told they could not employ anyone over this age, i myself have employed many staff members above this age without any complaint from the franchisee. The majority of the staff in my store are far above the age mentiond and under no circumstances are aplicants declined a job due to their age.

The majority of people that apply for a job at our store are between 16 and 22, most are students and are wanting a small amount of work to keep them going through their schooling. This fits our business perfectly as we need staff who are flexible and are only looking to work a few hours a week. Due to the store opening times, we employ very few full-time staff members and as a result of this, we do not get a vast quantity of "older" people applying for the instore positions. The majority of people older than 18 who do apply, apply for a driving position. I currently employ many drivers who are in their 30's, 40's and 50's. If we were set on only employing people of a young age, all our drivers would be 19-21, which they are not.

According to the interview, there is no minimum wage for 16-18 year olds, this is wrong. The minimum wage for this age band is 拢3.40 as of 1st October 2007. We pay far in excess of this at 拢4.25. Which exceeds the governments age discrimination by almost 拢1 per hour.
Dominos as a company are not in direct control over everything that goes on in the stores and it is the job of the Managers and Franchisees to ensure there staff have a pleasent and safe time at work. The Newcastle franchisee's do a fantastic job of this.

I am very dissapointed that a program such as Newsnight could take a company like Dominos and try to drag their name into the ground.
To take the evidence provided by a recent "Ex Manager" and spin it completely out of context along with half the story on the duduction mistake is not what i would call good journalism.
I would ask people see Dominos for the great company it really is. Take a look at what Dominos do in the local community, how they are helping the Special Olympics and not base their opinions of Dominos on the one sided interview that has tried to focus every bit of the public's attention on what in reality was an "i'll get you back for this" tactic used by an unhappy ex employee and a driver who misleadingly left out half the story.
These are my own views and are in no way influenced by the Franchisee or Dominos Pizza Group.

  • 11.
  • At 09:51 AM on 29 Sep 2007,
  • steve wrote:

Sir, Domino pizza.....methinks thou dost protest to much.....

  • 12.
  • At 11:35 AM on 29 Sep 2007,
  • Bedd Gelert wrote:

Bernadette - How thick do you think we really are ?? Do you really think we are going to believe a statement from Chris Moore about a company he has a huge financial interest in, over a documentary by a respected organisation like 成人论坛 Newsnight ??

If things are so rosy, then how come the problems investigated earlier in the year haven't gone away ?? Do you really think we are naive enough to want to do business with a company that charges its staff for the uniforms they wear ??

That thinks we believe the rather facile comment that staff must be happy since they continue working there, whereas it looks to me like they have been handcuffed in like indentured labour with financial padlocks by having to pay for a car?

Do you honestly not realise that many people in this country place a huge value on ethical considerations when choosing where to spend their money ?

Haven't you twigged that this is what got Nestle and McDonald's into such trouble ? And what influenced even a shyster like Starbucks to offer some ethically sourced produce.

Wake and smell the Fairtrade coffee! I will never be spending my money with your company until you prove to me that your ethics and values have earned it - the burden of proof is now with you to tip the balance of probability that you are addressing these things properly with you.

You might think that is unfair, but if you couldn't be bothered to talk to the complainants or their union, then why should I take anything else you say seriously ??

Twenty or more years ago there was a documentary about petrol garages who would debit 'drive-offs' to their cashiers wages, leading to a scandal where people would go home after a week's work 'owing the till money'.

I thought this primaeval behaviour was consigned to the waste-bin of history, but it seems I'm mistaken.

  • 13.
  • At 01:27 PM on 29 Sep 2007,
  • Adrienne wrote:

#12 - Well said.

Regardless of whether we like what we've seen on the streets of Burma in recent days, I suspect that what the regime is actually doing is trying to prevent the spread of some of these liberal, democractic, free-market, practices and principles to their country - ultimately at their people's expense.

As the reporter involved can I give some background to Domino's lack of response to the new allegations.
On Aug 30th the company wrote to me asserting its right to reply to any new claims. On receiving the first set of new allegations, it said it would investigate "each of these immediately"(Sept 13th).
I submitted the rest of the allegations (concerning Wolverhampton)on Sept 18th. The next day it said it had evidence the fresh allegations were unfounded.
We decided to delay transmission to give the company extra time to respond. So I was personally surprised when the company told me, this Monday, that it would not be responding to any of our new allegations, stating it had decided it would only investigate grievances brought to its attention by the union. Had it made clear its policy earlier, we would have avoided considerable delays in airing the report.

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