Originally Posted by Chris T

And so I repeat my suggestion that your narrow-minded attitude is the very same as that which caused excessive Trade Union power and led to excessive power of the workforce over their management, thereby practically wrecking Great Britain Ltd in the 1970s. I do so hope that your much-vaunted senior management positions have never placed you in a position quite senior enough to have had any more than a local impact in setting the workplace relations clock back 30 years. I'm certainly glad that I didn't work for the world's 178th biggest company at the same time as you.

Incidentally, you are quite right, not only did the great altruists of the 19th century wish to use their own success to better the lives of their employees, they also realised that happy, well cared-for staff are also more productive staff. Good working conditions and benefits do indeed benefit the BUSINESS in many ways. So I find it all the more puzzling that you kick against the idea of 28 days paid holiday as if it were a nuclear bomb dropped on your profit margin. Again I say, if you can't absorb a measly eight days out of a working year of something like 260 days, there is something very wrong with your business.

Some people and businesses are so short-sighted it's just as well we have a Parliament that can legislate to save them from themselves.