In Reply to: support the employee or the employer posted by Ashley Lavelle on February 06, 1997 at 18:13:41:
> > One less Chicken McNugget won't bring down the Evil Empire, and making a petty
> > thief into a political statement hasn't worked since Barrabus. This case was just
> > employee theft that got found out, not glorious martyrdom.> You seem to be making a lot of unfounded inferences. I didn't say that the theft of
> a chicken McNugget would lead to the fall of the 'Evil Empire'. All I said was that
> the employee in question should be supported. In this case you can either support the
> employee or the employer. Which will it be?OK. I think that we are both coming at this from basically the
same side, but our methods differ.I cannot give support to theft, no matter how it's dressed up.
It does not follow that I am supporting McD's. The way forward
for worker's rights is unionisation and publicity for the
outrages that McD's are perpetrating on the rights of their
staff. Petty thievery is not the way. I have got to admit to a
sneaking sympathy for the person who got sacked, I do think that
the management was a bit draconian, but it is still theft, and
will be perceived as such by many, including myself and any
responsible shop steward or union representative.Your aim and mine are much the same - better rights for the
employees working for the Evil Empire. The main difference
between us is that you appear to be supporting theft as a
political act, or at least a statement for worker's rights, and
I am saying that there are better ways of going about it.Let's concentrate on the staff given anti-social shifts as
'punishment' by management, the getting sacked for not working
them. Let's concentrate on whistle-blowers being hounded out of
their jobs by management. Let's concentrate on the anti-union
ethos that seems to pervade McD's. All of these can be changed
by protest and publicity. I think we agree on increasing worker's
rights and their security of employment, no matter that they
work for McD's.In answer to your point, though, on this one I have to support
the employer. Morally, if 'morality' and 'McDonalds' isn't an
oxymoron, they are in the right.