Friday, November 12, 2010

Working in a factory

Crumbs.  Some people get their thrills at little expense.

Yesterday, at 4.21 pm (nine minutes before finish time) one the machinists came in to complain that one of my prints was about 3cm off.  Then her boss came in with the same message.  Then she came in again.  I couldn't help myself.  I had to say: 'It's great to finish the week on a high note.  Thank you for that.'  Probably bitchy, but neither of them have been particularly welcoming to me in the last five weeks, so I don't care.

These two are the queen bees.  If one (by one, I mean anyone other than them) chooses to eat or drink in the tea room, one should not speak until spoken to by one of these shockers.

I've also discovered that the staff are paying for the cleaning products for the bathrooms and the tea room.  I can't believe this place.  I'm also a bit annoyed with myself for not doing anything about it.  I've been a unionist for years and this place is a shocker for bad treatment of staff.  The thing that stops me from calling attention to it is that there are lots of people employed who, if the place was run according to the award, might lose their jobs.  It's terrible.  There are women there who complain constantly about the work environment, but they've been there for 20+ years!  When I ask why they stay, they tell me that they can't get any other job.  This tells me that they've been so beaten down by their jobs that they don't have the confidence to try anything else.

Yesterday, I was using the computer in the office (the only one that works properly) to look up some stuff for my print work (probably infringing copyright but this is not an issue for management) and while I was there, the daughter of the owners was talking to her mother on the phone.  There was some quite detailed discussion of mothers bowel movements.  I really don't know what to say about that.  I suppose it means that I was invisible to the daughter.  A positive reading would be that she felt comfortable with me.  I don't think so given the way she treats me - I'm a serf!

Have just applied for another job which is walking distance of home.  Would love to get it.  It's less money, but for an organisation that I respect.  Fingers crossed.

Here's a random shot of me from the mid nineties just for a bit of a visual because I don't have any other photos of work or anything to post....

3 comments:

Ampersand Duck said...

Wow, must be really frustrating for someone as workplace-aware as you to be working there! Carry on the cutting comments, see how subtle you can make them... do they have good irony radars?

Cat Drawings said...

They don't do irony.

Have an interview for a better job tomorrow and have fingers, toes and all other relevant appendages crossed that I'll get it.

Kate Ward said...

fingers crossed with the interview x