Holden to make major announcement to staff today

[jpd80]

Our farmers are now being treated worse than share cropper itinerants as large supermarket chains set the prices for commodities.
Fruit, vegetables, milk - you name it is all going to hell because the supermarkets engage in price discounting wars..

In the end, the ordinary consumers are offered cheap prices at the supermarket but it comes at the expense
of our agricultural business.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Our farmers are now being treated worse than share cropper itinerants as large supermarket chains set the prices for commodities.
Fruit, vegetables, milk - you name it is all going to hell because the supermarkets engage in price discounting wars..

In the end, the ordinary consumers are offered cheap prices at the supermarket but it comes at the expense
of our agricultural business.

there are massive parallels with the auto industry but its seems people only care when the cost is low.

cheap cars are destroying the local manufacturing scene but if someone suggests some sort of protection then all hell breaks loose.

many cry that is unfair to deny australians access to cheaper products from around the world and then get all patriotic over $3 milk.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by turbo4me

I point blank refuse to eat anything Chinese

i have eaten chinese, fillipino, thai, malay and others and will do again

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by prydey

there are massive parallels with the auto industry but its seems people only care when the cost is low.

cheap cars are destroying the local manufacturing scene but if someone suggests some sort of protection then all hell breaks loose.

many cry that is unfair to deny Australians access to cheaper products from around the world and then get all patriotic over $3 milk.

The cruelest thing Ford could do would be to transfer production to Thailand or somewhere else
which is effectively what they will do, that way the 2,000/mth odd combined sales still happen
albeit on global platforms but all the jobs and value adding goes to other centres..

Even worse if the US dollar keeps strengthening and puts our dollar around 70 cents inside three years time.

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by Pepscobra

No doubt Toyota are playing the same game as Holden and generating a bit of anxiety on the back of the Ford announcement. Now is the perfect time for the remaining local manufacturers to secure funding/their future while sentiment is strong. Leading into an election doesn't hurt either.

Probably won't help, Altona is not in a marginal Labor held seat.

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Is there any way you can buy direct from a farmer rather than heading into the local super market? The quality of their fruit is pretty average anyways, we usually get all our stuff from the Preston market, no idea how much better it is if at all, if they use locally grown produce.

Any farmers sell their produce online and ship it out to us?

Yep - I think it is called Famers Direct?
edit
Just goggled, Aussie Farmers Direct http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/.

[mik]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Our farmers are now being treated worse than share cropper itinerants as large supermarket chains set the prices for commodities.
Fruit, vegetables, milk - you name it is all going to hell because the supermarkets engage in price discounting wars..

In the end, the ordinary consumers are offered cheap prices at the supermarket but it comes at the expense
of our agricultural business.

While we are talking farmers, i happened to be standing next to a grape farmer some years ago ( i was there while on working holiday), a couple of supermarket suits(men in black) came to ........................evaluate his grapes...(strong arm a cheap price out of him for his goods) ,
they both worked on him and told him his grapes were a bit dry( i tasted them they were grouse), and would only give him x price for them.
For me it was blatantly obvious these blokes were there to work on him and get his price down as cheap as possible, i could see the look on his face drop, i can only imagine how hard it could be to make a quid selling to places like this,
not counting his normal staff the farmer was paying 20 odd people to pick/pack grapes while in season, pretty hard to make a quid in this country making stuff.

[In Focus]

Originally Posted by gtxb67

i have eaten chinese, fillipino, thai, malay and others and will do again

Tastes like pork, right?

[fte50]

And just 3 weeks ago I visited an orchard in Victoria's N/E with over 20 acres of cherry tomatoes turning to rot coz the orchardist basically told the buyers "GF, at that price grow it ur selves" .

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by KIWI-1

Yep - I think it is called Famers Direct?
edit
Just goggled, Aussie Farmers Direct http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/.

Unfortunately they don't deliver to my area, its a shame as on some research they are generally really good, they even do bread/milk deliveries.

There is another one I found from Gippsland but unfortunately they stopped doing deliveries.

[tweeked]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

http://www.news.com.au/national-news...-1226668091112
If it's good enough for the workers to take a pay cut, it's good enough for the boss as well..................

Around about now they will find out that the top level execs have already taken significant cuts - way back in 2009

[Lotte]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Unfortunately they don't deliver to my area, its a shame as on some research they are generally really good, they even do bread/milk deliveries.

There is another one I found from Gippsland but unfortunately they stopped doing deliveries.

Damn, AFD is great for milk and juices (we make our own bread).

We go to farmers markets, just did a quick google search and found this one:
http://www.farmersmarkets.org.au/mar...farmers-market

Depending on where in Gippsland you are though, it may or may not work for you.

We buy all our meat and veg from the markets, most of them we talk directly to the producer/grower, so it's really good. Bought eggs last month, forgot I had them, they're still in top notch condition.

[Bluehoon]

Originally Posted by KIWI-1

Yep - I think it is called Famers Direct?
edit
Just goggled, Aussie Farmers Direct http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/.

They also do all the Jenny Craig delivers for online weight management stuff.
I know, I deliver the pallets of food to them.

Some of the trucks I see unloading at South Granville have some awesomely good looking stuff in them. Friday just gone I scored a few apples, all I can say is they weren't frozen or stored in oxygen free warehouses.... -)

[Norpus]

Originally Posted by KIWI-1

Yep - I think it is called Famers Direct?
edit
Just goggled, Aussie Farmers Direct http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/.

Yup, used them for a few years now
Bread, milk, cream, bacon, delivered 2x/week in the night in whatever qty you want
Saves weight in the wifes shopping trolley

[buggerlugs]

http://www.news.com.au/technology/ch...-1226669027828
Hmmmmmmmmm..........

[Jason[98.EL]]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

http://www.news.com.au/technology/ch...-1226669027828
Hmmmmmmmmm..........

interesting read

this part paints a big picture of how close Holden are to shutting up shop ( if it come from Devereux's mouth and not that twit Dowling's )

But Holden doesn't have that long to wait. Its first multi-million-dollar investment in the early groundwork for its new-generation cars are scheduled to happen between now and June 2014, according to federal budget documents.
Holden doesn't want to spend that first instalment - estimated to be more than $150 million - if it's not going to need the factory upgrades after 2016.

[bobthebilda]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

http://www.news.com.au/technology/ch...-1226669027828
Hmmmmmmmmm..........

General Motors makes the Cruze small car in nine other factories around the world, one of which is in Thailand, which has a free-trade agreement with Australia. It's not too hard to figure out Holden could import the Cruze into Australia from Thailand and actually make a profit rather than build it here at a substantial loss.

Different year, different sob story. The reason why Holden started making the cruze in Australia, and got the $160 odd million from the governments for it, was because it was going to made profitably in Australia. Nothing has changed (in $A terms or free trade agreements) since the original announcement was made. Holden leadership simply dont think they should be subject to poor business decisions. Oops, we made a bad decision, please taxpayer, give us $200 million to pay for it.

[joeyy17]

I don't get it. Holden workers recieved a pay rise from Ranga Gillard

[Bossxr8]

Both Ford and Toyota could not figure out how Holden could make a profit on Cruze, but somehow Holden and their magical beancounters thought different. What kind of two bit operation are they running there? Holden management are stuck in the old GM pre-bankruptcy days of trying to spend your way out of trouble, and if it all goes bad just expect the government to bail you out.

[DMENTDGT]

Another fake economy from our beloved Labour party and holden making out that its profiting... How i dont know when a majority of there cars built by debt of there own...

[KIWI-1]

Holden workers getting details of voluntary separation packages at Elizabeth car plant in Adelaide

A union said many Holden workers were finding out today whether they would be offered voluntary redundancy.
About 500 workers at the car maker's Elizabeth plant in northern Adelaide put their hands up to take a package.
The number interested was about 100 more than the company sought.
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union official John Camillo said the interest in leaving showed workers were deeply concerned about Holden's manufacturing future in Australia.
"These people would rather take the VSP (voluntary separation package), move on and find a job elsewhere," he said.
"Some of them have found employment elsewhere, some haven't, but they're prepared to leave now rather than continue going through the next few months or years of uncertainty about the automotive industry."
Holden said offers made to workers could now be discussed with their families and it did not expect to finalise redundancies for several days.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-0...ckages/4802302

[prydey]

it was only a week or so ago and they were carrying on about having to do overtime for the first time in however long!

now up to 500 are no longer required. no wonder they didn't have any trouble with volunteers for the package.

regardless of all the political chat, there is no confidence in the longevity of the industry.