# Social Category > General Chat Forum >  Threats To Boycott Woolworths!

## Nigel Hamilton

This is very interesting........ and this article got me thinking, will my children ever get a job in this country. 

I am not debating the policies, just a simplistic question....will they get jobs

http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Retai...olies-20120905

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## Just Gone

Yes it is interesting, but not new - I can't remember when last I have seen a white person working for Woolworths.

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## tec0

Well this was actually on our local radio too. I already closed my account with them and don’t support them anymore. I did this when they tried to take a soft drink manufacturer idea and made it their own. 
But I have a feeling that you will see more cancelations in the near future. Will our children get work?  

Well crappy sucking jobs yes there are tons of those jobs available that actually cost you more to work than anything else, and the pay doesn't justify the financial effort. It is fact and it is a sad situation. 

But for a good job that is has a future? No… They will never see the opportunity if they are a minority in this Country this is also fact.

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## adrianh

@Nigel - Your children will not get jobs in this country. My youngest daughter wants to become a VET. Friends of ours, whose daughter just finished matric with brilliant grades was turned away from Onderstepoort because their white quota was filled. Both my daughters have been accepted at a good girls high school and I fully expect them to move to the UK or OZ once they have completed matric. I will be happy to see them go because my brother in law is in the UK, my brother in Namibia, my sisterr in OZ and 90% of my and my wife's school friends scattered all over the world. 

My youngest daughter asked her teacher (late last week) why there are racial quotas and her teacher said it is because "those other people are stupid"...I for one will not argue with her teacher because I am unable to think of a more suitable answer to give a 11 year old girl born into a so-called "non-racial democratic society"

There is simply no future for a young white person in this country. The only prospect that a young white person has in this country is to study hard and save for a plane ticket to go abroad.....

I've been following the entire Woolworths saga and this is what I have to say to them: 

"Woolworths will accept money from a young white male for their vastly overpriced products but they will not let him pack their shelves. No problem, my daughters (who will marry those young white men one day), will spend their, and our money at the corner cafe where young white people are still allowed to work"

In conclusion....a message to this country as I see it looking through the eyes of a young white person growing up today: UP YOURS!

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tec0 (05-Sep-12)

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## tec0

I agree with adrianh on this one…

They can take their store/franchise and stick it where the sun don’t shine. If a minority is not good enough to work there then a minority is not good enough to shop there…

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## Blurock

Can the management of Foolworths not see who's money they are taking at the till? :Confused:

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## ians

Woolies is not that stupid, they know white people will keep shopping its a status thing for white people to shop at woolies, none of the stores i shop at, have any white people employed, but we all keep shopping. There is no ways whites will boycot woolies.

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## Nickolai Naydenov

That's just ridiculous OMW

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## adrianh

I can't see why shopping at Foolworths is a status symbol, their products aren't any better than the Spar. Our local Spar has a stunning bakery and they have one token white packer too....

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## AndyD

Woolworths hands are tied by the law. They have to fill quotas according to race otherwise they get large fines at the very least. If they were under the prescribed quota for black employees in the departments where they were filling the posts what choice do they have?

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Nickolai Naydenov (05-Sep-12)

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## wynn

Anyway what is the madam going to make for supper?

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## Just Gone

> There is simply no future for a young white person in this country. The only prospect that a young white person has in this country is to study hard and save for a plane ticket to go abroad.....


I'm sorry adrian - I do not agree with you on this one.  Here is my reasoning ......
My wife owns a recruitment business .......... She has had the best two years of the business - there are plenty jobs out there for all colours.  There are still a few companies that want BEE, but most companys want good QUALIFIED people.  There is some shortage of good qualified people but that does not mean that there is no work out there !!

On the other hand she is finding it more and more that people just dont want to work.  White children leave school and expect to earn big bucks -- they are not prepared to start at the bottom after perhaps getting a degree and then work there way up.  You will not believe the problems she encounters with candidates looking for a job from not pitching for and interview with her company - to not pitching for the interview with the client - to arriving late - to saying its too far for them to work - to not being able to get hold of them on their cell phones to go for a second interview - to lying about their qualifications or their itc record - to ........ I could go on.

I am not generalising but this is happening more and more .  Her problem is not finding clients - her problem is finding the right person for the job.  Yes companies are getting more fussy about who they employ, but believe me when they find the right person they grab them.  

My daughter recently qualified as an attorney last year - I have told her with no doubt that she must start at the bottom, gain experience, show your employer that you WANT to work and learn and slowly work her way up.  Because of this she has already networked and been approached by law firms.

So yes there is perhaps less work out there than before ......... but there is plenty of opportunities for kids that are prepared to work - go out there - start with a lower salary to prove themselves and work your way up !

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## Blurock

Kevin, I have the same experience. 

Maybe its the way that we bring up our kids. Kids compete with branded clothes and accessories and never do a stitch of work to earn pocket money. They just live on the handouts from the parents who are too lazy to get involved any way. It is apparently easier to give the kids money to get lost and not trouble them over the weekends, than to get involved with the kids' hobbies, sports, activities and friends. :Stick Out Tongue:

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## tec0

I remember we had this argument before... The reality is you dont get to start at the bottom you start at the top in the deep end of the shark pool AND you get paid as if you started from the bottom. 

I say this because people are no longer interested in showing the new employee the ropes. They must jump in and perform as if they did the job for a 100 years or more. Now I can point at 7 companies that do this. Two of them massive industry giants.   

It is a game they play and sometimes they end up facing the CCMA but most of the times they dont. They get away with it. They always do... A good example is actually found on this forum. An apprentice being held liable for damages! If you ask them about the quality control and insurances they magically disappear or it is not relevant... That just highlights the facts as they are.

Other than that it is easy to say someone is lazy. Truth is you car need regular maintenance and your phone needs air time. Both are not provided for when you start a new crappy job. Thus making the job itself unaffordable. I remember we had a massive argument about this but the truth is your basic income must enable you to take care of the basics. Some cases they do others they dont. 

Now I am not saying you dont get the lazy lot... You do but you also get those that are willing to work but the job is not worth it because they cannot afford it to work this is a real actual problem. Now if we had better public transport this may well change. If our basic living standards where cheaper this situation may well change.

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## adrianh

I agree with you in many ways. I just advertised a post and received CV's from some people who are clearly not interested in working.

but...the deck is stacked against young whites from the outset. I will far rather have my girls start out with a clean deck than with a deck stacked against them.

A familiy member who did an LLB couln't find work in SA paying more than R3.5K to start. He eventually moved to the UK and started at R20K. He is now qualied and will never return.

The problem goes deeper than just oppertunity for employment. BEE creates problems for both blacks and white. A qualified white person can't get the job and a qualified black person is seen as a token placement. The other thing is that of the way young people perceive the country. How could a young white person possibly have a positive outlook towards this country. They are openly discriminated against wherever they go.

I think that a young white person could make their way through life in this country is they choose to stay and fight the system but why, why should one live a life in a country that does not value you as a person. It is like being married to a horrid partner, you could stay and fight because you love that person or you could cut your ties and look for a better relationship. I want my girls to fulfill their potential, if they choose to go abroad and do it there I would certainly back them. There is nothing at all that binds us to this country, the country has no regard for us, the country is like a drug addicted partner, it just takes and takes and gets upset when you don't keep giving.

What's the bottom line (to me anyway) I don't believe that one should stay in an abusive relationship. The relationship that this country has with white young people is openly abusive because the country treats them as second class citizens.

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tec0 (06-Sep-12)

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## Just Gone

adrian just bear in mind that earning R20k in the UK is not the same as earning it here - rent is high etc etc etc.

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## Just Gone

My wife and I would go out for dinner in Jhb costing around R500 on average.  When in the UK it would cost us around 90-100 pounds for the equivalent meal.

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## adrianh

I agree, R20K in the UK is not R20K in SA. The fact of the matter remains that he earns more there than he does here and he is not working as a glorified filing clerk. You must remember that I have family and friends living in the UK so I am fully aware of prices there. My wife went over last year to visist her brother. No matter how you cut it, every singe person that I know that went over is happier and doing better than what they were here. Not a single one of them want to return or will return.

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## Blurock

tec0 does have a point. It costs a labourer up to 40% of his wages to get to work. It therefore does not pay for him to work half day, as the transport costs for a full day and a half day is the same.

I have had this argument with one of my manufacturing clients who insisted that staff come in on a Saturday morning (just to make up the weekly hours). Nothing much happened on a Saturday and they were given menial tasks to keep them busy. 

We later agreed to work an additional hour from Monday to Friday and have Saturday off, which saved one day's transport cost. Needless to say, productivity increased immediately. :Wink:

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tec0 (06-Sep-12)

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## Nickolai Naydenov

http://mg.co.za/article/2012-09-06-viva-woolworths-viva

A mail and guardian article from one really shallow writter on the matter

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## ians

Spar doesnt have a card which can put you into debt for your food.

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## Phil Cooper

The press published a blog from a Woolworths employee last night.

She states that a) she is White, b) recently employed, and c) is interviewing people for jobs at the moment - of all races, including whites.

VERY angry - she says this is an urban legend being blown up by the ill-informed.

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## tec0

> If only all those South Africans now expressing outrage at Woolworths for implementing an employment equity plan in terms of the Employment Equity Act had been similarly outraged at racial discrimination during Apartheid. If only they had taken part in boycotts of the South African Police Force and Defence Force and had boycotted all the companies who *helped to prop up the Apartheid state*.


I was wondering when we will see this Source

Now I cannot help but wonder if this "reporter" actually figured out that how many people wasn’t really born in those times and that they had nothing to do with the decisions that was made?

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## Just Gone

Well I was born then ........... lived thro that period and went to the army in that period ............. I think a lot of people here on the forum is the same.

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## tec0

And how many of the choices made back then was yours? And how many of those choices were made by your leaders?

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Nickolai Naydenov (07-Sep-12)

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## Justloadit

The problem here is not Woolworths, but our racist government. If after 18 years in power, they still can not take control of their own free will, with out bringing in racism and protectionism accompanied by nepotism and corruption, then there is really no hope for South Africa.

Why do my children have to be subjugated under this racism called BEE, when they were born n the supposedly racist free and democratic South Africa.
If they continue to burn down schools, and prevent their children from going to school in some protest or other, they they must remain where they are, and leave the minority groups alone, who wish tomake a good life for themselves.

If you don't have the skills for the job, then move over and allow someone else who does, irrespective of your race or colour!

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Blurock (08-Sep-12), Nickolai Naydenov (07-Sep-12)

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## Justloadit

I have been thinking about this thread, and believe that we should start making everyone aware of the fact that our current government is racist, and we need to make a stand, or else our children will suffer, because they will never get employed.

Whilst our vote may be lost in the sea of votes, we can use our finances to make ourselves heard. So I will be boycotting Woolworths, so that we can start making the public aware of this racist job equity that has been passed into law by our parliament.

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## Just Gone

tec way back then we all had choices..................

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## tec0

> tec way back then we all had choices..................


No, No one had any choice. In anything really... The easiest way to blind someone is to make them believe that they have choice. Now I know you don’t think much of me but please think about this. Every campaign had there “truth” it was single minded and directly aimed at people’s fears. It was exploited back then. And today we just see more of the same.

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## Blurock

> No, No one had any choice. In anything really... The easiest way to blind someone is to make them believe that they have choice. Now I know you dont think much of me but please think about this. Every campaign had there truth it was single minded and directly aimed at peoples fears. It was exploited back then. And today we just see more of the same.


We can not blame everything that goes wrong on apartheid. We've had enough time to change the world that we live in, so no more excuses.

White people exercised their choice by voting for change. The NP had no choice but to hand over power. For too long people were fooled by the communist threat, the catholic threat and the "swart gevaar". The politicians lied to us, but in the end truth prevailed.

The ANC and their alliance partners are now using the same racist rhetoric to fool the masses and to keep the elite in power. The truth is however slowly revealing itself and people are realising just how wrong and how politically bankrupt the ANC is. The time has come for all South Africans to stand together, to kick out the politicians and to start building a nation. The chickens are coming home to roost.... :Yes:

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## Justloadit

With the continuation of the deterioration of our schools, there will never be sufficient learned students from the majority of our population to take up the managerial positions that are available.

You have to have the education and be proficient in management skills to be chosen and manage these positions. The continuation of the ANCYL and even members of the ANC, blaming the whites as always being in power, or have the money is to de-focus the population from the true reason of failure of the present elected government for not being able to fulfill these positions.

had the elected government taken education as a priority when it went into power, then lets say that a 13 year old learner at the 1994 milestone, would have started in the secondary education cycle, and by age 18 was ready for tertiary education, the leaner would have been sufficiently educated to enter into the managerial market as a freshmen by age 22. This would have been some where around 2003. By the time the learner reached 30, he would be ready for senior management, around 2010.

However with the collapse of the education system, highlighted by the non delivery of text books in the Limpopo province, only exacerbates the lack of educated young adults of the majority of South Africa for years to come, in fact decades from now.

Standing on a soap box, and making racist remarks that the whites are in control, simply shows that the current elected government have failed their electorate, and that it is so much easier to resurrect the racist remarks that we hear on a daily basis.

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Blurock (10-Sep-12), Dave A (10-Sep-12)

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## adrianh

I see on ETV tonight that we are ranked no 140 out of 144 countries in terms of quality of education. We are on parr with Libya....

So its the whites fault that my daugher is now taught rubbish at school...okey dokey...

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## Dave A

Forget racial discrimination in employment practices for a moment. Is it true that 97% of Woolworths customers are white?

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tec0 (10-Sep-12)

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## IanF

In the Woolworths stores I go to, when I am feeling rich it seem more like a 30/70 split. But I don't go that often.

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## ians

> Forget racial discrimination in employment practices for a moment. Is it true that 97% of Woolworths customers are white?


Look at it this way, woolworths has no white staff visible in any of the stores i visit ( i visit 3 different stores depending on where i am working), and the number of white customers is normally the majority, i would say a ratio of customers, 10 white to 1 other being indian, black or coloured. Something to consider i only visit during the day, so i dont know what the ratio is in the afternoon or weekends. I think it depends on the store and time of day.

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## Dave A

I'm always suspicious when hard numbers get presented as fact when they're not supported by hard evidence. But I expect we can agree that anecdotal evidence strongly suggest the vast majority of Woolworths clients are white.

From there my internal line of questioning went along the lines of "what does this tell us, and about whom?" 
Sign of an unbalanced society? Yes.

And that's where the easy questions and answers stop - and where most people's thinking seems to stop too. Here are some tougher questions:

Sign of something that Woolies is doing wrong in their market positioning?
Does something need to be done to make this imbalance more racially representative of the general populace?
If yes, what should one do to correct this imbalance?

Now on that last one, if we were to take the EE approach, we should promulgate a law that only allows two white people in the door for every 8 black people through the door.

Will it fix the numbers? Yes.
Will it fix the problem? I suggest your answer to that depends who you are.
Is it the right way to go to normalise the numbers?
 :Oops: 

The problem (racial number ratios) is not the problem - it's a symptom of the *real* problem. 

Does attacking the ratios directly solve the underlying problem if you don't do anything to cure the underlying problem?

If the underlying problem is the unequal distribution of means (read _earnings_) to enable equal access to discretionary choice, shopper quotas will fix the symptom - it does nothing to solve the underlying cause of the symptom.

And I suggest much the same applies to EE.

This is where I'm right behind Justloadit's post above in particular - it all starts with the quality of basic education. It is the single, most important thing government can do to affect the average outcome of the general populace - give them a great foundation as a springboard for their future (rather than making temporary props, and in the end being forced to reinforce them or even make them permanent).

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Blurock (10-Sep-12)

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## tec0

> AT EXACTLY 7.20pm on Thursday, I received a letter from Woolworths CEO Ian Moir. In the letter he reassures me that the racism that Woolworths is accused of is actually affirmative action and employment equity. Fair, then.
> 
> But why is Woolworths going out of its way then to "allay" the fears in me? I am not even participating in the so-called boycott by Solidarity. And if the company is following employment equity to the T, why apologise and reassure me ? Is employment equity not a legal statute and a government redress programme, also enshrined in the Constitution? So, what is this?
> 
> Here is my take. Woolworths and all other South African companies (put the South African Rugby Union and South African Airways in the mix) are cowards. Yes. Is the minority, who have lots of money, more important than the aspirations of millions of people? Is the 5% of the population more important than the other 95%? Is Solidarity voting with its wallet?
> 
> Can I demand that Woolworths retracts the statement or else? Why is Woolworths falling for the school-boy bulling of Solidarity? Is Woolworths clientele only Solidarity members? Well, I am not and I spend quite a bit at Woolworths. Should we sit around watching the aspirations of the majority being stifled because they do not have the "pulling power" of money?
> 
> What is the difference here compared to the situation at Marikana/ Lonmin? Had the miners belonged to the same race group as Solidarity, would their strike have been resolved by now? I guess, or else we withdraw our investments. This is sad.


Source

A lot or relevant questions here and very little answers?

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## tec0

> Dear Woolworths customer. You may be aware that over the past few days Woolworths has been accused of racist recruitment practices  specifically, of not employing white people.
> 
> We want to reassure you that this is simply not true.
> 
> The rumours apparently were sparked by some of our recruitment ads that designate certain posts for certain groups, and are being fuelled by an organisation that has called on its members to boycott us.
> 
> We thought youd like to hear the facts:
> 
> n Woolworths does employ white people. We employ women and men of all races, as well as people with disabilities, and will continue to do so.
> ...


Source


The other side of the coin? 

Now I cannot help but wonder if the job advertisement...  :Hmmm:

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## Dave A

A classic in the art of manipulative word play.




> Dear Woolworths customer. You may be aware that over the past few days Woolworths has been accused of racist recruitment practices – specifically, of not employing white people.
> 
> We want to reassure you that this is simply not true.


As far as I know, Solidarity accuses Woolworths of unlawful, unfair *racial discrimination*, not *racism*.

Probably a good time to point out the difference between 

racism: the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races

and 

racial discrimination: "The term "racial discrimination" shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life".

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## Just Gone

> As far as I know, Solidarity accuses Woolworths of unlawful, unfair racial discrimination, not racism


And plenty of people will still shop in Woolworths - why ?  because their food is better - they have a higher standard than some of the others - they remove food when it reaches its expiry date, not move it to the front so hoping that the next customer will buy it - I have seen them remove food on more than one occasion on the exact expiry date - so people say what they want - they will still continue to shop at woolies - my wife and myself included.

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## tec0

I had about 9 pages typed out and just deleted them all... Our own new news agency is pushing propaganda!!! So what is the point? The truth will never come out.

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## ians

> And plenty of people will still shop in Woolworths - why ?  because their food is better - they have a higher standard than some of the others - they remove food when it reaches its expiry date, not move it to the front so hoping that the next customer will buy it - I have seen them remove food on more than one occasion on the exact expiry date - so people say what they want - they will still continue to shop at woolies - my wife and myself included.


Funny you should say this, a friend of mine got cancer a couple of years ago, she was given six months to live, but once they did the operations, informed her she only had a couple of months. The doctor instructed her to stay away from certain food, and woolworths food was on the list, she did and managed to live 2 more years.

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## Just Gone

> Funny you should say this, a friend of mine got cancer a couple of years ago, she was given six months to live, but once they did the operations, informed her she only had a couple of months. The doctor instructed her to stay away from certain food, and woolworths food was on the list, she did and managed to live 2 more years.


Wow really ians ....... that is interesting to know - would you know what kinds of food they were talking about, because I have always throught that Woolies has a high standard and only buy the food from the best out there ?

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## Just Gone

> I had about 9 pages typed out and just deleted them


9 PAGES !!!! ..... well in a way I am glad you deleted it - not sure if I could have got thro that !!!  :Wink:  ....... but I'm sure you felt better after that ....

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## ians

> Wow really ians ....... that is interesting to know - would you know what kinds of food they were talking about, because I have always throught that Woolies has a high standard and only buy the food from the best out there ?


I was also surprised when they told me, because i also thought the food was of a high standard. If i recall it had something to do with stuff they use to keep the food fresh for longer. They use to go to a farm stall to buy the food. 

I did electrical maintenance in some of the stores for a period of time and also noticed how they would dump old stock etc on a daily basis. Even the ice cream and stuff if it went below a certain temperature had to be dumped. 

I eat woolworths food all the time and especially enjoy the liver spread and toast.

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## Blurock

> I was also surprised when they told me, because i also thought the food was of a high standard. If i recall it had something to do with stuff they use to keep the food fresh for longer.


Please don't quote me, but I have heard that they wash or wipe fruit & veg with chlorine to keep it fresh for longer. Is that true?

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tec0 (13-Sep-12)

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## IanF

Doesn't chlorine evaporate quickly, so it is not there when you buy the food. Especially when you dilute it.

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tec0 (13-Sep-12)

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## ians

By the time the food arrives in the store it is already prepacked and sealed, so i have no idea what happens behind the scenes. We in SA dont get export quality products, we get the left overs, could it be that Woolworths on the other hand get export quality food and thats why they stand out from the competitors.

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## Mike C

Quite a long time ago we heard that Woolies food is irradiated to keep it fresher for longer.  Don't know whether it is true or not, but might have a link to it being on the list that ians mentioned.

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## cyppok

> Quite a long time ago we heard that Woolies food is irradiated to keep it fresher for longer.  Don't know whether it is true or not, but might have a link to it being on the list that ians mentioned.



http://www.ehow.com/facts_5890559_argon-gas-used-food-processing_.html

I remember watching a documentary on industrial processing etc... In some way a lot of things are "zombified" to slow the progression of decay, but as soon as you open the container and oxygen gets in the process of decay is very rapid. It is like a mummy being exposed to time and elements in a fast forward fashion. In some aspect 

You might also try to search for "hydrogenated fat" basically they are 'expanded' for more bulk/weight etc at the cost of your health here ya go link
http://www.umm.edu/features/tips.htm




> Trans fatty acids are also called hydrogenated fats. When you add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil and then add pressure, the result is a stiffer fat, like the fat found in a can of Crisco. Trans fats are also called hydrogenated fats. Public health experts warn that these kinds of fats clog arteries and cause obesity.


They add other stuff besides argon for letuce packages and other veggies don't remember though.

Processed meat is usually a lot of filler and normal meat is generally ok I think.

*Argon* 
*Hydrogenation*
There ya go. http://www.time-to-run.com/nutrition/worstfoods.htm (I don't believe in running but walking is ok)



> *Olestra*
> Olestra is a fake fat, used to make non-fat potato chips and other snacks. You’d think, with all the bad rap fat has gotten, a non-fat fat would be great. But Olestra has been shown to bind with fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D and K and carotenoids — substances thought to keep the immune system healthy and prevent some cancers — and to eliminate them from your system. Proctor & Gamble, the company that produces olestra, has acknowledged the problem with vitamins A, E, D and K and is now fortifying it with them. Olestra has also caused digestive upset in some people, especially when they eat a lot of it. Often, it’s not just fat in the potato chips that causes problems for people; it’s the fact that they are displacing healthier foods, such as fruit, so Olestra can just perpetuate an unhealthy habit.
> 
> *Nitrates*
> 
> Many foods, especially cured meats such as bacon and hot dogs, use nitrates to preserve color and maintain microbial safety. Nitrate is harmless, but it can convert to nitrite, which can form nitrosamines, a powerful cancer-causing chemical, in your body. Whenever possible, look for nitrate-free preserved meats. When you do eat foods containing nitrates, have a glass of orange juice at the same time (for instance, orange juice with your morning bacon). Vitamin C is known to inhibit the conversion to nitrosamines in your stomach.


(Nitrate is not harmles... in my view)

*Monosodium glutamate*, also known as sodium glutamate or *MSG*
Not sure how bad it is but some of my friends have reactions to it and it basically makes you think the food you are eating is yummy due to hormone imprinting taste (while the food could be crap)....

There are a few others but I am sorry these 5 are what comes to mind.

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Dave A (20-Sep-12)

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## Dave A

> Often, it’s not just fat in the potato chips that causes problems for people; it’s the fact that they are displacing healthier foods, such as fruit, so Olestra can just perpetuate an unhealthy habit.


I suspect that applies to many aspects of "healthy" eating.

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## ians

There is a time in a persons life when you need to start looking at certain things, 18 for example you shouldnt be worrying about heart attacks, but when you get to your late 40s, then it is time to start taking note. I have reached that point, late 40s, this year alone i have been rushed to ER twice for chest pains.

I have been watching a dvd some gave me yesterday, about health and foods we eat, health care and stats on deaths from heart related incidents, cancer etc. I must say it has been a bit of an eye opener. Some of the tested carried out on rats and what they use to make the rats fat so that they can do the experiments, and yes it is what we, or should i say a large population of the world eat. 
They go into deatil about "fat free" products, sugar, i think it was msg, but stand to be corrected.

One of the things which stood out the most in the DVD and i am gulit of this, you are prepared to spend R4000 a month on a nice motor vehicle , yet spending a R1000 looking after your health is just not part of your monthly budget. What good is the motor vehicle to me if i die of a heart attack. 

I have decided to do some research into a healthier life style, whether or not i  actually change my lifestyle, only time will tell, if i live long enough. 


I am not looking for a diet, been there and done that, lost 20 + kg walked my way to a healthier way of life, but lost the way and am back, 30 kg heavier and as lazy as can be. Waking up at 4.30 am is just not part of my daily routine anymore. It is so sad, in fact it is depressing, to a point that i just dont have the motivation anymore to get up and just do it. Maybe a heart bypass will spook me enough to get me off my lazy ass.

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## Phil Cooper

I think those that now boycott Woollies are being short sighted...

Woollies are bound to the law as far as staff is concerned - as are every company operating in our reverse-Apartheid country, which is the only country in the world which is ruled by a majority government which feels it is necessary to legislate to protect the majority from the minority.

However - EVERY shop you buy from is having goods delivered by carriers who are (almost certainly) only employing Black drivers, collecting goods from Warehouses almost fully staffed by Black staff, which are packed by black staff, after being bought to the packing area by black drivers, who collected the raw material and foods picked by black workers on farms.

Woollies were honest enough to advertise what they needed to do to comply with legislation over which they have no control, and are being hammered for it.

Would it have been better to have let everyone come for the interviews, wasting the time and petrol of all the White applicants who they could not employ anyway?

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## Pap_sak

Try to find a sport you actually enjoy - for me tennis but tried badminton which is also a lot of fun. I have a fairly decent home gym at home, I walk past it a few times a day... :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## cyppok

> I suspect that applies to many aspects of "healthy" eating.


They kinda forget to mention a pre-disposition to diarrhea when you consume olestra.
how to cure diarhea caused by olestra
Other stuff too its not just displacement of healthy foods.

hydrogenated fat makes you feel full and content but in the end your body cannot break down most of it so it gets "deposited" and in a certain aspect you eat more but use less.

Phil Cooper, I have a very simple aspect you may not be looking at.

When commercial large scale businesses suffer from monetary impact due to actions within OR without their control. They tend to lobby the gov't for change. If you hurt their business monetarily harshly enough they will push for reforms that alleviate that hurt.
Granted Woolworth is being singled out in a sea of other firms that do the same thing, but realistically speaking you can only impact things on the margin if you are a minority (cant hurt everyone's pocket). Thus it makes sense to pick someone specific, amplifies the potential damage and makes others question the impact and how it could affect them.

A somewhat divide and conquer approach to a degree.

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## Justloadit

> I think those that now boycott Woollies are being short sighted...
> 
> Woollies are bound to the law as far as staff is concerned - as are every company operating in our reverse-Apartheid country, which is the only country in the world which is ruled by a majority government which feels it is necessary to legislate to protect the majority from the minority.
> 
> However - EVERY shop you buy from is having goods delivered by carriers who are (almost certainly) only employing Black drivers, collecting goods from Warehouses almost fully staffed by Black staff, which are packed by black staff, after being bought to the packing area by black drivers, who collected the raw material and foods picked by black workers on farms.
> 
> Woollies were honest enough to advertise what they needed to do to comply with legislation over which they have no control, and are being hammered for it.
> 
> Would it have been better to have let everyone come for the interviews, wasting the time and petrol of all the White applicants who they could not employ anyway?


Hi Phil,

I have no issue with who is employed, and who does the job, what I have an issue with, is the outright racist manner which our government has put this in place, and threatening huge fines if not complied, causing the situation that not the best person for the job is employed, but preference was given to skin colour. We have supposed to have moved on from apartheid.

Interestingly my wife overheard one of the Woolworth's black ladies complaining to another employee after an encounter with a customer "It's not my fault that I am employed here....." and then she keep quite when she saw my wife.

The fact is that as a minority group, we have no chance using voting as a means to make a change, so we need to enlighten the masses of the damage that this is doing to our society by making noise when situations like this are presented. Had there not been the reaction to this that we experienced, no one would be the wiser.

Maybe as a minority group, we may feel that we are too privileged to do anything about, because one day it will be forgotten or removed. The fact here is, if there is not a lobbying started to highlight this, nothing will happen, and our children will be the ones to suffer. We need to rally as many people as possible, through all walks of life to oppose this type of thinking. Certain positions in business are only gained with experience from your journey to that position, and not purely because it was given to you.

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Blurock (22-Sep-12)

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## Blurock

It is not only whites that are affected. Indian and coloured people are now finding that they are not black enough, so they do not qualify for a job or a promotion due. 

My view has always been that diversity is good and keeps you on your toes. The best person for the job is the only way to ensure good products and service. There are enough educated and intelligent black people who can compete in the jobs market without racism having to be applied everywhere.

The worst thing that you can do to an employee is to expect him or her to work under someone who is not qualified for the job, whether that person be black, white or blue.

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## Phil Cooper

Hi

A friend of our is the major supplier / packer for Woolworths in SA. I spoke to him about the Chlorine cleaning on the week end.

He says ALL fresh produce that is eaten raw - lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, etc., have a bath in a Chlorinated water dip prior to packing, It is a VERY weak mix though - something like 2 parts per million.

This is NOT restricted to Woollies food - all suppliers do the same. It is necessary due to certain earth-based bacteria which if eaten, can and will give you severe diarrhea and other nasty consequences, which in elderly or youngsters can cause death.

However, it will largely dissipate before consumption, and a brief wash-off under a running tap will remove any dregs.

As far as meat, etc. is concerned, there is definitely no irradiation!

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## Didditmiself

This thread is a bit old but still so relevant!! The day the Woolworths story broke, my family and I decided 'that's it - no more shopping at Woolworths' Since then, they've probably lost quite a few white customers and they've done their utmost to justify their employment policy that that is not what they meant to say and blah blah blah. Another crowd that has seen the last of me is the SANBS! They apparently replaced 2 or 3 elderly white employees after they retired with blacks. When their HR dept was contacted, their response was the same as Woolworths "We don't hire whites anymore" Well after donating nearly 50 pints of blood to them over the years, that's it. Stuff them. If my race is not good for employment then neither is my blood.

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## wynn

> Another crowd that has seen the last of me is the SANBS!


I donate very occasionally, I used to go regularly until a Specialist I know told me how any blood donated by blacks was dumped and 99% of the remaining blood was used on Friday and Saturday nights to keep alive drunkards who stabbed, shot one another etc.
He said it would be better if I donated blood directly if one of my relatives needed it?

I don't know if they still dump the blood but I remember a story I read that they even dumped blood donated by former President Mbeki.

The other thing that sticks in my craw is, even if I donate blood I have to pay for it if I have an operation while the SANBS here in EL have a really smart new building built specially for them where they store and distribute the blood from, instead of a cheap warehouse.

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## Dave A

> The other thing that sticks in my craw is, even if I donate blood I have to pay for it if I have an operation


That's a change! Used to be the donor (+ dependants?) would receive blood transfusions on the house if they ever needed it. There was a tipping point to qualify, but it certainly wasn't a problem qualifying for a regular donor.

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## Mike C

> would receive blood transfusions on the house if they ever needed it


Yeah - that changed some years ago already.  I have donated 52 times.  Would like to continue in case a life could be saved ... but when politics enters into this kind of thing it stuffs everything up.

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## cyppok

> Yeah - that changed some years ago already.  I have donated 52 times.  Would like to continue in case a life could be saved ... but when politics enters into this kind of thing it stuffs everything up.


its not politics, you're not Aryan enough to give blood, or whatever the line in the sand is

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