aldi oilies

[misterg]

What the hell.... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

I think the die has been cast a long time ago here. The Chinese didn't spontaneously decide to make and export cheap clothes (their culture doesn't tend to breed entrepreneurs) - no, Western and Japanese manufacturers have set-up and managed factories in China to take advantage of the low(er) wages. This has been going on for decades. The driver is the financial performance of the companies concerned as judged by stock market speculators.

The nature of the gambling den that is the "city" is pure greed: Whatever is delivered one year must be exceeded the next. Moving manufacturing to 'low wage economies' is an easy way to achieve this, on paper at least.

China (etc.) are capable of producing whatever quality of goods we will accept - if B&Q think that we punters will be happy with ****ty cr*p, that's what they order. I do accept that once you've put a design into China that you've lost all control of it. I get the impression that castings (for example) that don't meet (say) Honda's standards will go out another door to someone who assembles look-a-likes.

The people working in Chinese factories are HAPPY! (at least the ones I've visited) and are regarded as reasonably affluent (on $30 a month, or so ISTR). The salaries reflect the cost of living.... and they are salaried staff, not grubbing away growing veg to sell.

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Ahh!

Getting warmed up now!!

And another thing!

Those that claim that China is wasteful of energy could learn a lot from them:

How warm is your office?

Why?

In the places that I visited, there was NO general heating. People wore the same clothes sat at their desks as they did walking through the snow outside. Rooms not in use were in darkness (shock horror!) and virtually every light bulb was a low energy one. Owning a car was a rarity.

I'm not against Julian's sentiment, but I really don't think there's anything you can do about it - things have gone too far. Say you decided to pursue a 'buy British' stance - I doubt you could, as even if the clothes were cut and sewn here, I'm pretty sure the cloth would be from the Far East, as would the sewing machine, needles, etc. You could take a stance against cheap tools, but some of them are really very good! It's a small miracle that you can buy a decent angle grinder for a fiver, including a couple of lots of profit and shipping it half way around the world.

We need to prepare ourselves for being hairdressers, accountants or undertakers.

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Andy

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
And if anyone knows where to get 2 pairs of trousers (XXL- not as slim as we were), I'd be obliged.

[/ QUOTE ] About a year ago i bought a pair of Gill trousers to go with a Lidl jacket from Force 4

[CPD]

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] NIce one Andy, your round or mine ?? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[misterg]

[img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Trevethan]

Some interesting posts here on China --

I was in Shanghai a couple of weeks ago and speak to Chinese manufacturers as part of my job on a regular basis. China is the workshop of the world as Britain was 200 years ago, and like UK then, China's biggest economic advantage is low cost labour. But wages are rising -- China has been exporting deflation to world in the form of cheap TVs, copper pipe, car batteries, you name it for years.

But the low wage environment is starting to change, certainly in the east of the country. Of course as wages rise, manufacturers head west into teh hinterland. There are real problems wit the country -- the recent accounts of slave labour at brick factories for example, but things are changing slowly.

On the power front China is a vast country and most of its renewable energy is in the wrong place -- moving electricity about a country that size is expensive. I am not sure they are building 2 power stations a week -- sounds too much even for China, but the country identified energy and energy infrastrtures as important pillars of their last 5-year plan. They are also on a massive nuclear power expansion program which I find more worrying.

The trouble is while it's easy to decry the desperate conditions that many Chinese workers find themselve in, without them it is highly likely that many of us could not afford our hobby, or a car or our mortgages because interest rates would be sky high in oder to control inflation.

It is not G Brown who is responsible for teh UK's strong economy -- it is the sweat and suffering of Chinese labour.

but as I said things are changing -- inflaton from rising wages, rents, food and the raw materials that go into their products means the West is going to face some very tough tnmes
That will be worsened if the yuan is forced to appreciate by shortsighted US congressmen desperate to win a few votes from threatened factory workers -- the US economy has slowed but watch it implode is US consumers suddenly have to pay 50 percent more for all their Chinese made goods.

The feeling of comparative wealth and the explosion of cheap consumer goods that we have enjoyed over the past 5-15 years may be drawing to a close unless we can find some other large populous nation to sweat for a pittance -- India? Brazil?

anyway bit if thread drift here but

all the best
Nick

[2Tizwoz]

Arguments of this nature regarding Chinese exports have been going on for rather a long time.
This is 19th century.

[ronsurf]

So lucky to read all this on a computer made by chinese children earning 3p a day working 42 hours a day etc etc

[chrishelen]

Chill out dogwatch for gawds sake!!!!

[Caer Urfa]

Hate to tell you gents but I had information that the oilies were made in the UK and Aldi bought all the old stock!
Had mine for three months now and they are wearing well so far, and have had plenty of rough weather latley to test them!.

Mike

[ShipsWoofy]

[ QUOTE ]
Chill out dogwatch for gawds sake!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]


!!!! wow that is some exclamation, I wonder who needs to chill out, whatever that means.

It is only opinion, nothing for you to get worked up about, if you work for a British manufacturing company or one which relies on British manufacture you should be happy there are still a few people that care about GB ltd. and care enough to go out of our way to buy British product.

If has been stated this is old stock then I am happy to be corrected, but the general tat people are raving about from lidl and aldi certainly is not. Why should I care, I am out of the rat race, but I do, I don't want to see the uk turn into a 3rd world economy taking aid from the east.

So I say to you, relax !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

p.s. Did I offend somebody with my posts, what was it I said that was so very bad or offensive, I did nothing but explain my feelings on better than life offers from cheap outlets, I was not personal about anyone, why are you?