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Unregistered
17-08-2008, 10:11 PM
The Demise of another UK manufacturer

How then do we then explain why a small UK independent went from being stiff enough international competition, to the point Big Brother USA bought it, to the apparent joke big brother now see it as and push for its closure.

Helpless children in need of all the possible assistance from big brother, I think not!

Try instead, the enforced immediate removal of nearly half the essential workforce, asset stripping vital equipment and product line prematurely and finally taking the original and proven working model that made the company so profitable in the first place, screwing it up, throwing it out of the window and enforcing a grossly top heavy management and IT system that only shows why big brother could not turn the kind of profits the little independent made in the first place.

Throw into the mix constant disruption through errors in timing and planning, additional constraints on spending, development and management techniques, all allied to an alleged re-structuring of the plants ultimate output structure.

Add to this a style of production that is so controlled errors cannot be stopped until it is well past the point of no return, a decision making system run by email that ultimately looks like a chain letter, a process system that does not allow for any kind of individuality, lateral thinking or simple direct input into production of any kind and;

Hey-Presto:-

Train wreck!!

Never mind eh,

Half the working production line in transit at any given time, a perfectly good UK work team so disillusioned it's struggling to be bothered to try, despite the best actions of some to make it succeed and keep morale up, whilst having the intelligence to know it is ultimately to prove a fruitless task, add a corporate financial structure that seems oblivious to the overall cost of sales but concentrates more on the direct labour cost in any given country at the expense of all else and there you go.

Combine then, big brothers complete historically proven disregard for its employees at any cost, unless of coarse it affects the bottom line, a leadership group unable to make individual decisions to react with any kind of immediacy and how could it have turned out any other way!

A sad end to another piece of UK industry, when will the government stop this destruction of both our engineering and manufacturing base let alone our farming and agricultural system. It's about time we became self sufficient again.
Not be forced to see Gordon Brown begging China for work.
We won't have a country for the next generation soon, when will it become classed as a third world nation I wonder?????

Dexter
19-08-2008, 09:13 AM
As someone who has worked for an American company in the past who decided to "focus on core business" & "Right size to exploit synergies within the group" (Consultant speak for slash & burn) I do have sympathy for those at Precision ..Sadly that is capitalism for you

My advise to anyone is look after number one. You will only receive a pay cheque whilst you are useful. Once you cease to have a use you are out the door and thats thr reality. Mortgages tend to be for 25 years. Make you you think you will be useful for that time before emabarking on one because extremely rocky times are ahead!

Unregistered
22-09-2008, 08:49 PM
I seem to remember Precision Antennas wanting to take the old Stratford Town FC site over as part of an investment plan for the business, that's why the football club was moved to Tiddington. It's good to see PA are keeping to their word.

I think Precision would have liked to have kept their word, unfortunately the good ole US of A that our government seems hell bent on selling our country out to amongst others, decided they would play along just long enough to secure production in any other country than ours.
Perhaps it doubters in values like yourself who allow this to take place.
It seems to me you're the type who is more concerned about where the local match is played than the survival of a long standing UK business and all its employees!
Still I bet the local landowners and local government are just fine.

Unregistered
29-09-2008, 09:26 PM
Actually, you've got the wrong end of the stick. I'm annoyed about about the council, PA's employees and Stratford in general have been screwed over this. The only concern I have about Stratford FC is the daft location they've lumped with, otherwise i have no interest in football.

What exactly do you mean by 'doubters in values' anyway?

Firstly, I apologise for misjudging your comments.
What I mean by 'doubters in values' was based on the assumption that you were possibly holding PA management responsible for the current situation prevailing and perhaps assuming that their values were anything less than honourable to their employees and business commitments, however you are evidently not, so again, my apologies.
I made the comment because of my increasing awareness of peoples lack of values in todays society to the point that many make glib comments that do more damage than good nowadays, a point you are evidently not guilty of by your response.
It is a shame however that the majority of modern society seems bent on its own self destruction when the majority of news worthy stories are based on the sensationalised style of reporting, popular television is based on reality shows so far removed from reality I wonder what kind of mentality actually sees them as acceptable behaviour and our goverment allow our country to be progressively assett stripped.
It should be controlling both company takeovers, import/export laws, profit capping of our huge profit declaring companies or controlling the yearly price increases, then re-examining our farming, engineering and education policies to name but a few.
We used to be the best at all, for example if a child was not as clever as another it was acceptable to tell it so, not lower the grading standards to show a balanced level of education results year on year, if a company was successful it was rewarded by Queens Awards to Industry, not allowed to be bought by an multi-national and assett stripped with production moved to a country that pays less than a dollar an hour, then finally using UK produce only in supermarkets, where available, and forcing them not to use the import savings excuses provided by the big cheeses at the Supermarkets to force our own perfectly good agricultural suppliers out of business.
I'm sure farmers could produce competitive prices in mass production if only someone put a little effort into rescueing this flagging industry, Engineering is running out of experienced people nowadays and the government seems to think a degree in engineering taught by computer based software products solves all, to the point experience now carries no weight in an interview and we have children and young adults who can neither spell or articulate any more.
Then we are given the new hope that we can become the worlds teachers!
A short sighted view good for one generation only and possibly only 5% of it. Once the third world nations have been taught they can teach their own and our own industry and experience will be no more to give jobs to or even teach the next generation. But fear not we will have a service industry, to serve whom, when no-one has any jobs to earn money to buy the services in the first place.
Food for thought?
Regards

lucky
19-11-2008, 03:51 AM
My Dad works at Precision Antennas,he's being made redundant in march 2009.From what he has told me,its absolute madness.Even though the 3 sites are being closed,there is still plenty of overtime plus they have been asked to work between xmas and the new year.As for moving abroad,rumour has it even though in India the costs will be much less,apparently there have been many quality issues surrounding the lenses they make for the sat dishes.I hope after this farce when production is moved abroad,that they have so much trouble with quality that they lose all their contracts.

rodney
13-12-2008, 12:25 AM
:help:
Hear, hear!!

It's nice to see a few replies but the point is a 'few'.
As the originator of this post it is a little worrying that the reaction is so small.
I must admit I am a little dissapointed.
Considering this site is blocked by Precisions' owners and you now cannot post on this site annonymously, it is a little more than a concern (paranoid/big brother maybe?)
Anyway someone should look into the rules and regulations applied to the redundancies from what I hear.
Not only is the financial and business side desperately out of balance as mentioned by 'Lucky' (although he only has a small grasp of the scale of it) but the whole situation is geared around the well being of the American owners, not the employees (they certainly know how to play the rules, not the morals!).
The press statement issued concerning the slow release of staff for the benefit of the employees finding work really means little compared to the reality and, apparently, the Compromise agreement to sign before release stops you legally from making any public comment that shows the owners in a bad light! (They will hold the workers with many years service to ransom for their redundancy and release people when it suits them, and them ONLY).
The owners have it tied up and although not moral, it's legal, just, employees held to ransom and the local government allow it to happen.
Someone of authority!!
PLEASE investigate this situation and expose the owners for what they really are and, everyone else, make all the comments you can, everywhere you can and get everyone involved. For Christs sake, this company is 60 years of Warwickshires history and all these people deserve better than this end.
Be under no misunderstanding, this whole process only suits the Andrew/Commscope Corp and not a single one of the 350 individuals who have, in some cases, given their entire working lives to a very profitable and, at one point, near future proof company.
Sorry to all of you at Precision, you'll never get justice for this criminal act, politicians will sit on the fence as usual and sell your manufacturing industry down the river and, unfortunately, I cannot become the voice I want to at the moment but someone do some proper investigative journalism in the papers instead of following the leads like a lost dog and maybe we'll get this country back on track in some small part and make the situation for Precisions' owners a little less easy to live with (assuming they have souls)!
Cheers, and all of you at Precision, have a Happy Christmas if possible.
Yours sincerely,:mad:
Previously unregistered

lucky
19-01-2009, 12:44 AM
Well I just found out some more information about Precision.Some Chinese workers have come over and are currently working in one of the sites.Now you would have thought that if the decision had been made to relocate the work to China and India,they would already have the skills and know how on how to produce the lenses,rather than come over for inhouse training.But as I mentioned in the earlier post about the rumoured poor quality standards of the overseas work,I heard that some lenses were of such poor quality that usually they would be scrapped,but the chinese workers disagreed and said they would use them:eek:.Yes maybe when the work is being produced over there ,it may cost less to make,but they will be making crap!!!

lucky
19-01-2009, 01:03 AM
I work in manufacturing myself for a different company,a small engineering firm.Just about ticking over,but whereas I used to work 60-70 a week,now on basic hours,but at least I'm still in work.Having worked in the manufacturing sector since school,its no wonder nobody wants to train to be engineers anymore.Its crap paid,sometimes dirty,hard work and always more volatile than any other sector of the economy.

I heard a story in the week which summed up the malaise in the manufacturing sector.The last company in the UK that made televisions is closing.Amazing to think that the country that invented the TV ,now will not make a single set.The problem for the UK at present is that over the last 20 years,manufacturing has been allowed to wither,with the economy as a whole reliant on the service and finance sector(ironically the sector which helped cause the latest recession).Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket.

You have either laugh or cry when you hear financial experts and government spokepersons stating that the devalued pound will make our exports cheaper,and hoping as a result ,that increased exports will boost the economy.Unfortunately nobody told them that we just don't make very much any more!!

Will
20-01-2009, 07:24 PM
I know what you mean. To me, it seems to be a dangerous position for any country to be in, to have virtually no industry and be facing a near-catastrophic crash. Our commercial sector will slowly dwindle and be sold off to other countries (it's all being sold to Russia and China just like all our industry was exported), what are we left with then? 60 Million people, hardly any jobs between them, and no money. Our infrastructure is falling increasingly behind in the technology stakes. We have less people training in engineering or science, courses are closing down all over the country.

I do wonder just how bad things can get.

rodney
20-01-2009, 09:55 PM
Can't comment on Precision anymore at the moment it's getting me down.
However you're right about the demise of our industry and its dangers.
Problem is: the government doesn't seem to think that having your own product base is important.
Surely all businesses need a product to sell to survive. We have no agriculture and no manufacturing base to speak of and all the government talks of us is educating the third world countries and becoming the world's teachers.
What happens once they can teach themselves.
Oh, I'm sorry that now isn't it!!
Can an entire country go bankrupt?

Will
20-01-2009, 10:07 PM
Can an entire country go bankrupt?

Well Iceland did. We don't have any gold reserves either, Gordon already sold most of it off. We didn't even get a good price for it, because he announced he was going to do it, and the price crashed!

I'm no economist, but I just can't see how the hell things are going to improve. Giving Billions of pound to the people who caused the problem in the first place, doesn't fill me with confidence.

Anyway, we should get back on track. I'm intrigued that Precision Antennas has blocked this web site. Wonder what they hope to achieve by that?

lucky
20-01-2009, 10:24 PM
Rodney,you ask whether a country can go bankrupt.Well yes in a sense,Zimbabwae and off course most recently in Iceland.There are already rumours going around about possible hyperinflation for the uk mainly down to a further crash in the pound.The inflation rate showed a large decrease today(though less than expected and still way above the BoE target of 2 %),this was virtually all down to the crazy/panic discounting from retail firms.If the pound literally crashes,which it looks increasingly likely too,then because our country relies more on imports,then the prices of these goods will skyrocket and hence inflation.
Its not just Labour who is to blame for the demise of manufacturing,its happened over more than 20 years,so the Tories are as much too blame.Not enough protection was placed on keeping the manufacturing base.This may have been seen as an attack on the free market/globalised economy.But how can you compete when a product is being made in an asian sweatshop by a worker earning 10p an hour!!.
If the cost of living wasn't so high in this country(which makes a mockery of the inflation figures),lower wages in order to compete wouldn't be so much of a problem.We already see the problem now where jobs aren't of sufficiently high enough pay to improve their standard of living and make them better off than staying on benefits.To put into context,if you were say a teacher earning £30k and living in London,my bet is you would struggle to survive ,and no chance of buying anywhere.Just shows the craziness that the Uk is plunged into now.

rodney
21-01-2009, 12:26 AM
A sweeping statement 'Buy British' but it's right if done correctly with a little thought it's still possible.
Think about it.
First government controls imports through the retailers who have to show good reason to not buy UK by profit margin limits.
This can at least regulate the output of agriculture and manufacturing in some percentage.
Secondly, strict controls are made on what is effectively profiteering.
Example Gr***ingham Duck; usually around £9.00, I buy it on offer on occasion at around £6.50, Christmas period - £17.00!
We used to have consistent pricing and a New Years sale was a sale, we now have crafty pricing, clever labelling and the cost of time in actioning all these profit making cons in the supermarkets is the reason they have to make more money in the first place.
An honest price for an honest product!
Look at Precision, low cost and competitive to it's new owners. It made very good money year on year. Enough so that the competitor bought them out. Why then, if Precision were beating them on price part for part, with all the might of their international manufacturing cells did they manage to do it and by some margin?
This then begs the question of the justification for moving it to other countries, little man beats big man, the intent can only have ever been to destroy the opposition as it is the only common sense answer available.
This then brings the third point.
Instead of welcoming buyouts shrouded under the cosy blanket foreign investment, welcome it but govern the rules of the investment by imposing a minimum 7yr commitment to maintaining manufacturing in that UK cell with extreme penalties for defaulting. Cover all the bases instead of being so naive as to believe the investors are coming in to help out this country all they are doing is learning how to take it for themselves every time.
This is the problem of politicians who have little or no idea of how to run a business, after all effectively this country is one big business.
I'd like to bet if you gave the likes of Alan Sugar and the Dragons this country to run we'd have a different story if the press could only stay off their backs long enough to turn it around, or here's an idea, print positive material n the papers.
Shut the doors, restrict imports of local product (we are cheaper or as cheap), stop the stock market speculators playing with peoples lives for the sake of their new Porsche by freezing trading when the market goes into panic and penalise the amount of companies using foreign labour by increasing the tax implications for doing so.
Oh, and stop lowering the education standards so we still look like we're clever on paper, if a child is not as clever as another tough, that's the way of the world and that's how it works. Stop worrying about the fact you may upsets the feelings of the child or the parent, life's hard, live with it, it just about to get a lot harder.
Just for starters anyway!
Regards

Shizara
21-01-2009, 10:42 AM
Oh, and stop lowering the education standards so we still look like we're clever on paper, if a child is not as clever as another tough, that's the way of the world and that's how it works. Stop worrying about the fact you may upsets the feelings of the child or the parent, life's hard, live with it, it just about to get a lot harder.
Just for starters anyway!

Rodney, I totally agree with your comment. One of the dangers of molly coddling - call it cotton woolling if it sounds better - is the individual is not prepared for life in the real world as they grow up. It boggles me that we watch, with interest, wildlife programmes and indeed observations by being out and about, animals who learn to deal with life in their play activities. The parent doesn't prevent such activities in case the youngster is hurt and consequently the young animal learns very valuable life skills. Skinned knees from falling off bikes, broken legs from a fall out of a tree house - and I won't go down the conkers route. These things teach children in their play in the same way that baby animals learn in their play some things in life will hurt if you are not careful. I fell off my bike once and skinned my knee badly, but be sure I didn't do it a second time.

With regards to learning in the world of schooling. The lowering of pass standards to avoid hurt feelings is actually doing the child an injustice. It also encourages many who would work harder to achieve a pass easily to lower their standards - why bother with the extra studying and effort when the pass threshold is so low? There will always be a percentage who will give it maximum effort and still be achievers in the traditional sense but the whole practice of lowering pass standards lowers the standard of the achievement.

Life can indeed be harsh/hard, but, I think the time that we are living in is a reminder that we shouldn't sit back when times seem good and think "I'm alright Jack", things could well get a lot tougher yet before we see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Time for people to return to peeling potatoes and to be thankful for what we do have.

lucky
21-01-2009, 05:09 PM
What really gets my goat at the moment is all the Graduates bemoaning the fact that they cant find employment and asking for pity as they have gone into debt to the tune of thousands of pounds.To me its just herd mentality,where just because its cool and popular to study for a degree then Ive got to too.Irrespective of the fact they study in a subject for which they will never enter that field in and be of no practical use in their working life.I used to work with someone who like me was a CNC machinist.10 years previously he had achieved a Geography degree.And he was still trying to fiddle his wages so that he didin't go over the earnings limit when you pay back some of your grant/student loan.After 10 years he still owned thousands.What was the point?he never used the degree and still had the debt hanging over him.Maybe the way forward is for more students to actually find employment with a firm covering the cost of the course and hence getting a degree in the subject relevant to the employers needs and buisiness

Mr O
06-02-2009, 09:18 AM
This is a letter I have been trying to send to the Stratford Herald but I keep getting it bounced.
Someone copy it and see if they can get it though for print

Dear editor,
It was interesting reading your article concerning the ‘Clever Enterprise’ of Councilor Topham and his colleagues in buying back the Precision Antennas land at such a bargain basement price, however I think we are overlooking a few points in our praise of the councilors alleged business acumen.
As an employee of ‘Precision’ hoping to have a long and continuing future with the company, the whole article comes as an insult.
Firstly the councilor comments on the fact that Precision is moving on and the area has lost the opportunity to create another 160 jobs.
Should the article have actually pointed out that Precision is not in fact moving on, it is closing down at 3 sites, and Stratford is gaining close to 400 unemployed to support?
In this current climate it is unlikely that any but a few will find viable employment.
We also discount the effect on suppliers and other local resources.
Precision was a large scale manufacturer and will have a heavy impact on the engineering infrastructure of the area for some time let alone the effects on the revenue from the rate return the council receives, amongst many others.
Perhaps Mr. Topham would like to take part of the £1.54m profit and come around to Precision to see if there may be some way to help out the unfortunates here who will be jobless for the foreseeable future, perhaps even invest in a new engineering enterprise?
I would also think that there is not much point thinking about a leisure centre if the majority of his constituents do not have the money to go there.
Still I suppose the developers will always make money, one way or another?
Sincerely

Will
06-02-2009, 09:29 AM
That's a very well written letter, I'm amazed the Hearald hasn't seized the opportunity to print it, and report on some real news for a change. May I suggest you try the Stratford Observor, they seem far more open to reporting on important news like this.

Good luck in getting your letter printed. I'll have a go at sending it to the Hearald myself.

Mr O
06-02-2009, 09:50 AM
That's a very well written letter, I'm amazed the Hearald hasn't seized the opportunity to print it, and report on some real news for a change. May I suggest you try the Stratford Observor, they seem far more open to reporting on important news like this.

Good luck in getting your letter printed. I'll have a go at sending it to the Hearald myself.

Thanks,
it not that they won't print it, it just keeps getting bounced back by mail-demon.
Meanwhile I'll have a go at sending it to the Observer as suggested.
Regards
Mark

Will
06-02-2009, 11:32 AM
Ok Mark,

I've sent it off for you, let's see what happens.

Mr O
08-02-2009, 06:47 PM
Looks like we have a voice.
The editor of the Startford Herald wrote back to confirm address before publishing.
Thanks for the help.
I think she got it twice as my attempt the nest morning wnet through also.
Let's see how the Herald responds?
Cheers

Will
11-02-2009, 10:34 AM
That's great news! I was about to write that I haven't heard anything, and then go on to moan about how amazed I am about how little they care. But that's brilliant stuff! I hope they do more than simply reproduce your letter, I shall await the outcome with interest.

Shizara
11-02-2009, 07:18 PM
I think we will ALL await the outcome with much interest. :thumbs2:

cathidaw
12-02-2009, 05:08 PM
My nephew who works in the South of England for a large engineering company received an 'encouraging' message from his bosses telling all employees that there would be no pay rises in the forseeable future and at present all jobs are safe. However they asked if each one of you would like -as a 'valued loyal employee' to volunteer for a 'temporary pay cut to help the company out in these hard times.'
There was a form to fill in. Tick the box.!! A pay cut of 5%, 10% 15% or 25% .tell us which you will volunteer to offer.
Now this young man has been there for 4 years and was promised a pay rise after the first 3 months, which for some reason never happened even though he applied ,didn't push it - he was glad to get a job. now of course they 'cannot possibly give anyone a rise in this climate..)
In answer to the form he said no but was quite willing to allow them to take his pay cut from the amount he was promised 4 years ago.
Most of the other' 'valuable employees' have said no too, mainly because their caring management 11 in all, have had new company Mercedes cars since Christmas.
I'm sure the employees don't begrudge these jokers their cars but to be asked to take a pay cuts to pay for them---well-- not what one would call sensitive is it?
I await results.

Mr O
13-02-2009, 07:43 PM
Well folks, it only made the letters page but it's a start.
Thanks for your help Will.
I doubt we'll see any more in response sadly.
I think the last post regarding the pay cut is a good point with two viewpoints.
I think 'cathidaw' is quite right in her views on her nephew's plight.
It's all to often the owners and Directors ask for sacrifice by employees or blame labour costs on the troubles of a business, yet take no action to limit their own lifestyle and comforts to the extent they expect the employees to do.
However we also see in this day and age, the bloody mindedness of our society where complete refusal on the employees side such as that at Landrover for example.
I don't know the exact figures, so I apologise if this piece is a little out but baically shows the other point of view.
We see a request prior to Christmas by Landrover management for employees to take an extended paid holiday at a limited wage of 80% I believe. This offer is turned down flat on comments along the lines of management having too many perks etc, and 'I'm not losing money for anyone'.
However when you look at it, the prolonged total shutdown would have saved millions in operational costs far in excess of the costs in wages and extended the employee wage cashflow by some amount to ride out a little more of the storm. Also when you consider 10% of some wages goes toward costs in commuting etc. the drop is not as large as first appears.
Now whilst the Directors have their perks and it is flying in the face of the employees, why does no-one have the common sense to agree to meet in the middle, agree to a drop (because something is better than nothing at all) and place in a priviso that the management return their Mercedes and buy Mondeos or such like before the temporary cuts are totally agreed and put in place.
All parties need to mediate to a far better extent if any business in this country is to survive.

cathidaw
14-02-2009, 02:13 AM
A well thought out reply to my mail. I hope my thoughts are as logical.
If bosses always came clean and played fairly openly with their employees (ha) things would certainly get better.
With Landrover, it's not only 'them and us ', it's an 'us and them' attitude by
the workforce who don't appear to have put their brains into gear.
Do they really believe the management aren't worried -not only about their own salaries and their own jobs, but for the company in general.

The suicide rate for upper management is notably at a peak in these sort of times. They fall harder.

As you said the money these people would be losing whilst laid off would more than be made up by not having their transport costs for actually getting to work.
They will start flapping and have to think hard (with their own brains) when -if -they close down the plant completely.
80% of wages , (what a great offer! ) is better than 80% of nothing..
And with time to look for another job if necessary at no expense .
And there will be no jobs at all- anywhere -soon.
My nephew has no illusions about his job. They are on a salary -works 8-12 hours unpaid overtime every week-he always has done since he went there, unpaid overtime is in the contract. Think how much free work the company gets from these people.
Why do they do it ?. They need their jobs.--even more now.
Blackmail maybe --but that's how it all is.

lucky
26-04-2009, 10:17 PM
Well the end of Precision has nearly arrived.My Dad,in the last group to be made redundant,finishes on May 8th.From what he has told me,the farce continues related to the outsourcing of the previous work.A company in Manchester and in China have yet to make a single lens,everything produced so far has had to be scrapped off,plus they have already damaged a very expensive CNC machine in the process.Another machine needs specialist tooling from an European firm,who refuse to send the tooling to China,as they suspect they will steal the design and manufacture them and take their work.I hope the Americans who owned precision come to realise that they should have improved the UK operation and reduced costs,as at least here,they were actually producing something they could sell and not worthless shoddy tat

cathidaw
28-04-2009, 12:35 AM
Re my letters-2 and 4 times above this one (in February,)
My nephew has today received his reduncancy letter--even though there is lots of work for him......he is the only one in the company qualified to do that particular necessary job.

Will
01-05-2009, 12:47 PM
My heart goes out to your Dad lucky, and your nephew Cathi.

Precision antennas just seems like a total fiasco since it was sold, and what is worse there seems to be no support for the many people who've lost their jobs there. Thank you for the continued updates, I wish there was something I could do to help.

At least we've raised awareness of what kind of company precision antennas now is. It's very telling that they banned employees from looking at this site, seems they are trying their best to hide their shame.

lucky
14-05-2009, 11:29 PM
Thanks Will,and I hope your nephew finds a new job soon Cathy.My dad may have something lined up so fingers crossed.I hate it when some people (who must have a secure job,or live in a bubble)make comments about the downturn being exaggerated,stating facts like only 10 or 15 % of the working population will end up out of work.But a guy who left precision before xmas had obscene bad luck.He was in the first round on redundancies,but asked if he could stay and leave in the next round a few months later.Of course it was too late to change it,so his request was denied.The reason he asked was that both his wife and daughter worked at Woolworths,and as result, in the space of a few weeks,everyone in his household would be out of work over the xmas period.It just goes to show that sometimes through no fault of your own,some people have no luck at all,just subjected to the sometimes cruel hands of fate