Lidl

**applepie** · Nov 14th, 2006, 05:53 PM

Lidl has been put on the black list for their treatment of staff. They are getting paid for speed, the ones too slow at the checkout are fired. Apart from low pay, unpaid extra hours, officially sanctioned mobbing etc. etc.
Also, whenever fruit and veg have been tested in supermarkets, Lidl is always the one with the worst results. Virtually all fruit and veg are highly contaminated with pesticides, some of them forbidden in the EU.

**Mr Flibble** · Nov 14th, 2006, 06:05 PM

I was just going to say that they usually palce their stores in the dodgiest areas, but applepie's come to my rescue

**Jamie** · Nov 15th, 2006, 08:46 AM

Our local Lidl's isn't in a dodgy place! It's just down the road from us

I just thought people considered it a place for pikeys. The staff certainly don't work to speed in our store - oh no: you queue for AGES, that's the problem there!!

**fiamma** · Nov 15th, 2006, 07:19 PM

Aw we always knew you lived down the posh end Jamie

**herbwormwood** · Nov 16th, 2006, 02:05 PM

applepie

Lidl has been put on the black list for their treatment of staff. They are getting paid for speed, the ones too slow at the checkout are fired. Apart from low pay, unpaid extra hours, officially sanctioned mobbing etc. etc.
Also, whenever fruit and veg have been tested in supermarkets, Lidl is always the one with the worst results. Virtually all fruit and veg are highly contaminated with pesticides, some of them forbidden in the EU.

I would like to read more about this. Where did you find this information?
Some web links would be appreciated

**fiamma** · Nov 18th, 2006, 08:15 AM

Herbwormwood, I found this about Lidl:

"The strong criticism by Lidl's German workers follows press reports late last year, which accused Lidl of requiring Czech women workers to wear special head bands to identify them during their monthly periods. The practice, which the company has denied, was said to have been put in place to enable them to go to the toilet during working hours, which is generally forbidden by Lidl."

They do seem to have a poor record as regards workers' rights.

**applepie** · Nov 18th, 2006, 01:13 PM

@Herbwormwood: Sorry for not having replied earlier, but I only got back from a conference today. What I have read about Lidl is all in German, both official reports about working conditions and test results of fruit and veg regarding contamination. I don't know if that's of any use to you. But if you want, I can post some links.

**rianaelf** · Nov 18th, 2006, 05:58 PM

fiamma

Herbwormwood, I found this about Lidl:

"The strong criticism by Lidl's German workers follows press reports late last year, which accused Lidl of requiring Czech women workers to wear special head bands to identify them during their monthly periods. The practice, which the company has denied, was said to have been put in place to enable them to go to the toilet during working hours, which is generally forbidden by Lidl."

They do seem to have a poor record as regards workers' rights.

that is totally unreal

<well i hope it is but fear it may not be>
the only reason i don't go in there is cos they had a huge advertisement for cheap meat outside>

**fiamma** · Nov 19th, 2006, 09:53 AM

There was a discussion on the "Special Deals (UK) thread about Lidl but it was going off-topic, plus I thought it deserved its own thread as it outlines some very controversial practices on the part of Lidl, and I thought it was getting a bit lost on the other thread. I searched the other threads but couldn't find any on this - moderators please move or merge it if necessary.
I had no idea Lidl was up to these kind of things, but I certainly won't be shopping there now.

"The strong criticism by Lidl's German workers follows press reports late last year, which accused Lidl of requiring Czech women workers to wear special head bands to identify them during their monthly periods. The practice, which the company has denied, was said to have been put in place to enable them to go to the toilet during working hours, which is generally forbidden by Lidl."

**applepie** · Nov 19th, 2006, 10:36 AM

I have read quite a lot about the topic as it was hotly debated in Germany. Basically, the German trade union Verdi considered calling for a public boycott and published a "black list" of Lidl's dubious practices. It strongly criticised the fact that Lidl workers are not allowed to have works committees to fight for their lacking rights. Any such initiative ended with the firing of the workers concerned.
Moreover, Greenpeace regularly tests fruit and veg in supermarkets, and Lidl is always the one with the worst record as far as pesticides are concerned. It's in German, so maybe not very useful for some of you, but here are details: http://www.greenpeace.de/fileadmin/g...rmarkt__1_.pdf