[eru]

Lidl and Aldi both expect a lot from their employees. The high productivity justifies the pay.

Not everyone wants such an intense job. So I am not sure it is a good idea to force eg other retailers into the same strategy. They already have Aldi and Lidl to compete with on the labour market, so there's already opportunity for workers to get higher pay, if they want to make that bargain.

[LargoLasskhyfv]

I know that. Thing is, the other retailers don't treat their employees any better, have usually higher prices, but pay less. What to do?

[eru]

I'm not talking about bad treatment. I'm talking about hard work.

But 'what to do?' is easy to answer in principle but hard to implement in practice: lower barriers to entry for new companies, and for companies wanting to expand into other industries or markets. Make it easy for workers to move between jobs. (By, for example, not tying health insurance to your job.)

[LargoLasskhyfv]

While i'm not working there, i casually know some people who did at the store level, shelving/cashier. It's not less hard at f.e. Edeka or Rewe either. That's what i meant. And health insurance isn't tied to a job here. And when you are shopping, if you are not absolutely ignorant, you can see and compare the range of tasks a single person has to do where and when. There is not much difference to be seen, and backstage it isn't different either.

edit: I'm unsure what you mean by lower barriers to entry. I'm all in for barriers if they ensure following safe and healthy practice!

[eru]

Oh, I'm more comparing to American supermarkets. They have much higher staffing levels than what competition with Lidl and Aldi has forced the German retail landscape down to.

(Btw, 'for example' is spelled e.g. not f.e. in English. And German 'd.h' (das heißt) is i.e. in English. They are curious creatures and have a thing for Latin. Most people still pronounce eg as 'for example' and ie as 'that is'.)

[LargoLasskhyfv]

That was the most succinct explanation of those three things which i always feel vague and unsure about. e.g./f.e./i.e.

Thx. We will see if it 'sticks' :)

But...i often see f.e. written, could it be a regional difference like US vs. british spelling?

[LargoLasskhyfv]

nag nag... i know why i'm using f.e. so much instead of e.g. It's because the German z.B.(zum Beispiel) translates one to one to f.e.(for example).