18 Apr WOOLIES’ WOES; DOUBLE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING BUT IT’LL COST YOU
WOOLIES’ WOES
Fresh from the scandal around his notorious decision to walk out of a 4 Corners interview, outgoing Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci sparked even more unwanted headlines when he fronted a Senate inquiry into supermarket prices and fell into the trap of engaging in a lengthy argument with Greens Senator Nick McKim over whether he knew what Woolies’ return on equity was.
SMH columnist Elizabeth Knight was among many commentators pondering what on earth possessed Banducci to repeat 10 times that Woolworths didn’t focus on that particular profit measure, when in fact he could have simply provided the answer by quickly flicking through the Woollies annual report and avoided the predictable barrage of negative media stories his response ended up generating.
By contrast, when his Coles counterpart Leah Weckert was asked the same question by Senator McKim, she delivered a straightforward answer and “in the space of a couple of minutes she effectively blunted McKim’s attack,” noted Knight.
It was all a far cry from Kerry Packer’s legendary appearance before a 1991 print media inquiry when the media mogul left MPs quivering by bellowing retorts such as: “You’re either gonna have to believe me or call me a liar” and “Of course I’m minimising my tax. If anybody in this country doesn’t minimise their tax they want their head read.”
DOUBLE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING BUT IT’LL COST YOU
Fancy being able to double your annual leave by taking it at half pay? Well, if the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has its way, lots of extra weeks of holidays could soon be available to millions of employees.
The AFR reports that the ACTU is working with employer groups to give insert the right for more paid leave into various industry awards. The move follows the Fair Work Commission’s introduction of temporary rights for employees to take leave at half pay to avoid taking unpaid sick leave during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the employer groups and peak union body nut out the final details, ACTU secretary Sally McManus says allowing staff to take twice the leave at half pay could give workers “more time and flexibility to manage their caring responsibilities and balance work and care”.
BARBIE-FANS REUNITE!
The movie blockbuster of 2023, Barbie, may have missed out on a bunch of prestigious awards but condiment maker Kraft Heinz is determined to keep Barbie mania well and truly alive (or on dinner plates, at least).
The company has partnered with Mattel to produce a bright pink-tinged “Barbiecue” sauce, which is a blend of Heinz Classic BBQ sauce and its mayonnaise, for an initial launch in the UK and Spain.
Kraft Heinz’s vice president of Growth Andrew Fernandes said Heinz decided to make the sauce after tens of thousands of people backed the idea when it was floated on social media last year. “One fan even told us they’d dye their hair pink if we brought Barbiecue to life”,” he said.
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