The Judge RANTS!
Date: 08/11/14
Pa Wlad? Pa Ganrif? Pa Hawl? (Wedi'i Diweddaru)
Dyma brawf arall o sut mae'r 'Welsh Not' yn fyw ac yn iach, ac yn byw mewn archfarchnad:
Ie, yn eu gwlad eu hun, mae'r Cymry Cymraeg sydd mor anffodus i weithio am y cwmni archfarchnad Almeinig, yn cael eu gwahardd rhag siarad eu hiaith eu hun efo'i gilydd, dan ofid y clwt oni ufuddhaent i'r drefn. A pham yn union?
"...er budd yr holl gwsmeriaid yn ogystal â'r staff er mwyn sicrhau awyrgylch lle bod pawb yn teimlo'n gynwysiedig."
'Pawb', hynny yw, ag eithrio'r sawl sydd â'r Gymraeg yn famiaith iddynt, boed nhw'n weithwyr na chwsmeriaid. Ond, dyw'r rheini ddim yn cyfri', mae'n amlwg.
Ond peidiwch â meddwl fod Lidl yn gwbl annhyblyg ynglŷn â'r mater: â'r 'llefarydd' ymlaen (yn Saesneg yn wreiddiol, wrth gwrs);
"Gall gweithwyr Lidl droi at famiaith y cwsmer, dim ond os nad ydy'r cwsmer yn medru siarad Saesneg."
Wel, dyna saith hen wraig yng ngyffiniau Llŷn y gall weithwyr y cwmni siarad yn Gymraeg â nhw heb ofni esgid fawr y bòs yn eu tinau, felly. Mor eangfrydig, yntê?
Ystyriwch hyn: mae Lidl yn gwmni enfawr sydd â phresenoldeb mewn 26 gwlad trwy'r cyfandir, gan gynnwys gwledydd sydd yn swyddogol ddwyieithog megis Gwlad Belg, Y Swistir a'r Ffindir. A ydy'r cwmni yn mynnu fod eu staff yn Bruges, dyweder, yn siarad Fflemeg yn unig, efo bygythiad y sac pe baen nhw mor esgeulus â dweud yr un gair yn Ffrangeg rhyngddyn nhw'i gilydd? A ydi Lidl yn bygwth diswyddo unrhwy weithiwr yn Korsnäs (os oes ganddyn nhw siop yno) sy'n siarad Swedeg yn hytrach na'r Ffineg? Os nad ydy'r cwmni mor fyddar a dall i'r sefyllfa yn y gwledydd hynny, oni fase'n syniad da iddyn nhw ddangos tipyn o barch tuag atom ni yma? Wedi'r cwbl, gwlad ddwyieithog yr ydym ni i fod hefyd (er i'r sector preifat gael ei esgusodi yn ffurfiol o anghenion y gyfraith, rhag codi ofn ar 'y gymuned fasnachol', pwr dabs!).
Ond does gan y cmwni enw da am ymddwyn yn war tuag at ei weithwyr yn gyffredinol, efo agwedd gwbl wrth-undebol ac adweithiol yn amlwg drwyddo draw. Ond, gorchymyn gan Lidl 'UK' ydy asgwrn y gynnen yn yr achos yma; felly, efallai ddylem ni gymryd yn ganiataol mai dim ond un enghraifft arall o haerllugrwydd a thraha y sefydliad masnachol Prydeinig ydy hwn.
Waeth beth, ddylid rhoi ychydig ddyddiau i'r cwmni ddod at ei swynhwyrau ac wedyn - oni ddaw tro bedol ganddyn nhw - ddylid ddechrau gweithredu.
Hyn newydd gyrraedd (09/11/14)!: Wel dyna i chi syndod, mae Lidl wedi 'egluro' polisi y cwmni. On'd ydy'n od fod 'eglurhad' yn medru ymddangos cymaint fel cyfaddefiad?
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Which Country? Which Century? What Right? (Updated)
Here's more proof of how the 'Welsh Not' is alive and well, and living in a supermarket:
Yes, in their own country, people unfortunate enough to work for the German supermarket company are forbidden to speak their own language to each other, under fear of unemployment if they do not bow to the order. And why, exactly?:
"This is for the benefit of all our customers as well as our staff to ensure a comfortable environment where all feel included."
'All', that is, save those who have Welsh as their native language, employees and customers alike. But they obviously don't count.
But please don't think that Lidl is completely inflexible on the point: the 'spokesperson' went on:
"...our staff are able to assist a customer by conversing in their native tongue, if the customer is unable to speak any English."
Well, that's seven old biddies on the Llŷn Peninsula that the company's employees can feel comfortable about speaking Welsh to without having to fear the boss' big boot up their arses, then. There's broad-minded, isn't it?
Consider this: Lidl is an enormous company with a presence in 26 states across the continent, including countries which are officially bilingual such as Belgium, Switzerland and Finland. Does the company insist that their staff in Bruges, for example, speak only Flemish, with the threat of the sack were they to be so neglectful as to utter a single French word between them? Does Lidl threaten dismissal to any of their workers in Korsnäs (should they have a store there, of course) who speak Swedish rather than Finnish? If the company is not so deaf and blind to the situation in those countries, might it not be a good idea for it to show a bit of respect towards us here? After all, we too are supposed to be a bilingual country (although the private sector has been formally exempted from the law's requirements for fear of scaring 'the business community', poor things!).
But the company does not enjoy a good reputation for behaving in a civilised manner towards its employees in general, with an anti-union and reactionary attitude in evidence throughout. But the source of discord on this occasion was a command issued by Lidl 'UK'; so, perhaps we should assume that this is simply another example of the arrogance and scorn of the British mercantile establishment.
Whichever it is, the company should be given a few days to come to its senses and then - failing a complete reversal of policy - action should be taken.
Update (09/11/11): Well, looky here, Lidl has issued a 'clarification' of the company's policy. Isn't it odd how a 'clarification' can look so much like an admission?
