Once, firms cherished their workers. Now they are seen as disposable | Will Hutton
by Will Hutton from on (#J61Z)
The Amazon revelations reflect a wider tendency for companies to take a brutal approach to employees at all levels
More than 100 years ago, the Cadbury family built a model town, Bournville, for their workers, away from the overcrowded tenements of central Birmingham. Cadbury's vast chocolate factory was at the centre of thousands of purpose-built villas, a village green, schools, churches and civic halls.
The message was clear. Cadbury cherished and invested in their workers, expecting commitment and loyalty back, which they got. Sir Adrian Cadbury, now in his 80s, still proudly shows visitors how his Quaker forefathers felt a genuine sense of responsibility to their workers. His family believed in capitalism for a purpose - innovation and human betterment.
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