Thread regarding Kroger Co. layoffs

One of the finest managers I have ever worked with was just canned. He had be happy to help out at other regional stores whenever needed and was great with all store employees and with all customers. So, why was he eliminated? Seems to boil down to the same issue in many stores in my Southwestern region: Money. After devoting years to the company, he was at the top of his pay level. I might have expected something like this was coming as the company began hiring or moving up new (superfluous) lower managers during the past year. Now they can plug in novice managers at lowest wages and with few accumulated benefits. Kroger wants centralized corporate control of all of their stores and operations anyway. Employees are just viewed as pawns, any of which can be easily replaced. I've been with the company for over 10 years. And all other (now few remaining) veteran coworkers agree: working conditions have been getting worse every year since Kroger bought out my regional grocery store chain (in 2005). Benefits and payroll hours are increasingly being cut whenever possible, despite increased sales. Sadly, in today's retail world, profit is the primary focus. Ruthless disregard of employees is the trend as the huge retail Empires such as Kroger seek to continually expand and to enhance their apparent value when viewed by their stockholders and investors. I'm just glad I have retirement in view on the foreseeable horizon; I pity new entrants stepping into the ugly retail conglomerate environment. Sad days, indeed for many workers.