Grangemouth to close............

[ger147]

There is a lot more to this situation than a simple "big bad employer takes advantage of poor wee employees".

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

There is a lot more to this situation than a simple "big bad employer takes advantage of poor wee employees".

Of course there is - and I am not suggesting in any way that Unite did not overstep the mark - perhaps they did - but big bad employer could do whatever he wanted to do - with impunity. That concerns me.

 

[ger147]

Of course there is - and I am not suggesting in any way that Unite did not overstep the mark - perhaps they did - but big bad employer could do whatever he wanted to do - with impunity. That concerns me.

That's hardly a news flash though is it? It's been like that for decades now.

My wife worked for nearly 10 years for Tesco and they still have a union. All the union reps would ever say to the employees when Tesco were changing something was "they're perfectly within their rights to do so, there's nothing we can do about it" while religiously collecting the weekly subs from all the employee's wages.

Based on how she and her colleagues were treated, Tesco's nick name in our house is Tenko. Thankfully she doesn't work there any more.

Even with their new T&C's, the workers at Grangemouth will still treated much better than they are at many other companies up and down the country so I don't think Ineos are by any means the biggest or the baddest.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My wife worked for nearly 10 years for Tesco and they still have a union. All the union reps would ever say to the employees when Tesco were changing something was "they're perfectly within their rights to do so, there's nothing we can do about it" while religiously collecting the weekly subs from all the employee's wages.

Based on how she and her colleagues were treated, Tesco's nick name in our house is Tenko. Thankfully she doesn't work there any more.

Even with their new T&C's, the workers at Grangemouth will still treated much better than they are at many other companies up and down the country so I don't think Ineos are by any means the biggest or the baddest.

On Tesco - we don't shop there unless we have to - they are complete *&&**^^* if you get them upset in any way.

And you are quite right, Ineos may not be the worst - but all the workers were doing was standing up for what they had agreed and in place. I don't think it great that as a country we are becoming ever and ever more beholden to big business and that government is unable or unwilling to curtail their behaviour - workers rights and freedoms being sacrificed on the alter of free market and enterprise cultures. See also power companies and banks.

GO - 1984, Ford and all that.

 

[ger147]

Sadly they unions themselves have joined in and are as bad as big business i.e. the unions only look out for their own interests as organisations and not the interests of their members.

If you want a laugh, have Google the salaries of the heads of some of the big unions. I'm sure the last time I checked, one of the union leader's salaries was more than Obama's and David Cameron's salary combined. Must be a tough job running a union if it pays more than running the US and UK combined.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

The social balance in the workplace seems to be all wrong at the moment.

A neighbour has worked pre Christmas for a newish card company for the last few of years.
She is hard working and loyal and no doubt contributed to the companies very fast success.
The company have worked a deal with the job centre to employ 24 staff on 4 hour contracts in their smallish shop.
Neighbour has had her hours slashed and is looking for another seasonal job.

Crazy stuff.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The social balance in the workplace seems to be all wrong at the moment.

A neighbour has worked pre Christmas for a newish card company for the last few of years.
She is hard working and loyal and no doubt contributed to the companies very fast success.
The company have worked a deal with the job centre to employ 24 staff on 4 hour contracts in their smallish shop.
Neighbour has had her hours slashed and is looking for another seasonal job.

Crazy stuff.

The balance does seem to be wrong - but raise concerns about it and you are scoffed at as not living in the real world. Well the 'real world' is not doing terribly well at the moment.

 

[SocketRocket]

OK - so the market and free enterprise will come to the rescue of thousands who would have been affected by closure of Grangemouth. And oh yes - their ball game. And so it was with the mill and mine owners - yes - let's go back there - sounds like you'd be quite happy with that - as long as it wasn't you who was in the mill or down the mine.

The trade unions did a good job years ago in improving working conditions but to quote life down pit and in't mill in comparison with these people is absurd and touching on sensationalism. There is a similarity here to whats going on with Teachers, Firemen and the Public Sector in general, that being people that have been getting unaffordable perks and salaries beyond their worth that have been subsidised such that it drives the paymaster into debt.

Do you disagree that Grangemouth has been loosing vast amounts of money and couldn't continue that way?

 

[SocketRocket]

The balance does seem to be wrong - but raise concerns about it and you are scoffed at as not living in the real world. Well the 'real world' is not doing terribly well at the moment.

Eastern Europeans seem to be thriving in it but they know what real poverty feels like and its not like what they are experiencing in this country.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Like fashion, what goes round comes round.

I have thought for a few years that a centre left party would gain a lot of votes in the UK.
Labour changed to look like the Tories and then the Tories changed to look like Labour.
No wonder the SNP and UKIP pick up easy votes.