scottbrown
Head Pro
Unions are dinosaurs, with a small minority backing determined to cause upset to the hard working public?
Discuss.........
Discuss.........
Public sector strikes
- Thread starter scottbrown
- Start date
Apparently only 1 in five balloted voted for action but as they did it by postal vote many forms never returned so perhaps not an accurate portaryal. I have a certain amount of sympathy for the cause, especially with no or minimal pay increases against spiralling living costs but not sure this is the right way to get a result, if indeed there's even one to be had. It will of course impact and inconvenience the public and I'm never sure that's a good way to get their sympathy
C
c1973
Guest
Unions fight for and protect hard won workers rights.
Worth remembering when you take your paid holidays or are dismissed unfairly, discriminated against etc. The Torys would have us working eight days a week, 28 hours a day and paying them for the privilege, the unions will try and make sure that doesn't happen.
Worth remembering when you take your paid holidays or are dismissed unfairly, discriminated against etc. The Torys would have us working eight days a week, 28 hours a day and paying them for the privilege, the unions will try and make sure that doesn't happen.
SocketRocket
Ryder Cup Winner
I think your comments are very exaggerated. I agree Trade Unions did a great job in their early days and do in fact still do in many workplaces.
I have little sympathy for these current strikes, Public sector workers need to take their part in cutting the national debt and cant expect to be protected from the poor state of the countries finances. They will still receive very good pensions, ones that private sector workers cannot hope to receive, they have been subject to pay freezes over recent years but so have most people .
There is already a massive black hole in the funds to pay these pensions and who do they think will pay to fill it, especially if it gets bigger? The answer is the general public who tend to earn less, job for job.
Adi2Dassler
Journeyman Pro
Everyone should be obligated to be part of a union, every union should have representation on boards in companies large enough to operate a board,every union member should be obligated to vote on any strike action and union officials should do the job either voluntarily or after retirement.
Workers rights are essential, but the gravy train of being a union leader has to stop.
Workers rights are essential, but the gravy train of being a union leader has to stop.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
funny how the one day strikes cause the public awful pain, misery and inconvenience when the same public is able to take time off - and take kids out of school - to watch the TDF on Monday from Cambridge to London.
C
c1973
Guest
Exaggerated? So they didn't win the rights and protections mentioned? Ok then.
Perhaps if the public sector pension fund hadn't been raided by successive governments to pay for other things (that benefited private sector workers too) there might not be a 'massive black hole' in the fund. But that's not really anything to do with the union in this instance I don't think.
People think they get a raw deal from public services, I'm willing to bet if it was all privatised (no government aid/bailouts/excessive tax breaks etc) the service would be worse as it would be driven by profit. Look at the energy companies, happy with that service/cost? Banks? Happy with that?
Public services being stretched while wealthy bankers get massive pay rises (after nearly bankrupting the country) is not the way to go surely. If the cuts have stopped here (with those that caused the problem) then we must be out of the woods surely.
Create a fairer (not necessarily equal in a financial sense) society with well funded public services (yes, there will be areas where they can improve) and there's a chance we will have a better society, imo. Unions fight for that.
Smashing workers rights is all the Torys care about. Do you think they actually give a toss if your bins aren't emptied on time, buses/trains are late? Do they (infraction)! They'd be happy if we had to wheel our own bins to the tip if it saved a quid, as long as they get their arses on some corporate board as a paid advisor they are happy. It would be foolish,imo,to think otherwise.
MegaSteve
Tour Winner
The attitude and demeanour of those in charge [particularly Gove] invites confrontation...
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Well I'm at home all day with The Boy as his school is mostly closed.
Not unhappy - just regripped my putter, cleared out my bag, cleaned the clubs, going to do a few bits around the house and then watch the Ladies golf this afternoon.
Sounds alright to me!!
Not unhappy - just regripped my putter, cleared out my bag, cleaned the clubs, going to do a few bits around the house and then watch the Ladies golf this afternoon.
Sounds alright to me!!
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
Not a single teacher has turned up for work in Scotland.
Worth remembering the two year 'holiday' most LA's took from the pensions during the 'loadsamoney' years.
Perhaps they should pay it back now, with interest.
Worth remembering the two year 'holiday' most LA's took from the pensions during the 'loadsamoney' years.
Perhaps they should pay it back now, with interest.
john0
Journeyman Pro
All teachers on strike should pay a fine to the parents! If parents take kids out of school during term time they get fined, so should also work the other way round!
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Slight exaggeration saying parents will get fined as they won't automatically, it is up to the heads/governors discretion whether to fine or not.
But this topic does cause a hell of a lot of anger among parents and does give the impression of 'one rule for one'. In reality it is a lot more complicated, but the perception when teachers are striking a week before a very long holiday and when parents are being fined for taking kids out of school is not good.
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shewy
Journeyman Pro
My missus is a teacher althought not on strike today, I agree with them. The cost of living has gone up and wages are struggling to keep up, the government make claims of cuts yet give themself massive pay rises, huge pensions second homes and lets not start with expenses, if they want to save money lets start there.
AuburnWarrior
Tour Winner
I just wonder where the unions think the extra money for pay rises will come from. This country is practically bankrupt (due to Labour and their dreadful spending for fourteen years) so if all the public service workers get a rise, where's the money coming from?
My Wife works for a private company and hasn't had a pay rise for four years. She works long hours, often weekends and it shows no sign of getting better. If only she had a union...
Maybe we should stop paying aid to countries that don't need it, stop giving people on benefits SKY subscriptions, iPhones and paying for their cigarettes and stop doing boob jobs, gastric bands and sex changes on the NHS. All the money saved could then be given to the people who actually deserve it - the workers!
My Wife works for a private company and hasn't had a pay rise for four years. She works long hours, often weekends and it shows no sign of getting better. If only she had a union...
Maybe we should stop paying aid to countries that don't need it, stop giving people on benefits SKY subscriptions, iPhones and paying for their cigarettes and stop doing boob jobs, gastric bands and sex changes on the NHS. All the money saved could then be given to the people who actually deserve it - the workers!
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
sounds a bit like the German workers council model
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
I think comparing the plight of the average worker with that of government ministers, and even bankers (as the unions constantly trot out that comparison) is a bit false. They represent such a minuscule proportion of the workforce the comparison is not really valid in my opinion.
Yes they may well get grossly overpaid and the expense scandal was just that, a scandal. But if people want sympathy for their situation or even a fair comparison, then in my opinion compare their lot to the average private sector worker. As it's a bit like the average private sector worker comparing their pay with some school super heads who get paid a fair whack, or council leaders who are paid in the hundreds of thousands. Not saying they may not deserve it, but it is not a fair comparison.
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Yes, I imagine sex change operations and boob jobs are a massive drain on the public purse. And I can't usually even get in my local news agents for all the people getting free cigarettes from the government.
Foxholer
Blackballed
What is this 'Public Sector Pension Fund' you speak of?
As far as I know, there is no such thing!
But I agree about the obscene raiding of Pensions by successive governments. Gordon Broon (as Chancellor) was the most obscene imo, but subsequent Tory governments haven't reversed the measures they rightly objected to at the time!
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
Is it true that the same minister that are telling them to go back to work and help out with the debt have given themselves a 11% pay rise ?
D
