Refinery strikes

[The Spanish]

Me.

It's down to me to make myself employable, and I don't see how strikig would help my employer be able to afford me, or indeed show my employer that I'm the sort of worker he needs in a recession.

its an interesting window on your world that your primary response and reaction to economic hardship or the threat of unemployment is preparing yourself or expecting to work for someone else, and on very unfavourable terms.

good luck to these blokes. And shame on the people (no surprise bearing in mind how many mollycoddled lifes lottery winners we have on here) who show such a lack of solidarity (no political overtones implied in the use of that word).

 

[Gritt23]

... your primary response and reaction to economic hardship or the threat of unemployment is preparing yourself or expecting to work for someone else, and on very unfavourable terms.

Who said I was preparing to work on unfavourable terms?

My primary response is to take responsibility on myself to get a job, to earn a job, to earn a living, and that has to me down to ME! I don't hide behind a hope that this country bring in some protectionist policy that guarantees me a job simply because of my nationality.

I won't hide behind the state, I'll ensure that I'm good enough at my job that someone will WANT to employ me. I don't want charity, I want to be employed because my employers believe I do a good job, and I'm value for money.

 

[User removed 4]

Who said I was preparing to work on unfavourable terms?

My primary response is to take responsibility on myself to get a job, to earn a job, to earn a living, and that has to me down to ME! I don't hide behind a hope that this country bring in some protectionist policy that guarantees me a job simply because of my nationality.

I won't hide behind the state, I'll ensure that I'm good enough at my job that someone will WANT to employ me. I don't want charity, I want to be employed because my employers believe I do a good job, and I'm value for money.

you sound very much like someone who has never had any misfortune employment wise, i dont believe you would be so smug and self satisfied if you had .

 

[The Spanish]

Who said I was preparing to work on unfavourable terms?

My primary response is to take responsibility on myself to get a job, to earn a job, to earn a living, and that has to me down to ME! I don't hide behind a hope that this country bring in some protectionist policy that guarantees me a job simply because of my nationality.

I won't hide behind the state, I'll ensure that I'm good enough at my job that someone will WANT to employ me. I don't want charity, I want to be employed because my employers believe I do a good job, and I'm value for money.

so why is trying to protect your employment so wrong, archaic and socialist then? funny view of the world, i will do what i have to to earn a crust, but fighting to keep your existing job is stupid old fashioned and northern. spoken like someone who has not ever been truly economically threatened.


Surely its smarter to keep what youve got, rather than just say from the (once) safe south east oh well i will do a fab cv highlighting my excel skills and write a personal statement saying i am a self starting team player with excellent interpersonal skills. that probably will not work for these fellas....

 

[The Spanish]

you sound very much like someone who has never had any misfortune employment wise, i dont believe you would be so smug and self satisfied if you had .

i must learn to sum up my objectives in one sentence like you bushy mate. i reckon it could make me more attractive to employers too!

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

What I never understand about this viewpoint is how it is that the foreign workers that come to these shores manage to survive on these 'unreasonable' wages, which apparently is completely beyond any British worker.

The Italian and Portuguese contractors are staying on botels (floating barge accomodation) moored at Grimsby docks. The Italian company that won the tender for the contract have brought in these workers and are undercutting the pay rates ,ignoring those skilled contractors in this country who are currently out of work. Nearly all the large oil refineries , power stations and chemical factories in the UK only directly employ a small core of workers and contractors are taken on for refits , overhauls , shutdowns , extensions etc.
We are shortly expecting another influx of EU nationals in Grimsby , 400 Poles will be doing shutdown work at a power station nearby. Previously these contractors would have come here for 6 months from all over the UK and boosted the local economy. Local people also believe that because the workers are non UK residents and "living at sea" they are entitled to claim back any income tax and NI that is deducted from their wages.

 

[Gritt23]

you sound very much like someone who has never had any misfortune employment wise, i dont believe you would be so smug and self satisfied if you had .

Wrong! I've been made redundant in the past, just as we were about to move and double our mortgage. It was a tough time, but it was down to no-one but me to go and get another job, which I did.

Not being to be smug, I was just explaining to The Spanish how I would react to the threat of my job, seeing as he believed he'd seen a window on my World, which is something none of us truly get from each other on here from a few typed words on a message board.

 

[Gritt23]

so why is trying to protect your employment so wrong, archaic and socialist then?

It's not, but I don't believe striking is the way you do it.

 

[The Spanish]

Wrong! I've been made redundant in the past, just as we were about to move and double our mortgage. It was a tough time, but it was down to no-one but me to go and get another job, which I did.

Not being to be smug, I was just explaining to The Spanish how I would react to the threat of my job, seeing as he believed he'd seen a window on my World, which is something none of us truly get from each other on here from a few typed words on a message board.

i know mate i am only pulling your leg when i say things like that.

what rubs me up is what appears sometimes to be bullish thatcherite (or tebbit-esque) simplistic pronouncements on making yourself attractive to the job market, which in our part of the world often simply translates as bullshitting to other bullshitters.

these fellas are skilled men, being told its simply a matter of retraining or writing a great cv from someone in the south whos idea of a vital role in GB Plc is a being a key account manager or some other similarly wanky overpaid non job, is unrealistic and patronising.

not saying that was you, it just appeared you were skating very close to that.

 

[coventrygull]

It's not, but I don't believe striking is the way you do it.

Sometimes people have no other choice but to take this action.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

What about The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE), which preserve employees' terms and conditions when a business or undertaking, or part of one, is transferred to a new employer?

What about it?

Middle of last year 300 members of Legal & General's IT department got TUPE'd across to TCS (Tata Consultancy Services of Bangalore) with the promise of no redundancies for twelve months. Surprise, surprise, this month it has been announced that 130 out of the 300 "onshore UK posts" are being made non-jobs as soon as the twelve months is up. The rest won't be far behind.

You can see why people get angry.

 

[Nibble]

Sometimes people have no other choice but to take this action.

As much as it pains me I agree with you on this thread. Don't in any way support the BNP but from the standpoint that British Workers need to stand up and rally against a government that has screwed us over blatantly with no shame or apology for years then I am right behind them.

 

[pork pie]

They are trying to protect their jobs in a time of recession. Its about time the British Worker fought back.

Wasn't that clown "Red Robbo" involved with the car industry in Coventry? Look what he managed to do for the British car worker!

 

[coventrygull]

As much as it pains me I agree with you on this thread. Don't in any way support the BNP but from the standpoint that British Workers need to stand up and rally against a government that has screwed us over blatantly with no shame or apology for years then I am right behind them.

Thats OK Nibble. I know I mentioned the BNP but this issue is not about them but about the British Worker fighting to save his job.

 

[coventrygull]

Wasn't that clown "Red Robbo" involved with the car industry in Coventry? Look what he managed to do for the British car worker!

No that was British Leyland in Birmingham.

 

[Nibble]

Thats OK Nibble. I know I mentioned the BNP but this issue is not about them but about the British Worker fighting to save his job.

With you on that.

 

[Titanic]

"British jobs for British workers" - Gordon Brown, November 2007

BBC NEWS | Politics | What does 'British jobs' pledge mean?

 

[Titanic]

"Protectionism is the road to ruin" - Gordon Brown, November 2008

BBC NEWS | Business | G20 urged to reject protectionism

 

[coventrygull]

"Protectionism is the road to ruin" - Gordon Brown, November 2008

BBC NEWS | Business | G20 urged to reject protectionism

Good old Gordon

 

[Titanic]

Any way the wind blows...