unison strike (binmen)

[beorhthelm]

LC, i think the point you (deliberatly i expect) miss is that the public sector worker enjoys job security and very good pensions but then the unions cry that their members wont maintain, nay, wont improve their standard of living, like its some sort of right to do so. Meanwhile others do not have such a privilege of any pay rise and havnt for many years.

personally, i wonder how many individuals, like Ms LC, would actually be quite content to go without a rise this year, solidarity with everyone else, but the unions talk it up. It was very interesting the turn out for the last strikes a few months ago, where most went to work regardless.

as for working in the publc sector, i wouldnt mind that. unfortunatly, for IT, it seems to be a semi closed shop in that theres very little turn over of staff and those opening that do come up are filled from other public sector organisations. Still, keeping a look out.

 

[REDLAND]

refuse collection unaffected by strike according to the council website

Thats right ..

 

[London Calling]

LC, i think the point you (deliberatly i expect) miss is that the public sector worker enjoys job security and very good pensions but then the unions cry that their members wont maintain, nay, wont improve their standard of living, like its some sort of right to do so. Meanwhile others do not have such a privilege of any pay rise and havnt for many years.

personally, i wonder how many individuals, like Ms LC, would actually be quite content to go without a rise this year, solidarity with everyone else, but the unions talk it up. It was very interesting the turn out for the last strikes a few months ago, where most went to work regardless.

as for working in the publc sector, i wouldnt mind that. unfortunatly, for IT, it seems to be a semi closed shop in that theres very little turn over of staff and those opening that do come up are filled from other public sector organisations. Still, keeping a look out.

Really depends on the public sector and where you based. In LOndon there is a real shortage, top rates are being paid to IT consultants in the ODA at the mo!
The problem I also see, is people painting, all public sector staff with the same brush and treating them as a mass.

Ms LC is one of London's experts on Listed buildings, buildings of special interest.

She is a qualified planner and architect. 10 years training!

TBH I can't recall a time when some local authority weren't making cuts in jobs, I am not sure about job security and I know from people who work still in lOcal Government its a very demolished place and especially in lOndon there is a shortage of professional skilled workers, with temps taking jobs, with all the usual weaknesses that leads to in terms of continuity.

Also Councils rather now pay a Consultant to do a piece of short term work, pay them relatively loads, just to keep employee numbers down.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

walked into newcastle centre earlier and all the bins are full with litter FLOODING the streets

 

[Wardy]

I love some of the comments on here. So here is a few more facts to add to the disussion.

1. UNISON covers more low paid workers then any other union. The majority of these people are women who are also bringing up a family.

2. The super pension is no longer as super. All new members enter a lesser scheme, current members have lost the right to retire early and on top of that members have to pay more contributions while the employers are paying less.

3. Yes we can choose to go and work elsewhere. But if we do who do you think will do the work? In my paticular field we find it hard to attract staff let alone experianced staff. Instead we have to pay large amounts of money for agency staff. These agency staff have all learnt their trade at a local authority then left due to not being paid enough. My area is one where the council have to run the service so if we all leave the only option will be to get more agency staff in which will mean a larger increase in your council tax.

4. Though I know some people in the private sector this year have not received a pay rise the average pay rise in the private sector this year is still over 4%. Add to that the fact that during the last 5 years when the econemy have been booming, local government workers have still been receiving below inflation pay rises and thus are already behind the workers in the private sector.

 

[7:18]

what a BINFEST this thread has turned out to be

 

[Uncle C]

I love some of the comments on here. So here is a few more facts to add to the disussion.

1. UNISON covers more low paid workers then any other union. The majority of these people are women who are also bringing up a family.

2. The super pension is no longer as super. All new members enter a lesser scheme, current members have lost the right to retire early and on top of that members have to pay more contributions while the employers are paying less.

3. Yes we can choose to go and work elsewhere. But if we do who do you think will do the work? In my paticular field we find it hard to attract staff let alone experianced staff. Instead we have to pay large amounts of money for agency staff. These agency staff have all learnt their trade at a local authority then left due to not being paid enough. My area is one where the council have to run the service so if we all leave the only option will be to get more agency staff in which will mean a larger increase in your council tax.

4. Though I know some people in the private sector this year have not received a pay rise the average pay rise in the private sector this year is still over 4%. Add to that the fact that during the last 5 years when the econemy have been booming, local government workers have still been receiving below inflation pay rises and thus are already behind the workers in the private sector.

And what do you say to justify the fact that the demands you are making are exactly what the government has said will take us headlong into an inflationary recession that will make us all worse off.

No let me guess. You deserve the money, but expect every other poor sod / pensioner to stick to the rules.

 

[Dandyman]

And what do you say to justify the fact that the demands you are making are exactly what the government has said will take us headlong into an inflationary recession that will make us all worse off.

No let me guess. You deserve the money, but expect every other poor sod / pensioner to stick to the rules.

Public sector wages do not exist in a commodity market so it's hard to see how they would fuel inflation. They might mean pressure on other spending commitments if the government decided spending billions on illegal invasions and lunatic IT schemes was a better use of the taxpayers money.

Inflation is currently being fueled (no pun) by speculators and far east economies not by low paid workers in the UK.

 

[Uncle C]

Public sector wages do not exist in a commodity market so it's hard to see how they would fuel inflation. .

Well you know nothing of human nature. Once one sector is seen to get an inflation beating pay rise the flood gates will be opened.

 

[beorhthelm]

Public sector wages do not exist in a commodity market so it's hard to see how they would fuel inflation.

well it might be fair point that it doesnt quite work like that anymore, but it has in the past. if everyone gets 4% and then spends it, inflation will trend upwards as there is more money. where the organisation charges for products/services, prices rise to cover the cost of the wage increase so theres inflationary pressure there too. with modern public sector being nearly wholy tax funded i suppose this doesnt count so much as it did when it was coal and steal workers. however your council tax bill will go up, although i think this government fudged the inflation numbers to remove this so again it might not be valid anymore. i do believe however that many big businesses with unionised workforces align their pay increase with the public sector settlement and it is here where the problem lies.

 

[Gary Leeds]

We are now on our 4th day of bin strikes in Leeds since the new council tax bills came. The other 3 were one day strikes that they picked 3 Thusdays in a row (just happens to be the day ours are collected). I suggested to the union rep for the region that more people would know about the strike if they varied the days, obviously he doesnt listen or care. We pay 7% of our council tax bill towards refuse collection (and the latest strikes are all council services apparently) yet the council do not pay the strikers for their lost days, so how much are the council saving nationally for not paying their staff when they strike? and more importantly, why dont we get a refund for the days wages they have saved?

Our council tax bills have gone up 4.7%, my pay has stayed the same, the wifes has gone up 2.5%. If Unison get their way and get the 4.8% rise they have asked for in leeds then council tax bills will rise by about 8% next year in Leeds and no doubt if their members dont get 8% to match it they will strike again next year

Gary

 

[dougdeep]

No rubbish or recycling collection this week in Seaford.

 

[beorhthelm]

We are now on our 4th day of bin strikes in Leeds ... yet the council do not pay the strikers for their lost days, so how much are the council saving nationally for not paying their staff when they strike?

heres a cheeky suggestion. theres roughly 250 working days ecah year, so each day represents 0.4% of wages. after 4 days they have saved enough to pay for a 1.6% settlement. wonder if the councils deliberatly engineer the strikes so they can afford the the eventual settlement

 

[Gary Leeds]

heres a cheeky suggestion. theres roughly 250 working days ecah year, so each day represents 0.4% of wages. after 4 days they have saved enough to pay for a 1.6% settlement. wonder if the councils deliberatly engineer the strikes so they can afford the the eventual settlement

I did think that but the crafty binmen barstewards then do something like work a sunday to catch up on the work they missed while on strike and get double time or better for doing it. Oh and they dont tell the householders they are coming on sunday so they just drive up the road, see no bins and then bugger off

 

[beorhthelm]

Oh and they dont tell the householders they are coming on sunday so they just drive up the road, see no bins and then bugger off

thats does sound more likly.

 

[Skintagain 1983]

Public sector wages do not exist in a commodity market so it's hard to see how they would fuel inflation. They might mean pressure on other spending commitments if the government decided spending billions on illegal invasions and lunatic IT schemes was a better use of the taxpayers money.

Inflation is currently being fueled (no pun) by speculators and far east economies not by low paid workers in the UK.

Welcome back Dandyman (He knows you know!)