I'm out today due to the idiots in the union voting in favour of it, at least they chose a day with nice weather and India v Australia to follow.
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Has anyone ever been on STRIKE?
- Thread starter El Presidente
- Start date
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
I think a lot of education establishments are in for a shock when the fees increase. The students are going to want good service for their money. My daughter had an exam postponed at the last minute from a Tuesday afternoon to Friday at 5pm. It may have been ok putting students at the bottom of the pile - but I suspect those days are going to change.
But No - I have never even had an opportunity to go on strike.
But No - I have never even had an opportunity to go on strike.
n1 gull
Well-known member
I have, 1993 when working for London Transport. Very surreal experience, not so clever when I got
my pack at the end of the month
my pack at the end of the month
Billy the Fish
Technocrat
You didn't have to strike though, you could be a SCAB and go to work
Lord Bracknell
On fire
The local government pay strike in the eighties was great fun. I was a branch officer of Nalgo at the time and was therefore under an obligation to take a fairly active part. I remember spending a lot of time touring the picket lines. The best of the lot was the picket line formed by staff who worked at the Seven Sisters Country Park at Exceat, down in the Cuckmere Valley. It was a lovely sunny day, a party atmosphere and there was a lot of support from members of the public who were quite happy to be turned away from the local government controlled footpath down to the sea. I think it helped that the Forestry Commission's footpaths nearby were unpicketed. East Sussex County Council's chief Planning Officer was down there as well, representing management. He was, apparently, so concerned that something unpleasant might kick off and cause damage to the Country Park, that he felt it necessary to be there and "keep an eye on things" ... or, to be precise, sit in a deckchair, wearing shorts and a tee-shirt, reading novels all day. The only trouble I saw was from a mis-thrown frisbee, flying on to the A259 and not hitting any traffic. The refreshments were excellent. Happy days.
And we won our pay rise.
And we won our pay rise.
Not to mention shopping abroad. 2400 mainland Europe degree courses are taught in English and are available for a fraction of the cost. A significant number of them are now looking to scoop up English students. There is a very good case study regarding a girl who was lured by Masstrict Uni. She pays around a £1000 per year and has a job working at the local postal sorting office to fund her study. Pretty much everyone at uni and in the sorting office speaks English. Her blog has been swamped by enquiries from other students, other universities looking to crack the UK market and her own uni who now use her for advertising. Over the coming years I think you will see a lot of students doing this.
Trufflehound
Re-enfranchised
I was on strike once. I was out second ball.
You're not a SCAB just because you exercise your right to work when others exercise their right to strike.
In answer to the question - no never been on strike but have crossed a handful of picket lines.
- Thread starter
- #9
The problem is that although I did not vote for the strike (we're reasonably well paid and the job, despite the whining of the activists, is a good one) the majority of members did so. I can't pick and choose which elements of being a union member I like just because it suits me, in the same way that I cannot disobey the laws introduced by the current government just because I did not vote for them.
Lord Bracknell
On fire
You'll have to be careful, though, El Pres. I'm sure that universities aren't exempt from the standard strike-breaking techniques that employers use these days. What will you do when they start busing in loads of admin and maintenance staff to do your teaching?
ali jenkins
Thanks to Guinness Dave
Ive always wondered what i would do if my workplace went on strike. In theory id like to support the cause and my workmates but at the same time im not sure id like getting my paycheck at the end of the month.
Norman Potting
Well-known member
Do overtime bans count? I did this once in the mid '80's when times were good and lots of domestic bank staff were quitting branch banking to work in the City on far better salaries/conditions. Surprisingly we all got pretty much what we wanted and it was "ker - ching" time for a while, even funded a Florida Holiday on the strength of it.
- Thread starter
- #13
Fortunately few people have slides for my specialist subject, The Finances of the Adult Entertainment Industry.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
I was the same last year (the first time I ever went on strike), I voted against it. The management had tried to change redundancy packages and pensions unlawfully. By going on strike, they were forced to go to court by the union and change it back to the original agreement.
Not sure comparing Union expectations with the law of the land is a particularly fair comparison. I've never belonged to a union but I can fully understand why people working in education do if only to get the legal assistance should a pupil make an awful claim against you. That said I'm not aware that strike ballots are binding on all members are they ? What if you join a union for the protection I mentioned rather than the collective pay bargaining ?
Lord Bracknell
On fire
You need to get a BANNER made ... showing scenes from the industry that you work with.
And you need a SLOGAN.
ALL POWER TO THE HANDY HORNY SONS OF TOIL!
Like this ... only "different":-
SpidersLegs
Member
Having worked on the Railways for nearly 30 years we've had a few strikes but not as many as you would think. Done a bit of picket line duty then off down the pub!
happypig
Staring at the rude boys
Went on strike for 3 weeks in Feb 1987 (working for BT). Nobody won, nobody lost (except wages). I was buying a flat at the time and my solicitor was rather concerned as the mortgage co were refusing to advance the money cos I was on strike. Weather was cold and horrible so we would picket the Vine Street depot then go round the King and Queen. After we went back, our senior manager told us "You'll never see another sunday (overtime)". 8 months later thousands of cables were brought down in the october storm and we did so much overtime that our managers has to manually authorise it.
After that I vowed to look for a better job.
I'm still looking.
After that I vowed to look for a better job.
I'm still looking.
- Thread starter
- #19
I did join for the reason you stated. If there is another strike I will not support it, and I have pre-recorded my lectures for today and put them up on the internet so that no students are disadvantaged. This has gone down quite well ironically as 70% of the people on the course are British Asian and it is India v Australia today in the cricket.....
