This binman strike...

[mistahclarke]

If you were applying for the job now would you consider these terms unfair?

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no, they are standard.

Bit of perspective, unless I've missed something they aren't getting a pay cut? The overtime rate is aligning with other sectors, so working extra hours won't bring as much in but their basic wage is unaffected.

Maybe I see it from a business point of view but that is better than redundancy.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

O2 call centre workers are in a similar situation to the binmen. The work they do has been outsourced to Capita in a 10 year deal but Capita is only guaranteeing the existing pay rate for 2 years. They currently earn £10 an hour but Capita only pay their UK staff £7 an hour. 2 out of the 5 call centres have been earmarked for closure by Capita before 2015 with the work being transferred to South Africa and India. To alleviate any compulsory redundancies , a voluntary redundancy scheme has been offered to 600 but because of interest to leave another 400 will be allowed to go before the end of the year.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

no, they are standard.

Bit of perspective, unless I've missed something they aren't getting a pay cut? The overtime rate is aligning with other sectors, so working extra hours won't bring as much in but their basic wage is unaffected.

Maybe I see it from a business point of view but that is better than redundancy.

Without knowing if the hourly rate is being cut to bring them into line with other council workers its difficult to draw a conclusion.

 

[beorhthelm]

I thought the £4000 pay cut was announced before the consultation, which is what caused the spur.

you miss the point of consultation, as do unions. the £4k figure (a worse case as far as i can tell, not typical or average for the rank and file worker) is a number the union tells everyone will be lost *if* the proposed contract changes are applied. everybody out!

why not consult, then strike if that process is fruitless?

 

[Chicken Run]

So, no minimum wage then? Employment is not a race to the bottom. Anyway, they did want the job for the outlined terms - the terms were then changed.

I would sack the lot of em, as my boss use to say "If you don't like your working conditions, change them and get a job that you do like" there are plenty of unemployed who would gladly take their jobs.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

you miss the point of consultation, as do unions. the £4k figure (a worse case as far as i can tell, not typical or average for the rank and file worker) is a number the union tells everyone will be lost *if* the proposed contract changes are applied. everybody out!

why not consult, then strike if that process is fruitless?

There has been consultation , the council and the union cannot reach a settlement. What is the union supposed to do if the council won't make any concessions and want to implement the contract changes ? The union has balloted for industrial action (can also mean working to the correct procedures and not cutting corners or not performing any overtime) with an overwhelming result yet the council has waited until the strike has started before arranging an official meeting to take place on Monday.

 

[driller]

At the end of the day it is a job and unskilled.

Plenty of people will take it for the new terms.

No ransom. Sack them all.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

9 Green councillors have signed an open letter showing their support for the binmen and Caroline Lucas visited the picket line yesterday. This dispute seems to be a major issue not only for the council as a whole but on the sidelines as a power struggle with the Greens.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

At the end of the day it is a job and unskilled.

Plenty of people will take it for the new terms.

No ransom. Sack them all.

If you sacked all the existing workers there wouldn't be any need for the new terms. The new terms would be replaced with new new terms.

 

[saafend_seagull]

our road has about 70 houses on it, all multi-occupancy (mainly 4 bedrooms i'd estimate) and we share 3 of those 'big bin' things. In the past month or so the road has started to resemble a third world country...it's absolutely horrific. You literally can't walk down the street without having to step over rubbish several times, it stinks because it's summer and the seagulls, who i believe have just given birth, are going absolutely apeshit...not to mention the foxes

my sympathy is certainly dwindling. It's not the general publics fault that they've had their pay cut, yet we're the ones being punished...great, cheers guys.

Where do you live? I'm on Alexandra villas and seems to be okay around here with those black bins and excess waste

 

[Ninja Elephant]

At the end of the day it is a job and unskilled.

Plenty of people will take it for the new terms.

No ransom. Sack them all.

While I don't feel so strongly that they should all be sacked immediately, I do find it tough to argue with this.

A friend of mine works there, and he happily admits voting for the strike "for a bit of a laugh" (He's seen smiling joyfully in the picture in The Argus today), but disagrees with it and the Union in general. He has always said it is a free ride and a bit of a running joke that they're massively overpaid for what they do. Now it has been Barbered and the free ride is over.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

Where do you live? I'm on Alexandra villas and seems to be okay around here with those black bins and excess waste

unfortunately i'm on park crescent road which is full of students which doesn't help the matter. Our road and st. pauls at the end are both absolute shit holes at the moment.

luckily i'm moving in a month to somewhere less chaotic

 

[e77]

So is everyone here happy that they are paying Working Tax Credits to low paid worker and basically funding industry through their taxes?

Personally, I would rather companies paid a living wage and I didn't have to subsidise them.

 

[driller]

If they wanted a high paid job should have worked harder at school.

They collect rubbish.

**** them and their ransom demands.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Its a huge cut in an already not very good wage. My vote is firmly with the binmen.

And all these slagging them (henceforth known as 'the slags') are prob. the same gumbies who slag off any other public sector workers like firemen, NHS workers, civil servants who once in a blue moon take the very hard decision to stick up for their rights and try and protect themselves against the easy option attacks of being soft targets for a government that is too chickenshit to claw the money back from the greedhead Enemy Within that caused this shit in the first place. The slags seem to regard the people who keep the town running as some kind of invisible drones to instantly have bile poured on them the minute they dare to have any kind of impact on the slags self-centred lives. Utterly shameful.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Its a huge cut in an already not very good wage. My vote is firmly with the binmen.

How much do they get paid?

 

[RexCathedra]

Personally, I would rather companies paid a living wage and I didn't have to subsidise them.

Yes, but are you a shareholder?

'Taxpayer and citizen' simply doesn't cut it. Your job is to save that firm money.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Its a huge cut in an already not very good wage. My vote is firmly with the binmen.

And all these slagging them (henceforth known as 'the slags') are prob. the same gumbies who slag off any other public sector workers like firemen, NHS workers, civil servants who once in a blue moon take the very hard decision to stick up for their rights and try and protect themselves against the easy option attacks of being soft targets for a government that is too chickenshit to claw the money back from the greedhead Enemy Within that caused this shit in the first place. The slags seem to regard the people who keep the town running as some kind of invisible drones to instantly have bile poured on them the minute they dare to have any kind of impact on the slags self-centred lives. Utterly shameful.

Utter drivel. The other public sector workers you mention there are all deserving of public support and sympathy - very few people think that firemen, NHS workers and the police don't deserve to be well paid. But binmen and street cleaners? Their job is extremely important, as highlighted by the carnage in town at the moment. But by striking they're ridding themselves of any remaining good will from the general public, and the tide of opinion is turning/has turned.

 

[vegster]

unfortunately i'm on park crescent road which is full of students which doesn't help the matter. Our road and st. pauls at the end are both absolute shit holes at the moment.

luckily i'm moving in a month to somewhere less chaotic

There seems to have been no change in the condition of Upper Lewes Road, it's always bin day along there.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Utter drivel. The other public sector workers you mention there are all deserving of public support and sympathy - very few people think that firemen, NHS workers and the police don't deserve to be well paid. But binmen and street cleaners? Their job is extremely important, as highlighted by the carnage in town at the moment. But by striking they're ridding themselves of any remaining good will from the general public, and the tide of opinion is turning/has turned.

Quite. They contribute to the town being a nice place to live and to visit. Or in terms that slags will understand, they contribute to the bottom line. Manky town = less visitors.