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Cian

Well-known member
Jul 16, 2003
14,262
Dublin, Ireland
London Irish said:
That's a Daily Maily myth - the biggest of the big lies fed to us by our anti-union national newspapers.

Unions remain strong in the Scandinavian countries and Germany yet these countries have an excellent standard of living.

And, in Germany at least, companies who are losing so much money on their German operations that their out-of-Germany operations are barely keeping them going and a government who are absolutely skint.

Unions are here the scum of the f***ing earth, and I doubt the situation in the UK was any better. Unfortunately, we need a referendum to ban public sector unions but I'm sure it'd be passed if it was called. 90K a year train drivers holding the network to ransome because they don't want to drive the SAME ENGINES hauling new carraiges as a very recent example. And, this being the rail and bus union, people who drive entirely different sets (railcars) going on sympathy strike.
 




jonogulls

New member
Aug 2, 2004
336
MYOB said:
And, in Germany at least, companies who are losing so much money on their German operations that their out-of-Germany operations are barely keeping them going and a government who are absolutely skint.

Unions are here the scum of the f***ing earth, and I doubt the situation in the UK was any better. Unfortunately, we need a referendum to ban public sector unions but I'm sure it'd be passed if it was called. 90K a year train drivers holding the network to ransome because they don't want to drive the SAME ENGINES hauling new carraiges as a very recent example. And, this being the rail and bus union, people who drive entirely different sets (railcars) going on sympathy strike.

What a crock of shit.
 


Cian

Well-known member
Jul 16, 2003
14,262
Dublin, Ireland
jonogulls said:
What a crock of shit.

Which bit? The German economy being on the skids? Or Irish Rail train drivers being mercenary xxxxx?

Because to prove the first one - just actually look at some non-tabloid media and any business related content. For the second one, something like 6 strikes in 3 years despite being paid absolutely massive money.
 




bigc

New member
Jul 5, 2003
5,740
rail privatisation was a monumental f*** up.

whether you agree or not over the privatisation argument, the way BR was privatised was a shambles.
 




Tubby Mondays

Well-known member
Dec 8, 2005
3,114
A Crack House
BarrelofFun said:
There has been a massive increase in houses in the last 15 years, climate change (due to coal ;) for one ).
I am sure you will find that more has been invested in the waterworks than ever before. There are many factors that have come into play since those days.

Shareholders get bonuses as they invest in the company, money that the company needs to survive.

I remember reading about franchises losing their....franchise in the rail sector, but I am unaware what happened there. I don't know nuffink on that front. One thing is for sure on that front, is that passenger levels are up and there has never been this much sustained investment before. It is going to take time to turn round years of neglect.

If you look at the shortfall in funding for many aspects of modern British life, imagine how much more would be needed if the government had attempted to support everything, instead of selling various sectors off.

From yesterdays Evening Standard -

‘Thames Water announced a 31% increase in profits today but admitted it had missed its leak reduction target for a third successive year. The company has faced consistent criticism for failing to fix its leakage problems, and has been forced to ask for a drought order which would affect London and some areas of Kent and Surrey.’

Must be all the new houses being built and all the coal being burnt. Oh and -

‘The company's also reported on Wednesday that pre-tax profits were up 31% to £346.5 million.’

Presumably not because they don’t invest any money in fixing anything.
 




zefarelly

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
22,754
Sussex, by the sea
The Clown of Pevensey Bay said:
And selling off the coal mines. Of course, we don't need coal now, we can just buy lots of lovely cheap European oil and gas.... oh.

a senior engineer who was my mentor whilst doing my apprentiship told me ( circa 1989-90 ) that our coal was far too good a quality to be burning in power stations and it was too expensive . . .hence cheap foreign imports, it had nothing to do with it running out . . . . he predicted that we'd be mining again for it in my lifetime . . .I still think he's right.
 


Tom Bombadil

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2003
6,103
Jibrovia
The problem with Thatcher and her heirs is that like all ideologues they believe there is a one size fits all solution to every problem.
So though it follows that privatisation and deregulation of the telephone network may bring prices down for the consumer, it doesn't follow that the same policy will work for the water utility - mainly because there's no actual competition.
With much of their privatisation programme they have merely replaced one group who prospered through the lack of efficiencies with anothe much smaller one, mainly there mates.
 


bigc

New member
Jul 5, 2003
5,740
Voroshilov said:

With much of their privatisation programme they have merely replaced one group who prospered through the lack of efficiencies with anothe much smaller one, mainly there mates.

the rich got richer...

etc
 




Tony Meolas Loan Spell

Slut Faced Whores
Jul 15, 2004
18,071
Vamanos Pest
On the subject of water what surprises me is that being an Island how come we have a shortage?

Yes I know it has to be treated etc etc but come on. And yes the water companies should really pull their fingers out and invest in our decaying/leaking pipes. Its absolutely criminal.
 


Barrel of Fun

Abort, retry, fail
Tubby Mondays said:
From yesterdays Evening Standard -

‘Thames Water announced a 31% increase in profits today but admitted it had missed its leak reduction target for a third successive year. The company has faced consistent criticism for failing to fix its leakage problems, and has been forced to ask for a drought order which would affect London and some areas of Kent and Surrey.’

Must be all the new houses being built and all the coal being burnt. Oh and -

‘The company's also reported on Wednesday that pre-tax profits were up 31% to £346.5 million.’

Presumably not because they don’t invest any money in fixing anything.

Presumably the labour government of the last 9 years(??) could have done something about that.

I am not saying privatisation has been a complete success, far from it. But there has been a lot of invesment in various sectors.
Despite what we think, Southern Water do a very good job and it is a huge task for them after years and years of neglect.

Thames Water are crooks and I hope the government sort them out once and for all.
 


bigc

New member
Jul 5, 2003
5,740
ahhh but could they?

check the legislation.

in the 80s everyone wanted the government out of their hair, roll back the frontiers of the state, night watchman state.

if they had interfered..surely it would either be in breach of contract, or else cause the red tops to proclaim labour are meddling just like the old days.
 




Stinky Kat

Tripping
Oct 27, 2004
3,382
Catsfield
Tony Meolas Loan Spell said:
And Gordon Brown hasnt sold off any of our gold reserves at a knockdown price either?

Gordon Brown would sit well on any of thatchers cabinets as would Tory Blair
 




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