Unite,Len McCluskey & the Olympics.

[Leekbrookgull]

So McCluskey feels that the 2012 Games are genuine targets for strike action (against the coalition cuts) well it was either going to be him or his mate Bob Crow. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17200835

 

[Simster]

Terrible own goal, IMO. Bound to lose public support over this.

 

[Jim D]

He obviously saw the story about the £500M contingency fund not being used yet and thought 'I'll have some of that'.

 

[Dave the OAP]

...or conspiritorily, call everyone out on strike so they can all sit at home and watch the Olympics?

Did anyone really believe that people are not going to use this as a huge platform to get their 5 minutes?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

They REALLY REALLY need to work on their PR.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Even the GREEKS managed not to strike during the Olympics.

 

[beorhthelm]

He obviously saw the story about the £500M contingency fund not being used yet and thought 'I'll have some of that'.

typical of unions now, no actual cause just want to strike for maximum inconvienence. i read the RMT are going to vote on strikes after rejecting a £500 Olympic bonus. yep, getting £500 extra for just turning up to work as normal, but thats not good enough.

is this really what the labour movement is about?

 

[Binney on acid]

Yes. It's called socialism.

 

[Captain Sensible]

typical of unions now, no actual cause just want to strike for maximum inconvienence. i read the RMT are going to vote on strikes after rejecting a £500 Olympic bonus. yep, getting £500 extra for just turning up to work as normal, but thats not good enough.

is this really what the labour movement is about?

Sorry but what you've just written could very well appear in the daily mail. Time to change your signature?

 

[Common as Mook]

Sorry but what you've just written could very well appear in the daily mail. Time to change your signature?

Which part do you disagree with?

 

[Simster]

Sorry but what you've just written could very well appear in the daily mail. Time to change your signature?

Do you seriously believe that beorhthelm's view is one ONLY held by conservatives then?

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

So McCluskey feels that the 2012 Games are genuine targets for strike action (against the coalition cuts) well it was either going to be him or his mate Bob Crow. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17200835

McLuskey is a reptile, I have seen at first hand how his vile brand of selfish 'f**k the lot of you' socialism nearly ruined the local Falkirk economy.
His breed of overpaid union thug should have been consigned to the bin in the 70s, alas they still exist.

Wall, gun, bullet, ready, aim, FIRE!

TNBA

TTF

 

[Captain Sensible]

Which part do you disagree with?

I just found the two statements contradictory.
Since the legislation in this country is heavily stacked in favour of employers, unions have had to become harder lined, hence the announcements of potential action are always hard hitting. Unions have very little room for manoeuvre these days. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the article above but just that it's all political manoeuvring and nothing else.

 

[Common as Mook]

Read the paragraph you wrote and your signature, Just a bit contradictionary. That's all.

Since the legislation in this country is heavily stacked in favour of employers, unions have had to become harder lined, hence the announcements of potential action are always hard hitting. Unions have very little room for manoeuvre these days. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the article above but just that it's all political manoeuvring and nothing else.

Sorry if I upset ya fella.

I didn't write it. I was quoting on his behalf

 

[Captain Sensible]

I didn't write it. I was quoting on his behalf

Sorry edited.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

I appreciate that many of Unite's members will already be among the lowest paid workers so can ill afford any further erosion of their pay and conditions but they will rapidly lose any public sympathy if there is industrial action over the Olympics, even more so if they are stupid enough to strike during the Para-Olympics. I'm sure it is very trempting for the Union leaders to think they can hold the Govt to ransom so as to avoid an international embarrassment, but in my experience as a former official several senior Union leaders are often more motivated by their own left wing agendas, especially against a Tory led coalition in Govt. rather than just a pay issue for their members. The fact that McCluskey is advocating civil unrest ('within the law') is a step too far, he could find himself indicted for incitement.

I think the public services will be enough pressure what with the Olympics occurring during the school / staff summer holiday period plus there will be those that will throw a sicky or two because they can't be asked to put a proper shift in, or just want a day in the armchair watching the Olympics on telly. I hope the £500 bonus is lost if they fail to complete their alloted shifts for skiving.

This is a golden chance to give the UK's image a positive boost rather than confirm most punters suspicions that we are a banana republic. If they choose industrial action the day after the Olympics have finished then so be it.

 

[Captain Sensible]

This is a golden chance to give the UK's image a positive boost rather than confirm most punters suspicions that we are a banana republic. If they choose industrial action the day after the Olympics have finished then so be it.

That defeats the purpose. McClusky isn't going to say they won't strike over the olympics, there would be no point. No scare, no clout to that statement. It's political manoeuvring, McClusky is dealing with the government, the most difficult opponent. He has to make noises of maximum disruption during a crucial time. It's the one thing the government are afraid of, that the public and national image are damaged during the Olympics.

 

[severnside gull]

"This is a golden chance to give the UK's image a positive boost rather than confirm most punters suspicions that we are a banana republic"

talking to some Dutch friends this morning who couldn't understand the mentality but totally believed it from "us" - just one more example of the British Disease. They call us the self imposed leper of europe but if this goes ahead it won't just be europe that looks at us askance.

That said, any government that is held to ransom by this sort of approach doesn't merit the name.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

That defeats the purpose. McClusky isn't going to say they won't strike over the olympics, there would be no point. No scare, no clout to that statement. It's political manoeuvring, McClusky is dealing with the government, the most difficult opponent. He has to make noises of maximum disruption during a crucial time. It's the one thing the government are afraid of, that the public and national image are damaged during the Olympics.

McCluskey doesn't 'have to' make noises as you say - and listening to the political and public reaction to his statement he is already losing the PR battle.

I do agree that he should be sabre rattling. However his particular PR 'own goal' seems to be urging his members not just for industrial action, but public disorder too. However it is a high risk approach as the unions would probably be become even less popular than an unpopular Govt (thats not easy). Especially if the unions are seen to ignore today's urges from all 3 main parties (inc. Labour) who are all against industrial action during the Olympics. And thats before they lose public support as well. The Govt will wage a PR campaign based on no public money being available to meet the Union demands and break pay agreements unless there are further cut backs and/or job losses and/or tax hikes. The public won't stomach that. I'm not saying its right or that Unions should roll over but McCluskey seems motivated more by political posturing than a realistic pay and conditions campaign.

I can see that anyone with a grievance let alone those more organised activists could crawl out of the woodwork to try to take advantage of the Olympics because they know the world's media will have the UK under even more of microscope plus they know they can fairly readily cause disruption to joe public. It would be a shame for any good that might come out of the Olympics gets overshadowed by negative events. It's sadly ironic that the campaign to win the Olympics for London which had its origins back the days of Tony Blair's cool Britannia has become more of a political football in the very grim bankrupt economic landscape that a generation of New Labour created - and the coalition is now trying to rectify.

It will be interesting to look back in a year or so and reflect on what impact the London Olympics had (other than sporting terms) and whether it is seen as a 'cost' or an 'investment'.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

The militant British unions are frankly envious of the strikes that happen in France and Greece and are trying desperately doing anything they can to create some militancy. What they don't realise is that there isn't that sort of militancy left in workers. Employment rights are miles miles better than they were in the 80's so while there is clearly a role for unions the power of an employer to bully their staff into submission isn't there anymore.