[Misc] Will the Unions bring everyone to their knees?

[Deleted member 2719]

Have you been personally affected by the current round of industrial action?
Has it affected your business?
Have you had to cancel social events, or even medical appointments due to the strike?

You ask valid points, I have actually had a dentist appointment cancelled because, they have lack of staff because they can't get in by the strike. My Barber has sent emails out saying on the days of the rail strike we unfortunately have 2 barbers unable to get in as they rely on trains as they don't drive.
The Festival of speed is on this weekend and bring big bucks in around Chichester, I have heard from a friend that they have lost hotel bookings because they had people coming from Europe via train to chichester on Saturday.
Sorry but I have no empathy with the RMT and their timing at all.

The government have put pressure on the employers not to make better offers.
The Government have refused to participate in any talks.
The Government have been suggesting agency staff could be brought in to run the trains…… so what does that say about their attitude to health and safety and the part rail workers play in it.

And I’ve seen it reported that decent numbers of commuters have actually expressed sympathy and support for the strikers.

The Government is DELIBERATELY trying to provoke a fight……… but you’re too daft to see it.

I wont answer this Dave my old mate as there is no need to get personal, let's keep it clean.

 

[Is it PotG?]

So people with left leaning values are only allowed to live in mud huts and eat rats, are they?

Bit extreme, there is a more modest medium.

 

[Springal]

Sorry I got it wrong - £9.6Bn revenue with £1.6Bn profit before tax.

 

[dadams2k11]

Why should it?

The Tory Showdown one is still going strong in normal play.....

It feels like a massive net looking for a catch or 5.....

 

[Is it PotG?]

What's the problem with that? More Murdoch drivel

Fair enough. I thought a more modest lifestyle might be more akin to his political stance though.

 

[Lever]

View attachment 149044

....and your point in highlighting that on this thread is..............?

 

[Is it PotG?]

....and your point in highlighting that on this thread is..............?

As above GAP.

 

[lawros left foot]

You ask valid points, I have actually had a dentist appointment cancelled because, they have lack of staff because they can't get in by the strike. My Barber has sent emails out saying on the days of the rail strike we unfortunately have 2 barbers unable to get in as they rely on trains as they don't drive.
The Festival of speed is on this weekend and bring big bucks in around Chichester, I have heard from a friend that they have lost hotel bookings because they had people coming from Europe via train to chichester on Saturday.
Sorry but I have no empathy with the RMT and their timing at all.



I wont answer this Dave my old mate as there is no need to get personal, let's keep it clean.

In answer to my question, that’s a no then.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

But they did, offer 3%?

I think every business worldwide could say corners have been and are being cut and safety is a risk.
But in tough times things need to give, the cash has been splashed like no other Tory government in recent times.
I would have thought the left would recognise this and understand it's time to keep that wallet sealed up.

Sorry, I don't get your point on the last sentence?

No, you are very wrong, there. Do you think corners are being cut at the GP surgery, in hospitals, when the pharmacist prepares your meds, when the cameras recording motorists on the M25 are monitored, when aircraft are prepared and flown, when food is prepared to be sold......?

And the money they tory government have splashed is ours, not theirs.

See the strike in a wider context. In itself it is a micro-event. In the wider context it is being weaponized. I am not seeing a mass groundwell of support for the RMT, even on NSC. More a bit of tutting. You are simply making it look like, in fact, this really is part of a tory strategy (which think it is). All you have done with this thread is harden the waverers into, crikey, having more sympathy for the strikers. Their cause may be weak, but the sight of Patel and Johnson fluffing each other in buttery delight at the prospect of twatting a commie is looking increasingly nauseating.

If I were you I'd sit at home and smile quietly to youself at how well Johnson is using this to dismantle socialism. I can't see, for the life of me, why you seem to be angry. In your mouldy boots, I'd be cock-a-hoop.

 

[Lever]

As above GAP.

Your response makes no sense. Can you provide an intelligible answer or are you still having bad luck with that?

 

[wellquickwoody]

My feelings as well.

Pass the Pol Roger waiter.

 

[Blues Guitarist]

I may be a cynic but I believe that Johnson and his Government have effectively encouraged the strike by failing to negotiate seriously to resolve the issues. This is because Johnson sees this as his Thatcher moment, having basked in the spotlight of the war in Ukraine, he now sees this as his break the unions moment, copying Thatcher's on the Miners.

But it's not the same. The UK ended up with very few miners (which made sense as the mines closed). But the UK needs train drivers. So there is no "Thatcher moment".

 

[KZNSeagull]

I consider this a reasonable question.

The answer is no.

The sad things are these:

1. The workers have some cause for grievance, but not much
2. The union leadership see striking as a tool for facilitatiing confrontation (and The Revolution)
3. The Johnson government see this as an opportunity to justify upscaling anti union laws.

In an idea world, a key sector union would cede the right to strike for some benefits, like favourable pay incrementation compared with other sectors and perhaps more employment protection. This would be sensible because in key industries this would preclude irksome strikes like this one.

The RMT do not appear to want such an arrangement, because it would take away their 'freedom' to strike.
The Johnson government certainly don't, for much the same reason (it benefits tories when nominally publicly owned industry strikes because it justifies in the minds of some (you, perhaps) the idea of privatization and new laws on strikes).
Incidentally, this also means that Johnson does not care about the inconvenience of the strike as it provides him with a law changing opportunity, and the more disruption the better.

Re Point 2, RMT man said on the news that the strike was about "modernising the economy" and "job security for their members".

 

[beorhthelm]

Your divisive right wing rhetoric is fooling no one. The strike suits the tories politically... otherwise it would have been avoided.

nah. they've got plenty going on they cant manage. if it suits the tories, why would the unions be so daft as to give what they want? strikes are unavoidable because there is a real problem of pay falling behind and a desire for industrial action. unions are balloting for strikes before going into negotitation, have every intent exercising that mandate. who knows if it'll get them what they want, or what they want is partially bargaining for the main objective of pay. most the unions arent even messing around, simple asking for higher wages. i reckon many could get more without the strikes with better PR and alternative action.

 

[Beach Hut]

The Unions were alway going to fight back and given the current economic crisis we have it is a good enough reason to take on the Tory Government, we all this history goes back to Thatcher and closing the pits.

However the figures suggest modernisation can be achieved with natural wastage not actual redundancies and to be fair the railways do need to be dragged into the modern working world and with ticket automation you could easily reduce ticket offices. LUL went on strike over ticket office closures however they are all closed now.

What I do find strange about the Union leaders is they still talk an 80s rhetoric where you would have thought they would move on.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I see Potty has piled in. Just put him on ignore. It will save a great deal of sighing, head shaking, and pondering on the relative contribution of stupidity and dishonesty in the formulatation of a wanky 'position'.

 

[A1X]

Bit extreme, there is a more modest medium.

What is it then? And who gets to decide this figure? You? Me? Rupert Murdoch? I mean someone has to for your post to make sense.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

https://youtu.be/1osKWCDXl40

 

[portlock seagull]

If the root of this is there’s not enough money to increase pay or maintain jobs, the government doesn’t help its cause by some of the following:
failing to tackle tax evasion, especially tech giants
facilitating tax evasion through offshore accounts
failing to tackle the broken property market, a side from food, everyone’s major expenditure and a far too high one at that.
Spending money on illegal foreign wars, whilst at same time being unprepared for threats closer to home - a rather special achievement even by Tory standards
Wasting hundreds of billions during covid on contracts now appear to be highly corrupt
Wasting hundreds of billions on new transport infrustructure such as HS2 which isn’t needed

I guess some savings and extra revenue in the above might have helped prevent the chaos unfolding this week. By hey, a country led by Johnson is always going to struggle because it’s 2nd to his ego. And beyond his competency.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

https://youtu.be/Ly5ZKjjxMNM