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

[darkwolf666]

Agree completely about Beeching. What it achieved was to marginalise the provinces, and it was the marginalisation of the provinces (along with other factors, granted) that led to a surge behind Brexit.

It did leave us with some cracking Heritage railway lines though!

 

[Weststander]

Anyone who stands up against the Johnsons and Rees Moggs of this world gets a thumbs up from me.

Or Johnson’s lapping this up. An old school leader in Mick Lynch and his Cockney rhetoric, a distraction from everything else, an opportunity seized.

 

[Swansman]

Unions are really bad if you like to work 18 hour shifts with limited or no pay and no workplace safety. To everyone else they are quite useful.

 

[timbha]

Unions are really bad if you like to work.

�� ….

 

[Swansman]

�� ….

Was not what I said.

Right-wing muppets, snobs and neo-liberals chose to have no idea about what unions - globally - did for workers rights, and the dire situation before them.

If they were to be removed, the Chinese/Saudi/Yank blokes would very soon be paying you very little for a lot of work. Despite the mentioned set of people believing in all kinds of bollocks from trickle down effects, the charitable attitudes of non-Russian oligarchs, some kind of inherent corporate ethics and all kinds of shit - you'd very quickly find out that they really, really don't give a shit about you, would abuse you to no end, and there would be **** all you as a lone individual could do about it.

 

[FatSuperman]

Perhaps what you can’t get your head round isn’t actually true ? Disagreeing with what the unions are doing doesn’t mean supporting the Government. I don’t think the Government should be involved in the dispute and that is perfectly in line with the clause you mention. I do think that market forces will drive up wages as there are skill shortages elsewhere in the economy and if the rail workers are underpaid it is this fact that will undermine the current pay awards.

The government is contractually involved, tying the hands of the unions and the rail operators. So without the government there is stalemate. The government simply need to do nothing and let chaos ensue - which is perfect for their purposes of deflection, deceit, chicanery, etc. Market forces cannot drive up the wages since the government need to agree to the changes required. It's not as easy as people assume for all the rail workers and cleaners etc to just say 'sod it, let's be soft fruit pickers instead'. Some of course will move on, attrition will be higher than usual, but the vast majority will just suffer.

People definitely do back the current government despite them being demonstrably crap at the job, clearly not interested in the betterment of the general populace - society or economy, and blatantly only out for changing the game to enrich themselves. There is no fact based argument that they are doing a good job. And yet loads of people think that they are.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Completely agree. For ‘modernizing’ read increase profits for shareholders. I don’t see what is standing in the way of re nationalizing the rail network. I would still oppose the strike action.

2000 people losing their jobs, means no ticket offices (ticket machines rarely working) so no advice on the best types of ticket to buy, disabled people unable to get on trains, or off, because there’s no one to assist with the ramps. Females feeling unsafe because there’s no inspector/guard on board.

That’s just a small proportion of the problem. It might not affect you, but it does affect a large proportion of the population.

 

[rippleman]

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?

Let's try you with some basic maths.

If prices are increasing by 10%, (and fuel and energy by significantly more), and the pay increase offered is 3% do you:-

a) get richer
b) get poorer
c) stay where you are

 

[portslade seagull]

2000 people losing their jobs, means no ticket offices (ticket machines rarely working) so no advice on the best types of ticket to buy, disabled people unable to get on trains, or off, because there’s no one to assist with the ramps. Females feeling unsafe because there’s no inspector/guard on board.

That’s just a small proportion of the problem. It might not affect you, but it does affect a large proportion of the population.

Sadly its called modernisation or money saving. How many supermarket checkout jobs have been lost to self service loads. When I left school one of the main job opportunities for girls was typing pools. Now all long gone due to modernisation. It happens and will keep happening.

 

[Vaughan Storm]

Something I'm concerned about is that they're threatening to strike on and off for months, this could impact the football in that if there's strikes on matchdays, how are 30000 people expected to get to the amex or a few thousand get to away games?

My main point here though is I want to go to old Trafford for first day of the season, how likely is there to be a strike on that day?

 

[darkwolf666]

Sadly its called modernisation or money saving. How many supermarket checkout jobs have been lost to self service loads. When I left school one of the main job opportunities for girls was typing pools. Now all long gone due to modernisation. It happens and will keep happening.

Being "served" by a machine in the supermarket, or not having a "typing pool" doesn't make people less safe. Losing customer facing staff on the railways does.

There has to be a balance between economics and safety.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Sadly its called modernisation or money saving. How many supermarket checkout jobs have been lost to self service loads. When I left school one of the main job opportunities for girls was typing pools. Now all long gone due to modernisation. It happens and will keep happening.

Yes, girls have many more opportunities nowadays and not pigeonholed into 'women's jobs' They can even become train drivers or pilots.

I noticed you ignored the safety aspect and the disabled people who need assistance.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Something I'm concerned about is that they're threatening to strike on and off for months, this could impact the football in that if there's strikes on matchdays, how are 30000 people expected to get to the amex or a few thousand get to away games?

My main point here though is I want to go to old Trafford for first day of the season, how likely is there to be a strike on that day?

Go on the coach with Seagulls Travel.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

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 they don't.

No it isn't.


Best fix the roof when the sun is shining, not in the middle of a monsoon.

 

[severnside gull]

Still laughing at the original post.

 

[Vaughan Storm]

Go on the coach with Seagulls Travel.

How much is it usually?

 

[Lever]

Still laughing at the original post.

Yes, it is funny isn't it. A rallying cry from a Tory government that needs any distraction it can find and, like Pavlov's dog's, the faithful begin to salivate..... and become animated.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

…… it’s what the people want!

 

[beorhthelm]

2000 people losing their jobs, means no ticket offices (ticket machines rarely working) so no advice on the best types of ticket to buy, disabled people unable to get on trains, or off, because there’s no one to assist with the ramps. Females feeling unsafe because there’s no inspector/guard on board.

That’s just a small proportion of the problem. It might not affect you, but it does affect a large proportion of the population.

are you mixing up job cuts on maintenance with unspecified ticket office closures, or is there firm reported plans for the latter? here is a problem for this dispute, theres half a dozen issues, with two groups of employers. jobs, safety, ticket offices, pensions, hours, all been thrown around without any solid information. but its really about pay, they'll eventually settle for a pay rise near inflation and some "assurances".

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Something I'm concerned about is that they're threatening to strike on and off for months, this could impact the football in that if there's strikes on matchdays, how are 30000 people expected to get to the amex or a few thousand get to away games?

My main point here though is I want to go to old Trafford for first day of the season, how likely is there to be a strike on that day?

Don’t worry, the game will be switched to a stupid day and time which will make it almost impossible to get to anyway.