Strikes

[Mad Cyril]

Why is the country in **** street? Coz the banks screwed up royally. And when I say banks, I mean those that make the decisions, lend money indiscrimantly and the like. If the banks hadn't gone belly up there would be no recession.

Was the country in a fantastic state before the recession?

I didn't see many on low incomes or looking to get on the housing ladder with much to cheer about.

 

[Napster]

If the banks hadn't gone belly up there would be no recession.

Eh? A load of baloney. The recession would have happened eventually. Growth is not a constant. The economy moves in cycles. Plus the recession was global.

I put it down more to the property market hedging their bets on increasing prices.

 

[chadded]

Depends on what you think of your telly, A number of people would make sure that the telly was the only thing they could take, then claim on the insurance and get a new telly.....

How many of those who are opposed to the strikes / unions are in an industry where

A) there is no Union representation or Union representation is actively discouraged

B) in an job that does the standard 9-5 with little need for any safety concerns

Whilst I fall into this category, my objection to the striking ***** is not down to jealousy, or a desire to be able to strike.

 

[Perth Bambi]

I am sure some of the people who wont be able to make it into work next week and therefore will be missing out on a weeks wages will really want to support the strikers.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I am sure some of the people who wont be able to make it into work next week and therefore will be missing out on a weeks wages will really want to support the strikers.

Perhaps.

Perhaps they in turn shouldn't expect any support or sympathy if someone tries to **** them.

 

[Perth Bambi]

Well they aren't getting any support or sympathy or anything at all. I guess it is lucky that not everyone who doesn't have perfect working conditions goes on strike otherwise the country would fall apart. Working in the NHS its unbelievable the poor pay and benefits that we get (basically no benefits whatsoever) but you don't really hear of anyone in the NHS striking.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Well they aren't getting any support or sympathy or anything at all. I guess it is lucky that not everyone who doesn't have perfect working conditions goes on strike otherwise the country would fall apart. Working in the NHS its unbelievable the poor pay and benefits that we get (basically no benefits whatsoever) but you don't really hear of anyone in the NHS striking.

As it's been previously stated, nurses and doctors tend not to strike or patients would die.

It's not about "perfect working conditions", it's about protecting my and my colleagues way of life and not being forced to be rostered onto permanent nights/weekends just because Richard Branson wants to run trains late into the night.

It's also about the 1500 souls who are threatened with redundancy despite the ORR telling NR that we're seriously understaffed.

Ultimately, there is a very real threat that what is current a very safe railway could seriously suffer and more Greyriggs/Hatfields etc could happen - perhaps the general public would like to look at this reason why we're striking rather that the tired old cliches that are span out thanks to the media.

 

[Firestorm]

Well they aren't getting any support or sympathy or anything at all. I guess it is lucky that not everyone who doesn't have perfect working conditions goes on strike otherwise the country would fall apart. Working in the NHS its unbelievable the poor pay and benefits that we get (basically no benefits whatsoever) but you don't really hear of anyone in the NHS striking.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6896369.stm

 

[Davros]

Ultimately, there is a very real threat that what is current a very safe railway could seriously suffer and more Greyriggs/Hatfields etc could happen - perhaps the general public would like to look at this reason why we're striking rather that the tired old cliches that are span out thanks to the media.

if this is the case (and excuse my ignorance of railway safety, as it isnt my area of practice), why have The Office of Rail Regulation who govern the safety of railways agreed to the proposals?

surely if the proposals were to the detrement of public safety, the proposals wouldnt have been able to be put through?

 

[Perth Bambi]

As it's been previously stated, nurses and doctors tend not to strike or patients would die.

It's not about "perfect working conditions", it's about protecting my and my colleagues way of life and not being forced to be rostered onto permanent nights/weekends just because Richard Branson wants to run trains late into the night.

It's also about the 1500 souls who are threatened with redundancy despite the ORR telling NR that we're seriously understaffed.

Ultimately, there is a very real threat that what is current a very safe railway could seriously suffer and more Greyriggs/Hatfields etc could happen - perhaps the general public would like to look at this reason why we're striking rather that the tired old cliches that are span out thanks to the media.

Quite possibly, but I rekon if every single person that wasn't made redundant was given a 10grand a year pay rise caring about their colleagues way of life would become slightly less important (obviously i know everyone getting a 10grand payrise is unrealistic, I am just using it to get my point across)

 

[MK Shrimper]

if this is the case (and excuse my ignorance of railway safety, as it isnt my area of practice), why have The Office of Rail Regulation who govern the safety of railways agreed to the proposals?

surely if the proposals were to the detrement of public safety, the proposals wouldnt have been able to be put through?

Who knows mate, possibly because they don't really see the real picture and get the candy coated one from senior management.

We already struggle to maintain certain assets due to time restrictions and NR want to narrow those times and lump more men on nights/weekends.

I ask anyone on here, how would they like it if their employer suddenly announced that as of next week you will be on permanent nights and work 3 weekends out of 4?

Bye bye family life, social life.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Quite possibly, but I rekon if every single person that wasn't made redundant was given a 10grand a year pay rise caring about their colleagues way of life would become slightly less important (obviously i know everyone getting a 10grand payrise is unrealistic, I am just using it to get my point across)

That'll never happen.

 

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

if this is the case (and excuse my ignorance of railway safety, as it isnt my area of practice), why have The Office of Rail Regulation who govern the safety of railways agreed to the proposals?

surely if the proposals were to the detrement of public safety, the proposals wouldnt have been able to be put through?

Very often this proposals are passed by people who have forgotten the front line and all looks ok on paper.

Similar to Social workers, very easy to jump on the bandwagon when a child is abused and then new guide line are brought in, if they had spoken to the front line workers who are over streched with cases, and plead for more staff/carers, then a majority would be saved.

Easy to bitch when getting half the facts from one side, and in to days world Spin is the King.

 

[Perth Bambi]

That'll never happen.

Hence the fact I said it is unrealistic in my message, however good way of avoiding saying you would turn down that 10 grand. So for arguements sake, would you turn down that 10 grand?

 

[MK Shrimper]

Hence the fact I said it is unrealistic in my message, however good way of avoiding saying you would turn down that 10 grand. So for arguements sake, would you turn down that 10 grand?

Would you turn down £10K to kill a puppy? Would you dump your missus to shag Shakira?

I'm not sure why you're trying to trap me with an utterly unrealistic scenario.

 

[Perth Bambi]

Would you turn down £10K to kill a puppy? Would you dump your missus to shag Shakira?

I'm not sure why you're trying to trap me with an utterly unrealistic scenario.

Depends what breed. If it was a little yappy thing then no. And to your second answer offer kate Beckinsale and i would do it in a shot.

 

[Thorpe Groyney]

Strike action, nowadays, is the last resort rather than the preferred option of the Heath / Wilson / Callaghan years, so it's a litle disingenuous to compare the most recent disruptions to 30-40 years ago. It's a completely different society.

Perhaps if people looked past anything that directly affects them, they could see why unions and workers are favouring such action. I don't know the ins and outs of the dispute so am not favouring either union or management. What i won't be doing, though, is wingeing about it until I do.

 

[Perth Bambi]

None of the strikes effect me directly or indirectly so I am not moaning about it for purely selfish measures.

 

[Davros]

Who knows mate, possibly because they don't really see the real picture and get the candy coated one from senior management.

i suppose this goes back to the point of jobs for jobs in Whitehall, where people who pass these things base it on guidelines rather than the front line eh.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

Well I am moaning about from a selfish point of view. I manage a team of 12 people who largely travel in from Essex and Kent. As a result of this strike I'm wasting my time trying to work on a contingency plan of sorts to get people into the office, but ultimately facing up to the prospect of me and my team having to work serious overtime this week and quite likely good friday as well as then playing catch up the following week.

Sympathy for them? Bugger off. Quite frankly I think they are the selfish ones...oh and a bunch of *****