civil servants strike 9th March

Misshomme

I would contact your local job centre and ask if you'll be able to sign on or not. Those who are going to strike will have had to tell their bosses by now so they will have an idea of who will be working on those days. Not everyone strikes because they won't get paid if they do and they are banned from overtime if they strike.

so_little_time

Misshomme wrote: »

I would contact your local job centre and ask if you'll be able to sign on or not. Those who are going to strike will have had to tell their bosses by now so they will have an idea of who will be working on those days. Not everyone strikes because they won't get paid if they do and they are banned from overtime if they strike.

You do not have to tell your boss whether you intend to strike or not, you could even set off for work & change your mind when you get there because you don't want to cross a picket line. 'The boss' may be a union member and could also be on strike.

Not every employee is a union member and some that are will not support the strike if it means missing out on wages so it depends on the day if there are enough staff working for them to open. Some parts of the country have more active union members than others.

Misshomme

so_little_time wrote: »

You do not have to tell your boss whether you intend to strike or not, you could even set off for work & change your mind when you get there because you don't want to cross a picket line. 'The boss' may be a union member and could also be on strike.

Don't you? I had to when I was a civil servant.

Tiddlywinks

Misshomme wrote: »

I would contact your local job centre and ask if you'll be able to sign on or not. Those who are going to strike will have had to tell their bosses by now so they will have an idea of who will be working on those days. Not everyone strikes because they won't get paid if they do and they are banned from overtime if they strike.

I agree with the previous post - managers are not allowed to ask team members if they will strike nor are staff obliged to notify bosses in advance of their intentions.

The whole idea of a strike is to cause maximum disruption (not just to get a rest in bed whilst losing 2 days pay ).

Anyway, this whole board is full of people complaining that they think Civil Servants are useless and we could do without them - yet, now worry how they will be able to sign on when those same Civil Servants intend to withdraw their services for just two days. Ironic, or what?

Misshomme

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

I agree with the previous post - managers are not allowed to ask team members if they will strike nor are staff obliged to notify bosses in advance of their intentions.

The whole idea of a strike is to cause maximum disruption (not just to get a rest in bed whilst losing 2 days pay ).

I was asked by my bosses if I was going to strike so I had no idea they wern't supposed to.

so_little_time

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

No, actually - there are rules about this sort of thing.

Here's a quote from the direct.gov website:

"Normally there should be no more than six pickets outside an entrance. This is the maximum number recommended in the Code of Practice on picketing."

I think the restriction to six pickets is because mass picketing is illegal.

Tiddlywinks

so_little_time wrote: »

I think the restriction to six pickets is because mass picketing is illegal.

Exactly - so, just because hundreds aren't congregating outside of the buildings does not mean that the strike is unsupported or that the workers are still in bed (as implied by a previous poster, Wig).

so_little_time

Misshomme wrote: »

I was asked by my bosses if I was going to strike so I had no idea they wern't supposed to.

I think they can ask but you don't have to tell them, rather than argue you could just say you haven't decided yet.

You do however have to let them know if you are off on one or both of the strike days for any other reason, like if you are sick, otherwise they will assume you are on strike.

mrsyardbroom

we have to many waste of space civil servents in this country.....

As a Civil Servant who helps people on a daily basis and works really hard under stress this has really angered me. We don't have enough staff as it is. Someone has to process and pay out all the money that people want to claim especially the state pension and all your tax rebates, tax credits fuel allowances etc. If you would prefer to have less civil servants then don't complain when you have to wait to get any of your claims processed or you want to speak to someone in a contact centre.

kindofagilr

gingerdad wrote: »

Quite a bit further north... and the average wage round here is £14k..... (and its the public sector that pulls it up to that level)... saying that wouldn't live in the south east for all the tea in china

How about instead of hating on us you join us if you think we have it that easy.

I have worked for the DWP for 12 years and am only on 16k a year (when I first started it was 12k) a 4k increase in 12 years isnt exactly great.

Red Devil I've not heard anything on this strike (I am on mat leave at the minute but my mother works at DWP too)

Anyway, this whole board is full of people complaining that they think Civil Servants are useless and we could do without them - yet, now worry how they will be able to sign on when those same Civil Servants intend to withdraw their services for just two days. Ironic, or what?

Totally agree with you, far too many people here belive the tv, I mean why is there so much hate for us?

Is it becuase the papers suggest we get paid loads of money, dont you people ever stop and think if they did an average on pays from the lowest paid to the top paid (MPS etc) then the average is going to be ridiculously high and not accurate

The staff who work at AO level and less (sometimes EO) are not overpaid, its insane how long you have to have worked therejust to move up the payscale slightly!