Is it only me???

peter_the_piper

I firmly believe that union intransigence got the industry in this country into the parlous state its in now. I'm old enough to remember the days when we had a British motorcycle and car industry until the union jobsworths would strike for the most feeble of reasons.
""Ask a worker to be flexible, no chance, you'll have to take someone else on to screw that screw in, its more than my jobsworth to do that.""

vyle

I don't understand why people get so angry about staff striking (apart from selfishness on their own part).

When I was in the civil service, I went on strike a few times. The news reported the strikes as "Oh, look at those pampered civil service workers striking over pensions... but the civil service has a wonderful pension. And they're striking over pay? But they get WONDERFUL PAY!"

What they failed to report was that that is true of the top level civil servants. For anybody on ground level, we had crap pay, but the pension was the only thing keeping us going. It wasn't a wonderful pension, but at least one that would he helpful in old age.

Without going into too many details (for legal reasons), the government was looking to neuter the pension, while refusing to give us a pay rise at the same time as making our jobs so head spinningly beurocratic as to be unworkable.

This was a clear tactic to aid "natural wastage" to the staff numbers as they vowed not to make anybody redundant. They didn't vow the make the job bearable though, or not to fire people for being unable to untangle the web of figures.

But none of that got reported. Instead it was covered in a skewed, biased manner. It'd be like reporting that a sunday league football player quit his team because it was costing him too much to play, then saying "but why? Wayne rooney gets paid millions, so he must, too!"

What also doesn't get reported is that if you're on strike, youre not getting paid. If somebody feels strongly enough to go a week without pay, then perhaps it's worth paying attention to what they're saying.

RobertoMoir

hermum wrote: »

Maybe not all of us like being held to ransom by people who want to call a strike because they can't get their own ways, if it was a child it would be called a tantrum.
Don't like your job, your conditions, your employer, find another, that does suit.

Don't agree with this. While I disagree with some reasons for striking - and yes tantrums over not getting their way does spring to mind - I think being able to strike is a fundamental worker's right. I don't agree with the abuse of that right but neither do I agree with the idea that striking is wrong just because its inconvenient for others.

stroppyjock

I do agree with OP however the thing that would exclude me from striking is financial. I work in an industry that is HIGHLY union motivated and currently are on strike action. I am not affected by the action, however if I had remained in my old role I would be, and I could not offard to lose £250 a week.

I have taken a long long time to get back on track financially and I would not wish to go back to the old life, so sorry I would not strike, and I do count myself lucky to have a well paid job.

I would not however critise anyone who did/did not strike, each have their own story.

hr100

Because a lot of businesses are struggling at the moment yet people still want to whinge. They *should* be greatful they have jobs.

angiebhfx

hr100 wrote: »

Because a lot of businesses are struggling at the moment yet people still want to whinge. They *should* be greatful they have jobs.

A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet. The company I worked for were squeezing us so much, they took away all our "perks - dress down day on fridays and eating hot food in the workplace"

I worked in Finance which originally had 18 people it now only has 9 but we were expected to do all the work that was there before. We we were expected to work extra without being compensated and people just did it because they thought they were lucky to have a job. They whinged all the time but did nothing about it. I stood up for myself and they singled me out and made me redundant. Because I was in a union they advised me that I may be able to take them to tribunal but I would be better negotiating a settlement and leaving. I had only been with the company 18 months so not entitled to SRP but I managed to negotiate 10 weeks. That to me smacks that they thought I might have a case otherwise the would have paid me nothing.

If you don't tow the line you get stamped on.

P.s I didn't want my colleagues to stand up for me, I wanted them to stand up for themselves. Collectively you have more of a voice as proved by my situation

meant to mention our MD made three people redundant so he could re model his office, dig up the car park to give himself an exclusive parking space, got a top of the range BM and had air conditioning installed, spent thousands and he is only in the office 2 days out of five.

Rolandtheroadie

stroppyjock wrote: »

I do agree with OP however the thing that would exclude me from striking is financial. I work in an industry that is HIGHLY union motivated and currently are on strike action. I am not affected by the action, however if I had remained in my old role I would be, and I could not offard to lose £250 a week.

I have taken a long long time to get back on track financially and I would not wish to go back to the old life, so sorry I would not strike, and I do count myself lucky to have a well paid job.

I would not however critise anyone who did/did not strike, each have their own story.

I'm in a similar position (cant afford to strike, in dispute and could be called out etc) but if I wasnt willing to strike, the first thing I would be saving was my union subs.

Rolandtheroadie

angiebhfx wrote: »

The company I worked for were squeezing us so much, they took away all our "perks - dress down day on fridays and eating hot food in the workplace"

LMAO, and here I thought me, one of my workmates or a member of the public being killed due to cutbacks was important.

angiebhfx

BA cabin crew are fighting for there pay and conditions. They have offered to take a temporary paycut to help BA until they have got themselves back on their feet. What BA want is to give them a permanent pay cut and to remove their perks. The argument that virgin cabin crew get paid less so BA cabin crew should be grateful is ridiculous. If this argument is valid then this means that the government would have to introduce a uniform pay scale and that isn't going to work. I work at this company doing this for £15K but that company will give me £17K for doing the same thing, I will try and work for that company then. How can they be vilified for wanting to keep what they have always been paid. For e.g the Leeds bin men strike. They are paid £18K but they are being told they will only be paid £12K from now on. You are Dave you have a wife and two kids and a mortgage to pay, how can you afford to take this kind of pay cut. He is still expected to do the same job. Solution himself and wife take on extra jobs, kids suffer.

The media does always spin it to make the strikers look like cry baby spoiled workers who ought to count themselves lucky, they have a job and unfortunately a high percentage of our population hear it on the news then it must be true.

stroppyjock

Scotsman, agreed, and I did come out said union. If I'm not prepared to strike then I shouldn't expect to have the cover of the union.

It's not I'm anti strike,but it would have to be for a cause that I feel worthwhile i.e severe pay cuts or redundanies etc but the reasons at present are, to be polite, un-winable and frankly silly.

But unions have a place and it would be a different landscape without them.