An Evening With... Jeremy Corbyn

TrickyTree83

If we get driverless cars on the road ferrying people around the UK before we have driverless trains it'll be a travesty of people standing in the way of progress.

The rail system should be a far easier system to automate than our road network.

Sadly it's looking like that'll be the case.

Malthusian

BobQ wrote: »

The point is that the unions are less powerful than when the railways were last publically owned.

This rather overlooks the fact that the people who want to renationalise the railways also want to restore the unions to the power they had in the 1970s. Secondary strikes, wildcat strikes, closed shops, etc.

Most of them are more interested in the power of strikes as a political weapon, as a means of overthrowing the capitalist system, than improving the brothers' working conditions.

It is not unreasonable for a workforce to resist changes that will abolsh their jobs, it is human nature.

It is not unreasonable to object to or regret the fact that your expertise is no longer as valuable to society as it was, but it is unreasonable to expect the rest of society to subsidise you, instead of finding another line of work, retraining or otherwise adapting like everyone else.

mwpt

TrickyTree83 wrote: »

If we get driverless cars on the road ferrying people around the UK before we have driverless trains it'll be a travesty of people standing in the way of progress.

The rail system should be a far easier system to automate than our road network.

Sadly it's looking like that'll be the case.

Certain industries are protectionist and hold their customers to ransom as long as possible (tfl, black cabs vs uber). But in the end, they will almost always lose. Might as well adapt and move with the changing world.

CLAPTON

mwpt wrote: »

Certain industries are protectionist and hold their customers to ransom as long as possible (tfl, black cabs vs uber). But in the end, they will almost always lose. Might as well adapt and move with the changing world.

I doubt is a single industry or person who would lose out would agree with you (you certainly wouldn't)

[Deleted User]

When cars came along, I dare say that the thousands who must have been associated with the horse drawn carriage/cart etc -related industries were not particularly thrilled about it, but our high streets are not still bursting with stables, blacksmiths and boots and buggy whip retailers, (no - for equestrian use! ).

Carburettor manufacturers were probably not thrilled about the development of fuel injection.

We haven't bought a dictionary for years.

In 1996, an organisation that I worked for had about a dozen copy and audio typists. Now they have none.

Things change. If there are still politicians and trades unionists who think that by just shouting "no" loudly enough they can halt progress, they are fooling themselves.

WR

ukcarper

CLAPTON wrote: »

strikes are called even when less than half the staff 'react to the change being imposed'
they are called by the unions

but you probably think that the miners strike was called by staff reacting to changes imposed

Just like this Tory Government or all the latest Goverments. If the members don't want to strike they should vote against it.

CLAPTON

ukcarper wrote: »

Just like this Tory Government or all the latest Goverments. If the members don't want to strike they should vote against it.

what is your point ?

ukcarper

CLAPTON wrote: »

what is your point ?

I though that was obvious but then it is you. For a union to call a strike a union needs a majority to vote for a strike ever Union member is entitled to vote if they don't want to strike they need to vote against it. Just over 20% of people eligible to vote voted Tory but we have a Tory government that democracy.

CLAPTON

ukcarper wrote: »

I though that was obvious but then it is you. For a union to call a strike a union needs a majority to vote for a strike ever Union member is entitled to vote if they don't want to strike they need to vote against it.

indeed so, it is the union however, that initiates the call for a strike as evidenced that the vast majority of strike occur in unionised shops.

but here should be a minimum turnout say 60% for the strike to be valid.

ukcarper

CLAPTON wrote: »

indeed so, it is the union however, that initiates the call for a strike as evidenced that the vast majority of strike occur in unionised shops.

but here should be a minimum turnout say 60% for the strike to be valid.

You seem to forget that a union is its members.