Strike UK.

[Palmolive]

After reading the other thread on Jeremy Clarkson, I was wondering what all your opinions are from the strike. Personally, I don't think there should have been a strike.

[Nostalgia]

I saw no point in yesterday's strike, all it did for my town was mean it was packed with gobby kids who thought it would be funny to well muck around in town get free helium balloons from the 99p store (someone was giving out balloons for free there) and get high on the helium which then meant town was full of squeaky high pitched gobby kids giving it large to the police. The strike yesterday is not going to achieve much, teachers go on strike about once a year I think.

[Fictional]

I'm all for it. Why should people just have to accept being told by a bunch of exceptionally rich twats in government that the amount 'paid to their pension' is going to increase by 50% - but not that the amount paid out to them will be increasing. My mother's a social worker - is it really reasonable to expect people going out into potentially dangerous situations, in police stations and mental hospitals, when they're pushing 70? Striking's the only thing the unions can do.

[Palmolive]

Originally Posted by Fictional

I'm all for it. Why should people just have to accept being told by a bunch of exceptionally rich twats in government that the amount 'paid to their pension' is going to increase by 50% - but not that the amount paid out to them will be increasing. My mother's a social worker - is it really reasonable to expect people going out into potentially dangerous situations, in police stations and mental hospitals, when they're pushing 70? Striking's the only thing the unions can do.

But the government aren't making cuts for the fun of it. It's not just for no reason. We're struggling with money as a country.

[Boobies]

The strike was stupid, most public sector workers have it much better than those in the private sector and the private workers get on with it. They're just like children who have spat their dummy out.

Also, with them have to work until 67? So what? If you're living longer of course it's only bloody logical that you'll have to work longer.

[Fictional]

Public sector workers have it so much better when single mothers working within social services are having to withdraw from the pension scheme altogether because they just can't afford it? The people running our country have no idea what it's like for the people within the public sector.



I have a question for everyone who thinks the strikes were stupid or pointless or in any way a bad thing. Do you or your immediate family work in the public or private sector?

[Palmolive]

Originally Posted by Fictional

Public sector workers have it so much better when single mothers working within social services are having to withdraw from the pension scheme altogether because they just can't afford it? The people running our country have no idea what it's like for the people within the public sector.



I have a question for everyone who thinks the strikes were stupid or pointless or in any way a bad thing. Do you or your immediate family work in the public or private sector?

yes, I know people who work in the public sector and close friends who do so. I don't see how that makes a difference though.

The government doesn't just think, right, these lot are going to get paid less and work until an older age and what ever have you just for the fun of it. Right now no one can afford anything, it's not their fault as a country we're having money issues.

Nearly 7,000 out of just over 30,000 were thought to have been affected, while tens of thousands of appointments and tests were also hit across the UK.

London Ambulance Service said it had faced "severe pressure", and people were asked to only dial 999 for an ambulance if somebody's life was in danger.

(From BBC)

I do understand that these people in these unions deserve good pay, they're doing hard work and maybe, it is unfair and I am not denying that but if you enter that profession then I think you need to at least consider the patients across the UK that are going to be let down by healthcare. I don't think it's fair that some people wouldn't have gotten the medical attention they needed or that teenages across the country lost out on education due to people going on strike. Times are hard right now, we need to face that. I know a lot of you will completely disagree, but that is just my opinion.

[The Goblins Blade]

Fuck benefit fraud, what about corperate fraud that the goverment and large companies are commiting everyday?

[Boobies]

Originally Posted by Fictional

Public sector workers have it so much better when single mothers working within social services are having to withdraw from the pension scheme altogether because they just can't afford it? The people running our country have no idea what it's like for the people within the public sector.



I have a question for everyone who thinks the strikes were stupid or pointless or in any way a bad thing. Do you or your immediate family work in the public or private sector?

ANYBODY running the country would have 'no idea' what it's like for some people, so don't blame the government, it would be the same with who ever was in power, but maybe a different group of people.

In all honesty, public sector workers have a lot more security with their jobs and generally get a better wage, many people in the private sector workers do more hours, get less pay and a pension.

The public sector are just acting spoilt.

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by Boobies

ANYBODY running the country would have 'no idea' what it's like for some people, so don't blame the government, it would be the same with who ever was in power, but maybe a different group of people.

In all honesty, public sector workers have a lot more security with their jobs and generally get a better wage, many people in the private sector workers do more hours, get less pay and a pension.

The public sector are just acting spoilt.

[Citation needed]

[-A-]

I don't know how the public and private sectors are in the UK, so I cant say much on that. But if they are anything like in the US, the "benifits" of public sector, over the last decade, have been decreasing dramatically.

[Snufkin]

Originally Posted by Lygophobia

But the government aren't making cuts for the fun of it. It's not just for no reason. We're struggling with money as a country.

The fact that idiots like Jeremy Clarkson earn £1.2m per year disgusts me more than these strikes. I support the strikes completely. Teachers and other public sector workers don't earn enough when compared to the ridiculous wages of others, and the whole pension thing is just offensive. The right wing are pulling up the ladder behind them.

As a side note, the Current Events forum has become very conservative recently where as it used to be very liberal...

[Fictional]

Originally Posted by Snufkin

The fact that idiots like Jeremy Clarkson earn £1.2m per year disgusts me more than these strikes. I support the strikes completely. Teachers and other public sector workers don't earn enough when compared to the ridiculous wages of others, and the whole pension thing is just offensive. The right wing are pulling up the ladder behind them.

As a side note, the Current Events forum has become very conservative recently where as it used to be very liberal...

Finally someone with the same views as me!


The public sector might have more 'job security' (load of bull if you ask me, but hey...) but then again, aren't the vast majority of public sector jobs more important than the private sector ones?

My mother's friend had to re-apply to be able to 'keep her job' in the public sector. She got it, but with a pay decrease at the same time as a work increase. The public sector workers being allowed to keep their jobs are being worked into the grave, and we're expected to be grateful?

[The Goblins Blade]

Originally Posted by Fictional

Finally someone with the same views as me!


The public sector might have more 'job security' (load of bull if you ask me, but hey...) but then again, aren't the vast majority of public sector jobs more important than the private sector ones?

My mother's friend had to re-apply to be able to 'keep her job' in the public sector. She got it, but with a pay decrease at the same time as a work increase. The public sector workers being allowed to keep their jobs are being worked into the grave, and we're expected to be grateful?

Public sector workers have never had job security

[Fictional]

Originally Posted by The Goblins Blade

Public sector workers have never had job security

Experiencing that right now =)

[The Goblins Blade]

Originally Posted by Fictional

Experiencing that right now =)

Aha, ive been trying to get a job but keep getting turned down for everything. Being on the dole is no fun to be honest.

[Boobies]

Originally Posted by Fictional

Finally someone with the same views as me!


The public sector might have more 'job security' (load of bull if you ask me, but hey...) but then again, aren't the vast majority of public sector jobs more important than the private sector ones?

My mother's friend had to re-apply to be able to 'keep her job' in the public sector. She got it, but with a pay decrease at the same time as a work increase. The public sector workers being allowed to keep their jobs are being worked into the grave, and we're expected to be grateful?

Do you honestly not realise how public sector workers have better job security than those in the private sector? And no, the vast majority of public sector jobs are NOT more important than private sector jobs, they're just important in different ways.

And if you're going to use personal experience to show that there isn't better security, because your friends mother had to reapply, then fine.
My dad was made redundant, my step-dad was made redundant and my partners dad was made redundant. All three working in the private sector and their jobs weren't unimportant.

[Haruhi]

Didn't want the strike considering it was on my ONLY day of college, but they do have a point. In all fairness I am for it. Aside from the fact we couldn't do our work!

[BDF]

I'll copy and paste my stuff from the Jeremy Clarkson thread. I have no time for more:

Originally Posted by BDF

The BBC put him there and asked him that question because they knew he'd give this sort of answer. It's just the type of thing he'd say. I don't particularly give a shit. It doesn't affect me in any way, and doesn't affect anyone else from my point of view, which is why I don't get why people are getting so worked up over this. Now they're going to waste trade union money on a lawsuit that probably won't make it anyway.

He doesn't give a shit, why should we? I don't agree, I don't disagree, I don't care.

Plus it's not like the strikes are going to make any difference anyway in my opinion. In fact they're just putting more strain on the economy, increasing the chances of their pensions getting lowered further.

Originally Posted by BDF

Out of curiosity... when have trade union strikes actually reaped benefits for the people striking in the past generation in the UK (apart from time off work)? I'm not saying they haven't, I'm just asking for examples. I myself don't know any.

Do the strikes genuinely have any goals and ambitions, any purpose? The way I see it they just did it as a "show of strength". What has the strike achieved? A day-off from work. Good job.

[Guile]

Originally Posted by Snufkin

The fact that idiots like Jeremy Clarkson earn £1.2m per year disgusts me more than these strikes. I support the strikes completely. Teachers and other public sector workers don't earn enough when compared to the ridiculous wages of others, and the whole pension thing is just offensive. The right wing are pulling up the ladder behind them.

As a side note, the Current Events forum has become very conservative recently where as it used to be very liberal...

It seems my plan is working then, soon I will be able to expand to the other forums, and create a network of young Fascists

[dr2005]

Originally Posted by Guile

It seems my plan is working then, soon I will be able to expand to the other forums, and create a network of young Fascists

Not so fast, buster.

Anyway, leaving aside the public v private sector jobs debate (and personally I think the prospects are pretty bleak in both outside of the top jobs, which are fairly comparable) I think we're missing the point of industrial action if we look to see "what it achieves". Yes, it has thus far been a show of strength - and that's the point. Mass withdrawal of labour - which, before any conservatives propose strike bans, is a fundamental right of the free market - is a very effective bargaining tool in the right circumstances, even if its effect is only to get the opposing party to take things a bit more seriously. Certainly, that appears to be the case now as the Coalition Government has, let's be honest, come out of this looking a bit stupid. They didn't even appear to be fully aware of whether they were in negotiations or not. In terms of direct material effect the strike will probably make no difference, but in terms of achieving a viable negotiated agreement between the two sides it's now made that more likely as opposed to the top-down imposed settlement which seemed to be Plan A.

[BDF]

Originally Posted by Guile

It seems my plan is working then, soon I will be able to expand to the other forums, and create a network of young Fascists

lol. Don't flatter yourself. After all, there are extremes on both ends of the scale, and without the likes of yourself the world would be crazy. If there weren't any people on the other end of the spectrum to oppose the views of such as yourself, the world would be just as crazy. Ultimately there's some sense in both extremes and overall, it irons out nice and neat.

In short I'm grateful to both extremes for not letting the other dominate in the long run.