[Kizzy]

Britain is about to face one of its largest walkouts of public sector staff, the GMB union has said, after as many as two millions workers agreed to go on strike.
The trade union has announced that its members in councils and schools, which make up part of its 620,000-strong membership, have voted three-to-one to stage a mass walkout over pay and conditions on 10 July.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...s-9568810.html

[Kizzy]

Not that anyone's interested but the public sector are striking again.

So cameron is going to 'enforce' change...

'David Cameron has been accused by union leaders of being a "Bullingdon bully" after he vowed that the Conservative election manifesto would tighten the screw on strike laws in response to what he regards as Thursday's illegitimate mass walkout of up to 1 million public-sector workers.

Cameron attacked the low turnout thresholds in union strike ballots and challenged the validity of mandates to take industrial action derived from ballots conducted more than a year ago in some cases.

The prime minister said: "I think the time has come for setting a threshold. It is time to legislate and it will be in the Conservative manifesto.'


http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...-bully-threats

[Livia]

I'm looking forward to the private sector, who also haven't had rises and don't have the benefits and security the public sector have enjoyed for decades, to strike. Then we really will be ****ed.

[Kizzy]

I'm sure you don't want to highlight the difference between the public and the private sector to everyone... Unless you do?

If not please don't derail my thread with irrelevant information.

[Kizzy]

'The government implemented a public sector pay freeze for two years from 2010–12 and has subsequently imposed a 1% pay cap, meaning some of the lowest paid workers have seen their income fall in real terms for more than four years.

O'Grady said: "Nearly half a million local government workers earn less than the living wage. But even as the economy starts to grow, ministers have told them that the pay cap will last until at least 2018.'

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...n-pay-pensions

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

'The government implemented a public sector pay freeze for two years from 2010–12 and has subsequently imposed a 1% pay cap, meaning some of the lowest paid workers have seen their income fall in real terms for more than four years.

O'Grady said: "Nearly half a million local government workers earn less than the living wage. But even as the economy starts to grow, ministers have told them that the pay cap will last until at least 2018.'

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...n-pay-pensions

and that is why I am just back from the picket line. Why not help the public sector out like they have helped themselves and the bankers.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Cherie

and that is why I am just back from the picket line. Why not help the public sector out like they have helped themselves and the bankers.

Well said cherie! Hope to god we get these self serving boneheads out of there asap!

[Josy]

There is striking here today, not sure if it's for the same thing though?

[Kizzy]

Yes it is Josy, Scotaland is still part of the UK for now

[Josy]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Yes it is Josy, Scotaland is still part of the UK for now

Forever hopefully, but that's for a different thread.

[AnnieK]

All schools and councils on strike here too.....great for the traffic this morning but not so good for the parents and agency staff we have working for us who had no choice but to lose money and take a day off. I'm undecided on this....I still don't see the point as no-one will listen to them. I also remember strike action crippling my families finances when I was a kid and my parents worked for the Post office and British Telecom and they were both on strike at the same time. Nothing was gained but money problems for my folks.

[HD]

So that's why the bin didn't get emptied today

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by AnnieK

All schools and councils on strike here too.....great for the traffic this morning but not so good for the parents and agency staff we have working for us who had no choice but to lose money and take a day off. I'm undecided on this....I still don't see the point as no-one will listen to them. I also remember strike action crippling my families finances when I was a kid and my parents worked for the Post office and British Telecom and they were both on strike at the same time. Nothing was gained but money problems for my folks.

They have to be made to listen Annie, It must have been hard growing up my dad was a postman and he would've been disgusted at the sell off, British telecom too who owned BT cellnet now O2.... how much money has been lost handing those to the private sector? Billions.

[arista]

Originally Posted by HD

So that's why the bin didn't get emptied today

Not every worker that is on strike



Unions are to go six feet under
soon

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by arista

Not every worker that is on strike



Unions are to go six feet under
soon

Make your own thread on your opinion on unions arista.

[Verbal]

Had to laugh watching the news earlier, a Tory MP blaming the strikers for any inconvenience that the general public will be put under as a result.

They wouldn't be striking if it wasn't for the Tories. God I hate them.

[Livia]

Seems the million strikers they were expecting turned out to be half that number.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Livia

Seems the million strikers they were expecting turned out to be half that number.

Bang On Right

[Cherie]

Not sure I'm believing the official figures from the Cabinet

[Kizzy]

Is that what Mr Maude told you, is that not enough 500,000?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...-live-coverage

I think the coverage shows it was much more than that.

[Cherie]

600 schools closed in London alone.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Is that what Mr Maude told you, is that not enough 500,000?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...-live-coverage

I think the coverage shows it was much more than that.

If Francis Maude told me the sky was blue, I'd have to look out of the window to check. Was it more than that? Is that what the Guardian told you?

[Crimson Dynamo]

the average number of unionists who voted to strike is 18%

[Kizzy]

[joeysteele]

I do think the question as to why more trade unionists don;t partake in voting as to industrial action needs addressing.
If I was part of something then I would want to exercise my right to vote on all things,even the tedious things.

Would I trust this Govt and the hapless David Cameron to come up with a solution that was fair and appropriate as to that however and the answer would be a resounding no from me.

Workers need the Unions,they must always be kept in place and so it is the Unions themselves who have to ensure that it is not assumed members are in favour of striking but get them to use their hard won votes to say so rather than sit on the fence.
I recall once having to choose a debate to participate in while at Uni and a great number of students there were able to participate but the result was decided by only 60% who voted.
The other 40% indicated they couldn't choose so would abide by the majority decision made by others.

It could be argued the same in Union ballots, that those who don't exercise their votes allow a majority to be reached which they have no desire to overturn,thereby almost giving consent on a larger scale by not participating.

Tne right to strike is a necessary element in industry as far I am concerned, this Govt has annoyed and pulled down sectors of society with total dismissiveness,ignorance and arrogance, especially with the firefighters.
Personally I agree strikes hit the people who need the services,my only wish is that those affected by such action,( and most strikers lose pay too when they go on strike),would get at the real people to blame who enforce changes without due consultations,dictate rather than negotiate and dismiss any talks that are not geared up for only to accept their way.
Those people are this Govt;it's Ministers and this pathetic PM and Deputy PM.

It is, for me anyway, high time workers were not any longer pulled down but were built up by the people in power,to be spoken 'to' and not 'at'.
No changes to Unions balloting or practices from this Govt. would for me be in any way just,fair or appropriate,they could not and should not be trusted.