ot..todays strikes.

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It's not a breach of contract, with a few exceptions it's a right to withdraw labour, provided the due process has been adhered to.

However I do agree with most of your post.

It certainly SHOULD be breach of contract, IMO.

You have chosen not to go and do the job you have agreed & signed a contract to do, that for me is as clear a breach of a contract as there is, regardless of ifs & whats.
 
I'm going to make one incredibly simplified observation, and that's all.

If you are employed, have a contract to work that you have agreed to and decide not to go to work as you aren't happy with that contract, it should be classed as gross misconduct, and you should face disciplinary action.

That simple to me.

I believe that strikes should be allowed but ballots should have to have the support of 50%+ otherwise they should be deemed illegal. A 20% vote is a joke and will lead to the strikers losing public support no gain it.

Also, employers must be protected against the likes of the late Bob Crowe from calling unnecessary actions and to avoid dialogue.
 
The vast majority of those who voted backed the strike action, so all this crap about those not voting is irrelevant as they had their chance. If it's good enough for general elections it should be good enough for unions..
I'm not involved directly in this strike action, but like most people I'm affected indirectly. For the record I support their cause whole heartedly..

Well Said reg. Totally agree.

I am a union rep for Unison but was not ballotted as our branch were not involved. Cameron is spin doctoring everything regarding the % that voted in favour - much like the spin doctoring before the general election about how much in deficit the country were financially. What he missed out of that fact was that, if Labour had not bailed out Northern Rock, then millions of people's savings would now be worth nothing - prior to this, the deficit had been nearly halved - but because of the ****wits at Northern Rock, the country ended up in a lot of **** all over again because labour did what was best for PEOPLE as individuals not for the government - there currently isn't a single person involved in politics I'd feel comfortable voting for. Like you say reg, if 47% of people who are able to vote, vote for the conservatives and none of the other 53% vote at all, then the conservatives win the seat - even if the opinion of the other 53% is Labour. Unions helped me at a very dark time of my life which is why I agree with some of the things they stand for. I simply don't see any good in them any longer as the conservative government will never back unions and are very anti-union. Much like my boss!
 
I'm using the same assumption that you are. Just mine is based on fact that 75%+ didn't vote to strike and not some Marxist fiction like yours. That's what happens when you lose the argument you result to insults! That's democracy for you... ;)

Here are a few more facts.... on average...
1) Public sectors workers on a whole don't have to suffer 0 hour contracts
2) They are protected from the general economic climate as opposed to private
3) The also enjoy on average an extra 3.67 per hour higher average salary then private workers (ONS)4) The have a pension that most private sector workers can only dream of.
5) benefit from sickness cover that we could only dream about.

enjoy the debt and the gulags...brother!

1) There are a large number of "zero hour" contracted NHS Staff
2) I have had no payrise in 3 years - yet the cost for me to live has significantly increased
3) I'd love to know where this comes from - I'm an IT trainer - normal average salary nationwide for this role is £30-40k - I'm on less than 23k
4) Agree wholeheartedly
5) Agree again - although a lot of private firms are catching up with this now

First three points are rubbish though - and I speak from experience not facts I found on the internet

As for the 75% that didn't vote - onlyu people who know one way or the other are these people. too many assumptions - but I know for certain that a portion of them would've agreed and another portion wouldn't - as per a general election
 
One thing which has not been said about the difference between the public and private sectors in terms of benefits is that where unions are recognised the terms and conditions of employment are normally better. This whole argument about public versus private is one which employers what to have there work force fall for. The real issue is that the weakening of trade unions has weaken the position of all employees but more so employees of the private sector.

The government would love to see a race to the bottom in terms of employment rights and benefits, this includes the ending of decent pension schemes in the private sector after employers had been allowed to take pension holidays in the 80's and 90's which is the real reason these schemes become to costly, the removal of the rights to protection from unfair dismissal until you have been employed for two years, the reduction in sickness benefits, the expectation that care staff on minimum wages have to pay for their own transport between visits and that they are not paid for the time they travel between clients.

An employment contract has two sides employer and employee as things stand all of the power in that relationship stands with the employer, it is only with collective bargaining that the average person has the strength to win rights which should be theirs if the field of contact law was even.
 
The Liebour government was voted by the people to look after the economy. They did nothing to cool the housing market and nothing to regulate the banks. Which part of they had nothing to do with this am I missing?

I've never said that the majority that voted didn't vote in favour. Only the argument from me is that 20% of 1.8% of the population of the UK (0.3% of the population) are today holding the country at ransom. This, in a democracy shouldn't be allowed to happen. As a country we are bucking the trend and jobs and growth is being created unlike in France and at the moment Germany. Do you really want to follow the French model and see mass unemployment?

The Lower pay argument isn't true and there are statistics by the ONS which contradict your argument. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26512643

I'm apportioning the blame at Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and their mates, Bob Crowe and his other firebrand palls, the bankers (unregulated) and all other politicians. Apportion that how you like.
The Labour Govt was elected to look after the economy, which to a greater extent, they did. The banks were regulated under the Thatcher Govt. Cameron and Osborne plagued Gordon Brown complaining that the banks were OVERregulated and the rules were too tight. They agreed with Brown's spending plans at every budget until the crash came. Gordon Brown was feted around the world for the methods he used to get the UK out of recession, and the USA followed the same path as UK. They are out of recession and in growth with rising employment. Europe is still in recession with high unemployment. UK employment has barely changed. There are over 1 million people on zero hours contracts( source ONS). 477k people placed on the Work Programme were classed as working, even though they were still on the dole(source DWP). 580k unemployed people sanctioned by DWP so they are reclassified as not claiming benefits(source DWP/BBC). We all know the adage "Lies, damn lies and statistics", and it is demonstrated in the monthly release of DWP figures.
Just to conclude, all the benefits you get at work were achieved by the Bob Crowes of the union movement. Paid holidays, sick pay, maternity/paternity pay, health and safety, minimum wage, equal pay etc. Don't forget, it was the Labour Party that brought in the NHS (which Cameron is busy selling off) and the cradle to grave welfare state.
Anyhooo, back to footiie matters.
 
One thing which has not been said about the difference between the public and private sectors in terms of benefits is that where unions are recognised the terms and conditions of employment are normally better. This whole argument about public versus private is one which employers what to have there work force fall for. The real issue is that the weakening of trade unions has weaken the position of all employees but more so employees of the private sector.

The government would love to see a race to the bottom in terms of employment rights and benefits, this includes the ending of decent pension schemes in the private sector after employers had been allowed to take pension holidays in the 80's and 90's which is the real reason these schemes become to costly, the removal of the rights to protection from unfair dismissal until you have been employed for two years, the reduction in sickness benefits, the expectation that care staff on minimum wages have to pay for their own transport between visits and that they are not paid for the time they travel between clients.

An employment contract has two sides employer and employee as things stand all of the power in that relationship stands with the employer, it is only with collective bargaining that the average person has the strength to win rights which should be theirs if the field of contact law was even.

Nail on the head Washy.
 
It certainly SHOULD be breach of contract, IMO.

You have chosen not to go and do the job you have agreed & signed a contract to do, that for me is as clear a breach of a contract as there is, regardless of ifs & whats.

I am pleased this attitude wasn’t prevalent in the days following the Tolpuddle Martyrs or the Jarrow March, otherwise we would all be subject to the House of Correction or the Workhouse and have a life expectancy of 35-45years.

Trade Unions and the right to industrial action have had a dramatic effect on everyone’s health, wellbeing and lifestyle over the years.
 
I believe that strikes should be allowed but ballots should have to have the support of 50%+ otherwise they should be deemed illegal. A 20% vote is a joke and will lead to the strikers losing public support no gain it.

Also, employers must be protected against the likes of the late Bob Crowe from calling unnecessary actions and to avoid dialogue.

ffs. It's not rocket science, in law any ballot to withdraw labour must be supported by over 50% of the vote.

How difficult is that to understand.
 
ffs. It's not rocket science, in law any ballot to withdraw labour must be supported by over 50% of the vote.

How difficult is that to understand.

You done him like a kipper there like..

No doubt there will be the next installment of Liebour, his favourite word.
 
I'm using the same assumption that you are. Just mine is based on fact that 75%+ didn't vote to strike and not some Marxist fiction like yours. That's what happens when you lose the argument you result to insults! That's democracy for you... ;)

Here are a few more facts.... on average...
1) Public sectors workers on a whole don't have to suffer 0 hour contracts
2) They are protected from the general economic climate as opposed to private
3) The also enjoy on average an extra 3.67 per hour higher average salary then private workers (ONS)
4) The have a pension that most private sector workers can only dream of.
5) benefit from sickness cover that we could only dream about.

enjoy the debt and the gulags...brother!

I will simplify as much as I can for you

75% didn't vote so YOU DECIDED that the 75% didn't vote to strike because they did not want to strike - despite the FACT that they could have put a little cross in an option box saying something along the lines of "NO I DO NOT VOTE TO STRIKE" I will repeat for your benefit "NO I DO NOT VOTE TO STRIKE"

you see if you have a simple question with a simple vote like YES or NO and you give all members involved the opportunity to place a little mark in the yes or the no box then when the deadline for putting the little mark has passed you can count the little marks for each option and if one option has more little marks than the other option the one with the most little marks wins - its called democracy. Now of course this doesn't just apply to those nasty Marxist unions but it also applies to things like e.g. Parlimentary elections. Can you imagine if the guardians of democracy were to say to these unions that a vote was invalid because a set percentage had not put a little mark in their option box and then say a by-election was allowed to stand despite it not having the same percentage of little marks - why there would be chaos in fact it wouldn't surprise me if some even said that we no longer had democracy. Heaven forbid <ok>
 
Vast majority!! What happens if 2 people vote yes and 1 no out of 1.2million? The other 1,199,998 people have to take time of work because the vast majority have voted?

Ok, then give them all a pay rise! What the hell it's only our kids that'll suffer in the long run. Good that a public workers will get a higher pension paid for by the tax payers. After all our kids will have to keep us, them in their old age and their kids... what a great life for my son!

N.B. the country is 100's of billions in debt and somebody at sometime will have to pay for it or we will have to see cuts like the 40% pay decreases for public workers like in Greece. It's no good blaming the rich and the banks because Liebour are bed fellows with them as well as the Unions so nothing will change. Unfortunately it's a wasted exercise today and just turns the vast majority more against Liebour and the Marxist unions. The same pairing that got us Thatcher for 3 terms and Major for 1.

Your logic has the assumption that all those that did not bother to vote should count as a no vote which is absolutely ludicrous. The unions are far from Marxist and are acting on the result of a secret ballot carried out by their members. The financial crisis was the result of a global banking crisis, which our tiny island had very little influence over: but let's just blame the Labour Party eh! These so-called austerity measures, which has saw public sector pensions being decimated and their wages going down in real terms every year of this governments tenure, has not touched the wealthiest 10% of the population whose earnings have risen well above inflation..
So to conclude: although I do not work in the public sector myself, I' will back their stance all the way..
 
One small thing i would like to point out Monty is that us in the private sector or the self employed actually pay the the taxes that the public sector pay as its our money they are getting in the first place. So like it or not we actually pay them and pay thier tax aswell on top of that they don't earn a single penny for the country they just live of what everyone else works bloody hard for.
 
One small thing i would like to point out Monty is that us in the private sector or the self employed actually pay the the taxes that the public sector pay as its our money they are getting in the first place. So like it or not we actually pay them and pay thier tax aswell on top of that they don't earn a single penny for the country they just live of what everyone else works bloody hard for.

Absolute bollocks...Without teachers there would be none of the private sector workers educated enough to earn money in the first place: and i could go for ever why without public sector workers the whole economy would swiftly grind to a halt..