I1L2T3 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 No unfortunately not because if it was the case I would have been able to opt out of giving labour my money just so they could flush down the bog. I still hope that the majority that didn't vote for strike action will go to work and not let the minority dictate to them. They could just leave the union if they genuinely don't agree. Most union members will stay as members though, in my experience. And will most likely participate in the industrial action as well, even if they didn't vote in the ballot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 No unfortunately not because if it was the case I would have been able to opt out of giving labour my money just so they could flush down the bog. I still hope that the majority that didn't vote for strike action will go to work and not let the minority dictate to them. Anyone who wants to go to work can do. I'm pretty sure that most members of my union will strike, because they want to. Nobody will stop them if they choose to do otherwise. Even if they didn't vote. It is a pretty poor effort by a government that was elected in such a shabby way to try to paint a 90% vote as undemocratic. The Tories can only dream of a vote like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 They could just leave the union if they genuinely don't agree. Most union members will stay as members though, in my experience. And will most likely participate in the industrial action as well, even if they didn't vote in the ballot. Turnout would be a lot higher if the unions weren't bound by the need for a postal vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Mine is fence-sittingly neutral, after a fashion I'm private sector, always have been. Save for a brief accidental stint in a very senior civil service position during my national service, which was quite the eye opener about 'how the other half lives' (that is, the very-very-very senior civil service in France, complete with period house/appartments, maid, chauffeur, etc...and the 22-hours workdays 7 days a week that go with it) But I have been lucky to be raised in a politically-bipolar household () with my Dad (baby-eating capitalist, generally to the right of Attila) at one extreme and my Mum (Nurse-turned-social security case worker-turned-very senior social security (social action) service, generally left/centre left) at the other, and wherein reasoned political debate has always been encouraged, even if generally heated as you can imagine That is why I really don't begrudge public sector workers their right to strike and their exercising it, yet also why I cannot empathise with their claims, which I find ill-timed, not to say indecent. But, that being the case. How do we ensure that we are treated fairly? Any decision taken now will never be reversed. I've pointed out to you how I think that the government are muddying the waters, probably to drive public spending down. The cost could be quite high. Making teaching and nursing unattractive professions again, will help nobody. I'll be waving my placard, slightly half heartedly on June 30th. And hoping that an outbreak of common sense will occur before things escalate, as they will do if the government maintains this attack. There is no indecency in the desire for a proper pension and a dignified retirement. I find the bonuses paid to city bankers, many of whom have presided over disastrous private pension funds, really indecent. Likewise the tax evading companies who blight our shores. It is time that our elected politicians started to tackle these people, rather than stealing nurses' pensions. A task which they might just find to be harder than they thought:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Prime Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Where I live has got nothing to do with it. Not everyone in Sheffield is a working class labourite. I dont think this forum is one sided is it? I've worked in both public and private sectors so I have authority from both sides. I was even made redundant from the civil service. BUT - I still cannot see why people in the public sector feel they are being so hard done by to a point of wanting to strike. What's happening is nothing new to most who work in the private sector and its been that way for years. I really dont think that the middle of a recession is a smart time to be striking. ANY job can and would be outsourced if the management or government felt is was a good decision. Why are people not happy with the simple fact they have a job and income - lots of people dont. Let's face it, Sheffield Tories hold their meetings in a phone box, soon to be joined by their Lib Dem pals. Nothing new in the private sector? I'm sorry but between 1993 and 2007 the private sector boomed year upon year. I worked in the civil service in those years and saw what my administrative friends working for useless PR firms were earning for doing the same role. My workmates and I were only running the country. We accepted lower pay because we were promised in the long run we'd have a good pension at the end and stability in the meantime. Seems that was just hot air. Fancy that. The recession is over and according to Osbourne we are on our way again as the little people have paid our way out of it with VAT rises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Prime Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 If everyone went on strike and demanded more money all that would happen is inflation would increase or what we produce would be produced in another part of the world. For the public sector to get more than the country can afford someone else as to suffer to pay for it, it’s not going to be the wealthy it will be the average private sector worker. The Chinese sell to the rest of the world as their pay and condition improve they will be less competitive and some of what they now produce will be produced by someone that will do it cheaper. So as an average private sector worker I don’t support the selfish attitude of the public sector workers that want to strike. The 'selfish' public sector run society. The private sector exists only to make money for the enjoyment of money. Unions are run by elected leaders and strikes are conducted on the basis of democratic ballots, completely unlike the private sector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 No unfortunately not because if it was the case I would have been able to opt out of giving labour my money just so they could flush down the bog. I still hope that the majority that didn't vote for strike action will go to work and not let the minority dictate to them. So you only believe in democracy when it suits you and when you agree with the winning team. Just checking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Policy exchange is a right-wing think tank. You haven't read the full report. I did last month and the report admits that the differential is actual quite small when correcting factors are taken into account (e.g. age, qualifications, location etc...) and that because of the coming public sector pay freezes the differential will narrow markedly in the next 2-3 years. The report also fails to adequately explain how thie mystical pay premium is calculated. It's right-wing propaganda. The Policy Exchange report itself is flawed in the same way other right wing reports in the past have when addressing public sector pay by not considering what jobs people are actually doing.... for example it compares public sector primary school teachers pay with that for private sector childminders. The report of the report Tony has quoted is even worse taking what qualifiers there are in the report out, just quoting figures they know to be misleading. http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/2011/05/is-policy-exchange-right-to-claim-that-the-ifs-is-wrong-on-public-sector-pay/ The article Tony quoted is dishonest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 No you wouldn't. That kind of behaviour is illegal. It is also illegal to make people redundant and already have their direct replacements lined up. I've seen it happen plenty times though. There are lots of smaller private companies that do what they like knowing full well that people aren't going to fight too hard about it as they can't afford to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Rich Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Though not a public sector worker myself, I support the strike as I would support anything which helps to undermine and destabilise the coalition. I agree. We have to stand up to these unelected multi millionnaires who are taking money from us all in order to pay for the mistakes of their banker freinds...who pay nothing. If we don't stand up to them they will destroy all our services, cut wages and jobs while they still live their millionnaire lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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