News Strikes

[Himse]

Yeah but put those wages in context; the average FTSE top 350 CEO in the UK gets about £450K basic and a bucketload of bonuses, shares and expenses, taking the average up to about £1.2M. That's what I call a high earner. Those union chiefs are paid Head of Department type salaries. (NB. I'm no particular fan of the Unions, but if Tom posted those salaries to show they were highly paid "fat cats" or the like, it didn't have that effect on me).

I don't doubt that obviously the 350 CEO's in the UK get alot more, but if they were really concerned about giving their people a better wage, they wouldn't take 70-90k a year.

It's not incredible, but its alot better than the around about 20-35k I guess the others are on.

 

[ECA]

There were strikes today? I only just got out of bed.

 

[Lamp]

The chaos it caused in central London. So many roads closed (Parliament Sq, Traf Sq, Embankment, Gower St, Aldwych, Strand, Fleet St). Nightmare getting around this lunchtime.

 

[Scouse]

I know enough Scouse to understand that you pay only lip-service to your ideals, while criticising those who disagree with them.

I'll ask you again, Tom. How should I live in our capitalist society?

Just to jump on your bandwagon - anything you say without answering the above question is invalid hand-wringing shite...

 

[Tom]

I don't have a problem with our capitalist society so I'm not going to try and tell you how to live. Just as you're not going to try and tell us how you'd like to live, as you obviously don't know how to get there.

 

[Raven]

All I noticed was the traffic was near non existent. Beat my weekday personal best to work. 6 minutes.

 

[Chilly]

I don't doubt that obviously the 350 CEO's in the UK get alot more, but if they were really concerned about giving their people a better wage, they wouldn't take 70-90k a year.

It's not incredible, but its alot better than the around about 20-35k I guess the others are on.

For someone running a large organisation like a union, those numbers are fine. I bet they have people working for them earning more (like the top lawyers and finance people in the union).

 

[rynnor]

The thing about strikes is that one day ones are meaningless. It probably boosted the economy because a lot of people went shopping today - the Mrs said the Cinema was packed - we should have one every month.

My train to work was as busy as it always is so no real sign of any impacts. I dont think the normal non-fixed salary pensions most people in the civil service have are excessive and many of the funds that pay for them are not in defecit.

Personally I feel that like everyone else they will need to work longer to fund their pensions - its a tradeoff of that or putting a lot more in to fund the extra years they are forecasted to live - thats just the reality and theres no point fighting it.

Private Sector pensions are currently a joke and the Govt will at some point have to address it - Brown was one of the biggest culprits when he taxed them - directly taking money from peoples futures.

I think the whole pensions issue is a ticking timebomb for everyone.

 

[Embattle]

I don't support them myself, in essence to me it just seems they are out of touch with reality as per usual.

 

[Raven]

Who needs reality when you have had money and perks thrown at you for 13 years.

 

[Edmond]

The chaos it caused in central London. So many roads closed (Parliament Sq, Traf Sq, Embankment, Gower St, Aldwych, Strand, Fleet St). Nightmare getting around this lunchtime.

Ahh, but my 2 hour journey up the M40 into Harrow only took 50mins this morning, well done teachers

 

[Scouse]

I don't have a problem with our capitalist society so I'm not going to try and tell you how to live. Just as you're not going to try and tell us how you'd like to live, as you obviously don't know how to get there.

Oh, I get it. You're just going to tell me what I'm allowed to talk about then?

 

[rynnor]

The best teacher I know is 54. And some teachers do get called back from retirement for short periods of time.

She worked nearly the entire year after one of the younger teachers 'did her back in'.

 

[Cadelin]

I am a public sector worker and I didn't go on strike today because I only started 2 years ago. My pension is not excessive and I will be expected to work until I am 70 odd anyway.

At work today, there weren't that many people on strike. Everybody in work was of the younger generation (under 35). I have zero sympathy for an older generation who are basically expecting the younger generation to support them. The strikers had mostly gone home by lunch time anyway, their normal working hours....

 

[russell]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15921841

 

[rynnor]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15921841

Cant stand Union reps - they blundered a bit on this one announcing strikes long before the negotiations were over which is particularly pointless.

Looking forward to the next time the school try's to lecture parents on not going on holiday during term time because of the terrible damage missed days do to their education - oh yes that will be funny

 

[Himse]

For someone running a large organisation like a union, those numbers are fine. I bet they have people working for them earning more (like the top lawyers and finance people in the union).

Yeah alright, but it's not like running a super business like Shell or something like that really. They get more than enough to be in the top 10% of earners. They shout tongue and cheek for extra money and stuff, yet the heads sit pretty and don't really care.

Where does the money for the Union come from? Genuine question btw not being a smart arse!

Go strike in the private sector, you'll be fired! Maybe the people on strike should just be fired, make way for some people who actually want/need a job?

 

[Himse]

Oh by the way:


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=J0SPio6RE-s


This guy teaches at University? Christ he can't even put a sentence together without saying 'fucking'.

Seems like a typical sun reader really going off on one relating the strikes to Africa of all places, what a trumpet.

 

[Tom]

Oh, I get it. You're just going to tell me what I'm allowed to talk about then?

I don't tell anyone how to live their lives, but I would very much like to hear how you plan to solve the country's debt problems, as its a topic you're obviously very keen on. Or maybe you just like having the odd pop at the usual suspects.

 

[Tom]

Where does the money for the Union come from?

With some public sector workers being paid by the taxpayer to the tune of an estimated £113M to perform union duties (so-called Pilgrims), a lot of it comes out of your pocket. And then those same unions help fund the Labour party.

So basically, as a taxpayer, you're being made to fund the Labour Party. Nice, eh?

 

[rynnor]

Seems like a typical sun reader really going off on one relating the strikes to Africa of all places, what a trumpet.

Art lecturer - makes sense - imagine how bad his art is.

 

[Aoami]

When i worked in employment law at my county council we had a lot of regional union leaders in (mainly the NUT and Unison reps) and a few of them struggled to spell their own names. Generally aging hippies in suits with little grip on reality.

 

[Chilly]

Where does the money for the Union come from? Genuine question btw not being a smart arse!

With some public sector workers being paid by the taxpayer to the tune of an estimated £113M to perform union duties (so-called Pilgrims), a lot of it comes out of your pocket. And then those same unions help fund the Labour party.

So basically, as a taxpayer, you're being made to fund the Labour Party. Nice, eh?

That's a very cynical way of looking at it.

The union members pay their dues - some small fraction of their pay (very small) which entitles them to:
membership
legal protection of various sorts to do with the job
access to various group negotiated services from banks, insurers, shops, etc - this can often be worth quite a bit (discounts on mortgages for example)
representation at the highest levels of government

No public sector employee is forced to join a union, it's simply a sensible thing for them to do. There are also a few unions for every trade (although they are reducing in number via consolidation as time goes by) so you can have your choice of leadership and direction.

Basically, union members get paid more than non union members due to the power of group negotiation. As a public sector worker you'd almost certainly be a union member if you had a brain.


I'd join a union if there was one for my field - the fact is that it's such a highly skilled job that we're already holding the employers to ransom anyway. Un/low-skilled workers tend to need unions a lot more as individually (frankly) most employees are worthless and trivially replacable.

 

[Himse]

That's a very cynical way of looking at it.

The union members pay their dues - some small fraction of their pay (very small) which entitles them to:
membership
legal protection of various sorts to do with the job
access to various group negotiated services from banks, insurers, shops, etc - this can often be worth quite a bit (discounts on mortgages for example)
representation at the highest levels of government

No public sector employee is forced to join a union, it's simply a sensible thing for them to do. There are also a few unions for every trade (although they are reducing in number via consolidation as time goes by) so you can have your choice of leadership and direction.

Basically, union members get paid more than non union members due to the power of group negotiation. As a public sector worker you'd almost certainly be a union member if you had a brain.


I'd join a union if there was one for my field - the fact is that it's such a highly skilled job that we're already holding the employers to ransom anyway. Un/low-skilled workers tend to need unions a lot more as individually (frankly) most employees are worthless and trivially replacable.

Pay their dues by what? Working like every other normal person?

I don't agree that public sector workers should be stiffed for pay, but they don't need a baby sitter 'Union' to look after them.

 

[Cadelin]

Basically, union members get paid more than non union members due to the power of group negotiation. As a public sector worker you'd almost certainly be a union member if you had a brain.

No they don't and it would be illegal for them too. I can't speak for the entire public sector but in the civil service there is a very rigid pay structure and if it changes it affects everyone.

 

[Aoami]

Cadelin is correct and it applies to all public sector employees with a hard cap on pay of £200,000 (outside of London, in 2008). Each and every job, from school cleaner to chief exec is graded and capped and not many people get promoted.

 

[Wij]

Oh by the way:


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=J0SPio6RE-s


This guy teaches at University? Christ he can't even put a sentence together without saying 'fucking'.

Seems like a typical sun reader really going off on one relating the strikes to Africa of all places, what a trumpet.

What a tool :/

The second he went into a salivating, conspiracy-rant he lost the argument. Stay cogent at least :/

 

[ileks]

I've seen his videos before. They all make me want to hit him. Why do people want to listen to this guy shouting rubbish in their faces?

 

[Chilly]

Pay their dues by what? Working like every other normal person?

I don't agree that public sector workers should be stiffed for pay, but they don't need a baby sitter 'Union' to look after them.

What about legal insurance? That's what a large proportion of a union's function is, anyway. If you're a teacher and a parent tries to sue you- the union pays your fees.

 

[DaGaffer]

What about legal insurance? That's what a large proportion of a union's function is, anyway. If you're a teacher and a parent tries to sue you- the union pays your fees.

Nonsense. Your employer would defend you first; any parent who tried to sue a teacher directly (unless it was for a reason unrelated to their employment) would find their case rejected. Unions pay for legal support if they employee is in dispute with their employer and pretty much nowhere else.