Reply to: London Underground

[vetran]

of course he did't buy his house not when he can get a free new kitchen etc every few years and still be entitled to buy it at a knock down rate when he retires.

Typical champagne socialist

[Mason Boyne]

Perhaps the decline in the esteem of teachers can be attributed to the public's perception of their Union activism...

Just a thought.

[NickFitz]

Which union is that? I'm relying on memory here, but I'm pretty sure at least one of the teachers' unions has gone on strike in the past.

I had time off primary school because of the teachers going on strike. It was when we were still in Liverpool, so pre-summer-1971, and I seem to remember it causing problems because my Mum was doing teacher training at the time, so post-autumn-1969. NUT action.

However the NUT were absolutely brilliant when the LEA in Bedford tried to mess her around after she went part-time in the mid 80s. Thinking about it, she was also NUT rep (equivalent to shop steward) in the late 70s - early 80s, but I think that was in a different school.

I can't remember if she ever went on strike or not; I think there was a strike called in the mid-70s but the union didn't impose the requirement to come out on its members, and she chose not to because, although she agreed with the cause for action, she also felt a moral duty towards the families. Most of the children at her school were from working class communities and she reasoned that their parents couldn't take time off work to look after the kids, unlike middle class "communities" where things would probably run more smoothly if several layers of middle management didn't go into work for a few months

[TykeMerc]

A well-paid Marxist f****r who lives in taxpayer-subsidised housing, no less.

Ye gods, that's taking the pi$$ somewhat.

The RMT said Mr Crow ‘turned down the opportunity to buy his council house at a substantial discount because he believes social housing stock should be available for future generations’.

While I agree with that sentiment, it also shouldn't be occupied by someone who could very easily afford to buy or use private rented so that the social housing stock is used for its intended purpose.

[SueEllen]

Which union is that? I'm relying on memory here, but I'm pretty sure at least one of the teachers' unions has gone on strike in the past.

Tube workers are RMT, ASLEF or TSSA if they are unionised.

Teachers union which has never gone on strike is ATL (Association of teachers and lecturers).

The NUT are the ones who always go on strike.

They were on strike when I started primary school. I remember this because everyone was allowed to stay at home except my class as my teacher was in a different union.

Apparently the NUT reps are nasty. So teachers have to go on strike even if they don't agree with the union otherwise they get payback.

[Sysman]

I wouldn't notice if the local council went on strike.

Bin men are private.

Parking wardens are private.

Gardeners are private.

Road sweepers are private.....

Other departments where there are actual council employers are full of part-timers who take for ever to do anything.

Hehe. In the early nineties I had a couple of social workers as neighbours. Their individual pay wasn't great but combined it was really quite good.

He spent most workdays doing up his house. I had to move my home office to the far end of my spot to get away from the constant racket.

We were all paying for him to spend most of his time at home. I'll bet he's probably retired on a nice index linked pension by now as well.

[SueEllen]

A well-paid Marxist f****r who lives in taxpayer-subsidised housing, no less.

Wonder what his pension is like.............

No doubt he will live to 101.

[SueEllen]

Am I the only one who sees this as a business opportunity

I wouldn't notice if the local council went on strike.

Bin men are private.

Parking wardens are private.

Gardeners are private.

Road sweepers are private.....

Other departments where there are actual council employers are full of part-timers who take for ever to do anything.

[GreenLabel]

While Bob Crow is a Marxist f*****r unfortunately some of what he has said previously about TFL and London Underground i.e. over the tube maintence contracts was true.

While Bob Crow is a (well paid)Marxist f*****r unfortunately some of what he has said previously about TFL and London Underground i.e. over the tube maintence contracts was true.

Just thought I'd ftfy.

A well-paid Marxist f****r who lives in taxpayer-subsidised housing, no less.

[Sysman]

The interim employment tribunal ruling is that the guy was sacked due to union activities.

That's a good reason to strike. Unions and their reps are there to stand up for workers rights. (I personally know someone who was paid off due to his union activities and this company was locking fire exits.)

Even though we are contractors some of the laws around to protect us i.e. Health and safety wouldn't be around without unions.

Yep. One of my student holiday jobs was carrying weft t' t'looms and the older folks there had horror stories of what it had been like: mechanics working on running machinery and losing limbs; huge leather belts driving machinery, and when those snapped folks got seriously maimed or killed, no safety guards etc.

I used to have a good mate who was union shop steward. A fair bit of his work was Health and Safety. He was on the buses, and for example he did ensure that drivers weren't asked to exceed their legal working hours. He also represented workers facing disciplinary charges. There's more to it than negotiating pay rises. That in itself is typically very confrontational, with both sides asking for the impossible in the board room, but it's normally settled during a rest break.

Having said that, I'm pretty anti-union and have never been a member of one, but I do think there's a place for them as long as they aren't run by Marxist madmen (or champagne socialists).

While Bob Crow is a Marxist f*****r unfortunately some of what he has said previously about TFL and London Underground i.e. over the tube maintence contracts was true.

Oh and teachers are striking as well on 30th June. The government must be really pissing people off if a teaching union that has never striked in it's history is striking.

Which union is that? I'm relying on memory here, but I'm pretty sure at least one of the teachers' unions has gone on strike in the past.

[amcdonald]

Am I the only one who sees this as a business opportunity

What like offering a pest control service once all the rats go postal ?

[zamzummim]

Secretary Dave Prentis said: "If our demands are not met, bins will continue to just sit there forever and ever

Am I the only one who sees this as a business opportunity

[PinkPoshRat]

That's simple, the strikers would be terminated and very rapidly replaced. The whole point of contract resource is it's short term and expendable.

Don't get all serious on me, it was a joke!

[TimberWolf]

And the pain hasn't even started yet.

Good Mash article:

The disagreement is over pensions, with public sector workers being asked if they would actually like to contribute some money towards them.

But the arbitration experts Acas said many Unison members struggle to differentiate between employment and retirement and currently believe they are being asked to pay for going to work.

The Daily Mash - Council offices to grind to whatever is slower than a halt

[amcdonald]

How would you tell?

They'd notice less people searching for meaty cock burgers ?