Trade Unions.

[Andreas Rex]

I'm sure that Tek, MyCult and Andreas (all of whom I know personally) will agree

I disagree.

 

[basil]

someone asked why i haven't logged on in so long in another thread.. tbh, it was some of ridiculous posts in this thread that were key players in me not doing so, as they were so idiotic, ill-informed, naïve, and short-sighted that i was infuriated and wanted to spend time responding to them..

now i realise it would do no good so, frankly, i can't be arsed lol..

the boorish posts in this thread are the most ridiculous......

 

[John Marwood]

After a certain number of years/occasions you come to realise that some people are not worth engaging in reasonable conversation with and you move along to leave them in thier own selfworld

It is however, still appropriate to share experience and knowledge and opinion,and beliefs with those who appreciate the dialogue and are prepared understand what lies behind Soundbite Britain ( which of course is a soundbite )

 

[basil]

You sympathise with this shower of lazy bastards then John?

overwhelmingy the most ridiculous post of the day....so far.........

 

[db]

someone asked why i haven't logged on in so long in another thread.. tbh, it was some of ridiculous posts in this thread that were key players in me not doing so, as they were so idiotic, ill-informed, naïve, and short-sighted that i was infuriated and wanted to spend time responding to them..

now i realise it would do no good so, frankly, i can't be arsed lol..

the boorish posts in this thread are the most ridiculous......

that's basically the point i was making..

just to clarify (in case you have assumed otherwise), i am very grateful for all the benefits we now take for granted thanks to the historical and continued work of trade unions..

 

[shoes]

You sympathise with this shower of lazy bastards then John?

overwhelmingy the most ridiculous post of the day....so far.........

Indeed, I'm sorry I missed selfish, short sighted, narrow minded and easily manipulated.

 

[tek-monkey]

that's basically the point i was making..

just to clarify (in case you have assumed otherwise), i am very grateful for all the benefits we now take for granted thanks to the historical and continued work of trade unions..

Whilst grateful for past work, I see them of less relevance nowadays in a large number of industries. As stated earlier, my line of work is certainly one that a TU cannot help with in most cases (although now I'm a government employee this is not necessarily the case). As Furbal pointed out, a company must agree to stick by union agreements, so if they don't the TU is irrelevant. I know this is a purely selfish standpoint, but its me I have to look out for.

Also as stated previously, the staff at GEC were pretty much shagged up the ass with a poker regarding pensions, redundancies etc. so I'm not sure a union is always of use even where it does exist? But hey, at least they're building more shoebox houses on the place now so all is well...

 

[basil]

You sympathise with this shower of lazy bastards then John?

overwhelmingy the most ridiculous post of the day....so far.........

Indeed, I'm sorry I missed selfish, short sighted, narrow minded and easily manipulated.

how about dogmatic, opinionated, warped, ignorant, intolerant and twisted........

 

[John Marwood]

dont mention the war...

 

[db]

that's basically the point i was making..

just to clarify (in case you have assumed otherwise), i am very grateful for all the benefits we now take for granted thanks to the historical and continued work of trade unions..

Whilst grateful for past work, I see them of less relevance nowadays in a large number of industries. As stated earlier, my line of work is certainly one that a TU cannot help with in most cases (although now I'm a government employee this is not necessarily the case). As Furbal pointed out, a company must agree to stick by union agreements, so if they don't the TU is irrelevant. I know this is a purely selfish standpoint, but its me I have to look out for.

Also as stated previously, the staff at GEC were pretty much shagged up the ass with a poker regarding pensions, redundancies etc. so I'm not sure a union is always of use even where it does exist? But hey, at least they're building more shoebox houses on the place now so all is well...

yeah but that's just it, we take all these rules and agreements for granted.. you can't really say "unions have done their job now, let's get rid of them" - what if existing benefits start to get eroded once they're not around? and whose to say they won't achieve more in the future?

being a member of a union might not be relevant to your specific role within your specific employer right at this moment in time, but the broader achievements they make are enjoyed by everyone..

i view trade unions in the same way i see hippies and protestors: they get on my tits, and i'm against them in principle, but i acknowledge that the world needs them and in the end everyone benefits from what they achieve..

 

[tek-monkey]

i view trade unions in the same way i see hippies and protestors: they get on my tits, and i'm against them in principle, but i acknowledge that the world needs them and in the end everyone benefits from what they achieve..

Skilled, love the analogy

I agree they have helped in the past, but not everything from the past needs to carry on into the future. I am not a member of our union, but they employ Furbal so its hardly suprising

 

[shoes]

overwhelmingy the most ridiculous post of the day....so far.........

Indeed, I'm sorry I missed selfish, short sighted, narrow minded and easily manipulated.

how about dogmatic, opinionated, warped, ignorant, intolerant and twisted........

If you like but at least I'm not in a position where I have to strike all the time because my employer won't give me overtime wah wah wah.

 

[db]

If you like but at least I'm not in a position where I have to strike all the time because my employer won't give me overtime wah wah wah.

either you are deliberately ignoring some of the posts in this thread in order to maintain your argument, or they are genuinely going over your head and you are not understanding them.. either way, it doesn't cast you in a terribly flattering light! lol

 

[Gramaisc]

Saying the unions have no rôle now is like saying 'It's OK now, I'm better. Let's shut the NHS.'

 

[shoes]

If you like but at least I'm not in a position where I have to strike all the time because my employer won't give me overtime wah wah wah.

either you are deliberately ignoring some of the posts in this thread in order to maintain your argument, or they are genuinely going over your head and you are not understanding them.. either way, it doesn't cast you in a terribly flattering light! lol

No i just don't see why everyone makes life more complicated than it is mate, you have job, you feel hard done by in job, find another job. You could even go further an research what jobs would be right for you. Schimples!

As for the Royal Mail striking, IMO they should all be fired on the spot and replaced with some of our 3 million + hungry unemployed.

 

[db]

either you are deliberately ignoring some of the posts in this thread in order to maintain your argument, or they are genuinely going over your head and you are not understanding them.. either way, it doesn't cast you in a terribly flattering light! lol

No i just don't see why everyone makes life more complicated than it is mate, you have job, you feel hard done by in job, find another job. You could even go further an research what jobs would be right for you. Schimples!

it seems it was the latter..

you mention overtime.. overtime wouldn't exist if it wasn't for trade unions - you would simply be forced to work the extra hours needed for no extra pay.. you wouldn't have 20 days holiday a year if it wasn't for trade unions, or sick pay, or a lunch break, or any of the other things you take for granted..

you seem to think that trade unions exist purely so that lazy people can strike when they have the hump.. see my previous hippy analogy - strikes are an annoyance, but we have all benefitted from them, you included..

 

[Sofa]

strikes are an annoyance, but we have all benefitted from them, you included..

OMG! Are my eyes deceiving me, or has dirtybobby been saying things we can agree on! Top chap!

Shoes, I think it really is time we had that chat we were talking about! It seems to me that you are very selective when it comes to your perception of how things are and how they got to be the way they are.

Perhaps a couple of years working 16 hours a day in a Primark sweatshop in China for next to no wages, with no employment rights, no health insurance, no health and safety, no choice and no way out would help you to see what generations of brave people sticking their necks out and sometimes losing their lives has done to make Britain the safe, prosperous and fair place it is today. (I'm not saying it couldn't be fairer, though!)

 

[John Marwood]

Hmmmm

You cant please all the people any of the time

Fact

 

[Alan B'Stard]

overwhelmingy the most ridiculous post of the day....so far.........

Indeed, I'm sorry I missed selfish, short sighted, narrow minded and easily manipulated.

how about dogmatic, opinionated, warped, ignorant, intolerant and twisted........

Nice retort Basil! Skill point awarded.

 

[basil]

Listening in to a bit of chat on R4 earlier re Unions and a couple of interesting points were raised.

1, Union membership of women and part-time workers increasing

2, There are more members of the Proffesional Footballers Association than members of the National Union of Mineworkers

3, Errm i did say a couple........