(no subject)

[lpetersson]

Oh...My...God...
There are children everywhere...
For some reason the bank decided that it would be a great idea to let everyone take their kids in today and now theyre roaming the isles in packs. It's actually quite amusing :)

In other news, today I realised that Maggie T was right. Let's get rid of the unions. And who can we thank for that?
The London Underground. Just because they can't be bothered working today, they decide to close the part of the Piccadilly line I use.
Grrr. Sack 'em all and replace them with non-unionised staff.

Comments

[helena-draven.livejournal.com]

Grrr. Sack 'em all and replace them with non-unionised staff.

Says he who's obviously never been in the position of needing the union to back them up!

[lpetersson.livejournal.com]

Says he who believes in getting a new job if one doesn't like the one one has...

[helena-draven.livejournal.com]

Easier said than done...

[lpetersson.livejournal.com]

But it can be done.

[the-elephant.livejournal.com]

which, if it's because you're being treated injustly, isn't a choice you ought to have to make.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

Maggie T was right.

These are words which should never be spoken.

[lpetersson.livejournal.com]

I would have agreed with you if it wasn't for the way the underground hold people to ransom...

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

I agree that this particular strike is fairly pointless (it's over disciplinary action taken against a single employee, which should be handled through employment tribunal, not industrial action, in my opinion), but I know several people who work/have worked for London Underground, and they do seem to treat their staff pretty badly. I'd defend the right to strike in pretty much any industry.

Tube strikes cause massive inconvenience, but then what's the point of a strike that doesn't affect anyone?

[lpetersson.livejournal.com]

Tube strikes cause massive inconvenience

Yup, and they don't really seem to engender sympathy...
Most people I have spoken with would be happy to see them sacked and replaced by non-unionised staff...
Other people find new jobs when they no longer like the one they have...

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

Leaving aside that sacking an entire workforce and replacing them, and sacking for union membership/activity is highly illegal, Tube driving isn't an unskilled job - it requires months, if not years of training.

[blakeshell.livejournal.com]

Listen to the Lady, you are, after all, a gentleman.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

He should listen to me because I'm right (and know something about employment law in this country, having spent a year working in HR), not because of my gender!

[posthuman-angel.livejournal.com]

Unfortunate, but funny. Ha-ha bet the kids are made up with a big angry dane glaring at them. Hope the underground doesn't pull anything like that when we are down.

[lpetersson.livejournal.com]

Actually there are talks about a strike when you guys are down, but hopefully it won't come to that.
If it does I'll fully support setting attack dogs on the strikers...

Lecture Alert...

[the-elephant.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your rage, but tossing the unions is a Bad Idea long-term. I'm not sure how well-versed you are in the history of unions, but BEFORE there were unions, people were expected to work 12 or more hours a day for PENNIES and be happy they had a job. If you complained, you were fired and blacklisted. Sick? Good luck finding another job. Want a vacation? Tough! No time off for you. Weekends? Sunday only. Some worked half a day on Sundays.

Today, the same pressures exist in the economy. Sack the unions, and you'll take a lot of power away from workers to demand better pay, conditions, etc. Statistically, unionized workers tend to make more and receive better benefits than non-unionized workers. In unionized shops, even non-union workers get better pay and benefits. Even if you don't belong to one yourself, unions are good to have.

Err...sorry for going off about this so much. It just makes me cringe when workers blast their own mechanism for negotiating fair conditions with (power-holding) employers.

Re: Lecture Alert...

[blakeshell.livejournal.com]

I agree with what you said and will re-enforce it when next we meet. It is a bit of a complicated issue and can not really be discussed online.

[elvenforest.livejournal.com]

well i wouldnt mind working for the london underground because every time there is a dispute (which is quite often) they get the day off work andd a payrise for it so you know what it can be like not have a payrise for a few years and moaning about it

work forthe underground and well payrise say once every 3-4 months or so