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The trade unions are threatening to unite to strike if the UK coalition government presses ahead with plans to cut public spending.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11278570
I personally find it very distasteful that trade unions think that they have the right to bully a democratically elected government into submission.
What does everybody else think?
Hi, AC/DC are gods.
Trade unions, hmm i worked at the Royal mail for a good number of years and was involved with the Union. What i found was that when the management want to implement change, lets say buy a machine which will take the job of 5 people. The management will say that it takes the job of 10 to bring the Union to the dealing table. The Union seamed to work the same way they would say it will cost 15 jobs, its all a game between the two. However if they where no Union I firmly believe that the government would take the total p**s. Just look at how much tax is paid by an average working man, something like 30% of his wage goes back to the tax man after he as already paid tax on it. After the miners strike changes where made in the law to strip unions of most of there powers, striking is possible the only real power they have now.
My impression was that the changes to the laws following the miners' strikes were largely to create anonymous ballots. My father in law was telling me that at his union meetings years ago, the union leaders would say "hands up all in favour of xyz" and everyone would be looking around to see how their friends were voting. He said that he spent most of the early 80s skint because they were forever on strike!
Thatcher did allot more then that. After the first national steel strike in 1980 where the steelworkers went for a 17% pay increase, sounds allot but take into account the inflation rate was 20% at the time, the steelworkers also fought to protect jobs. British Steel offered 2%, and proposed plant closures and 52,000 redundancies. These lads fought hard for there jobs, huge pickets were mounted at some sites and flying pickets were organised against private sector steel users. 13-weeks later, the workers won a 19% wage increase, although thousands of jobs were lost, job losses was also part of a plan to weaken the unions. Thatcher was not happy at losing and passed new laws to out law solidarity strikes and picketing. She didn't stop there, her view was that a conservative government could not be seen to be bowing to the working class people and the unions at that time where the back bone of the Labour party. Then she went onto pass laws which where known as anti-worker legislation, which included outlawing unions from engaging in political action, allowing employers to sack and selectively redeploy workers, and To seize unions' assets if they broke industrial laws. Sorry to go on but i am doing a law degree and have done trade union law. After those laws where passed she picked the unions off one by one.
Interesting. Where are you doing your degree?
Leeds Met and i love it.
No way my wife's doing her doctorate there!
small world. Whats it in.
mapping person-centred planning in mental health care
No i bet i have walked passed her many times i believe she is studying in the same building as me. Cloth hall court.
Very possibly!
