Vocal Voices

So with a massive pay deal ( funded by the pensioners) the lazy bar stewards are still going to carry on with strike action.
Now Dr's want 11% pay deal,how is Starmer going to fund that ,end of the triple lock on pensions presumably.
Also the taxi force want a deal,how is Starmer going to fund that one
Hope all you lefties are happy,be careful what you wish for.
Oh and has he stopped any boats yet?

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Vic, the LNER strike is part of a very long-standing dispute which is nothing to do with pay.

Basically, workplace relations between staff and managers at the company (which is Government-owned, by the way) has completely broken down largely due the company reneging on previously-agreed changes to working practices. Yes, there's fault on both sides, and some of the language used by the union (i.e. referring to "scabbing") is abhorrent and takes you right back to the Miner's Strikes, and yes, it's a terrible look and a complete gift to the likes of the Daily Mail, but it has to be said that some of the "Terms and Conditions" that railway employees have to work under are simply draconian. I wouldn't take that sort of a job, even for £69k p.a., and I doubt most people would either.

It's similar with the Border Force action at Heathrow. Management have imposed changes to shift patterns and working hours and just like on the railways, your life isn't your own. This is the nub of both disputes. Remember Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons"?

St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1980WfKC0o

The problem is that when you start splashing the cash, everybody wants some.
Above inflation pay rises have been promised to some NHS staff, junior doctors, teachers and train drivers.

Now GPs are wanting an 11% increase in funding.

I get the feeling more tax rises are on the way. Council tax next year will be interesting.

TheOstrich wrote:Vic, the LNER strike is part of a very long-standing dispute which is nothing to do with pay.

Basically, workplace relations between staff and managers at the company (which is Government-owned, by the way) has completely broken down largely due the company reneging on previously-agreed changes to working practices. Yes, there's fault on both sides, and some of the language used by the union (i.e. referring to "scabbing") is abhorrent and takes you right back to the Miner's Strikes, and yes, it's a terrible look and a complete gift to the likes of the Daily Mail, but it has to be said that some of the "Terms and Conditions" that railway employees have to work under are simply draconian. I wouldn't take that sort of a job, even for £69k p.a., and I doubt most people would either.

It's similar with the Border Force action at Heathrow. Management have imposed changes to shift patterns and working hours and just like on the railways, your life isn't your own. This is the nub of both disputes. Remember Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons"?

St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1980WfKC0o

Thank you for being the voice of sanity, Ossie xx

Vic, yes thanks I am very happy to be a "lefty", and more than ecstatic to see the back of the self-serving Tories - thanks for asking

If the Tories had got back in they too would have had to stump up at some time due to their deliberate policy of keeping public sector pay rises well below inflation for so many years on end.

Some estimates put public sector "real term" earnings down by over 15% since 2011 so whichever party won the election it would have needed to make massive increases at some point just to catch up otherwise the industrial actions would have carried on and on or got worse.

Even many "righties" acknowledge that fact.

Thickos blame Labour, even though they have only been in charge for eight weeks or so, not 14 years.

Well that's nice.....

Victor you thicko

May I share the last post I read on here before today (actually beginning of June) from Saundra I think it says it all

You missed the point
It's called respect
At one time V V was a pleasure to visit it needs to stay that way

Shell, you are either an early bird or a night owl, but seconded. I'm an insomniac for my sins.

I think the overall point is that if you come into government blaming the previous government for leaving "A £20 billion black hole in government finances", and then start awarding above inflation pay rises to many different public sector employees - people will comment; and they will usually say "I thought you said the country was skint?".

Crommers, what you say is probably true. however, the fact remains that the public pay issue was created by the Tories and they know it. That could be the reason why the MPs and the party are not shouting too much - they know that things had to be sorted somehow whoever was in power.

Tory members and others obviously have different ideas and are free to air them.

It used to be said that public sector pay was slightly behind the private sector pay, but that the final salary pension scheme outweighed the majority, if not all, the pension schemes offered by the private sector. Some of the bigger companies had introduced final salary pensions but they have gradually been dropped due to unafordability. I think many of the low paid employees in the private sector would consider their salaries quite a bit below than those in the public sector.