Gransnet forums

AIBU

Snow and school closures.

(189 Posts)
ajanela Thu 01-Mar-18 09:36:44

AIBU. In the south where my DGS age 12 goes to school as of Wednesday they only had a very light sprinkling of snow but my DD received a message on Wednesday saying his school will be closed until Monday. Reason the buses could not run and snow was forecast. I think this is over cautious. How often severe weather warnings don't happen and the country should not stop due to light snow as usually experienced in our part of the south.

Children may be travelling further for childcare than they go to school. Some will be left home alone. The schools are fining people for taking their children out of school to go on holiday as their schooling is so important. Some Parents who stay home to care for their children will loose money, the teachers won't. I know schools are there to educate our children not provide child care but parents have to work and plan there working life depending on their children being at school except in emergencies.

durhamjen Sun 04-Mar-18 11:10:07

Could you not give him a job and train him?
You had a terrible apprentice, I seem to recall.

gillybob Sun 04-Mar-18 11:09:16

He is extremely conscientious too maryeliza . It took him hours and hours to get to and from work in the snow ( then a 12 hour shift) and he was very worried And fearful of being late !

I wonder if they work for the same company ?

durhamjen Sun 04-Mar-18 11:07:22

Sounds like he works for the same company as gillybob's daughter's partner!

gillybob Sun 04-Mar-18 11:06:38

There is no recognised union . He is unskilled and would find it extremely hard to find alternative employment . They enforce ( unfair and unreasonable ) holidays, dock pay regularly, 20 minutes lunch break on 12 hour shift ( illegal) I could go on and on .

maryeliza54 Sun 04-Mar-18 11:04:37

I could fill pages with the dreadful experiences from our family member who is a hard worker ( never a day in his life unemployed) and a lovely partner and father. He is treated like absolute rubbish - he works shifts and even if a colleague would be willing to swop so he could go to a hospital appointment or a parents evening, his employers won’t allow it. He has fixed holidays when the factory closes and the only reason he gets paid holidays is because of the EU.

durhamjen Sun 04-Mar-18 11:02:19

No, gillybob.
When I said about changing jobs I did not know she was 32 weeks pregnant. That would be foolhardy.
However, your son in law could change his job if he is unhappy about his rights.

Do you support those Tory employment laws that maryeliza talks about, gillybob? Because you certainly don't support labour and the unions.

Why do you question unions?
You still haven't said whether there is a union in the large company where your son in law works.

gillybob Sun 04-Mar-18 10:58:48

My DD’s partner has told me some truly awful stories about his employers . Every one terrified to speak up .

OldMeg Sun 04-Mar-18 10:57:32

And the issue of workers rights (or lack of them) is indeed a political one as so many have been deliberately eroded by successive right-wing governments.

OldMeg Sun 04-Mar-18 10:54:54

We understand the point you are trying to make Gilly but people are right when they say ‘that’s life’ - different jobs bring different pluses and minuses.

Teachers and other professional work long hours of unpaid overtime. Those on different contracts may lose out in some situations but they have no obligations/responsibility outside their working hours. When they clock-off, their time is their own.

gillybob Sun 04-Mar-18 10:53:57

Are you saying it would be easy/ sensible to change jobs at 32 weeks pregnant durhamjen? Regardless of how greedy and thoughtless her multinational employer is?

maryeliza54 Sun 04-Mar-18 10:52:38

gilly You are quite right about changing jobs being difficult for many - our family member just cannot and it’s even harder with Tory legislation which means you now have to work for 2 years before you get employment rights plus you’d lose any accrued redundancy rights as well. Many workers are stuck with very few rights and even those they have, they are worried about trying to enforce because of the retaliation that employers use - our family member saw workers losing regular ( and necessary) overtime when they tried to enforce certain rights

gillybob Sun 04-Mar-18 10:52:21

The Union? hmm
Can you point me in the direction of all these ( unskilled) jobs please ?

durhamjen Sun 04-Mar-18 10:49:48

If the sarcasm was about being pregnant, you were the one who said your daughter can't change jobs because she is pregnant. It's obvious he can't have the same reason for not changing jobs, particularly if his employer is as awful as you imply.

gillybob Sun 04-Mar-18 10:48:00

He's not pregnant, is he?
He can get another job

Not sarcastic? Really ?

maryeliza54 Sun 04-Mar-18 10:47:12

gilly your posts are always very negative about the public sector and its workers. The real issue is the terms and conditions of so many in the private sector - large greedy companies with Directors being paid telephone number salaries and bonuses and refusing to recognise unions ( thanks to Tory legislation) or to treat their employees as human beings. That’s where the faults are

durhamjen Sun 04-Mar-18 10:46:31

Sorry, but where is the sarcasm?
I am just asking you about the family that you regularly tell us about on here.
Why can't he change jobs if he doesn't like the working conditions?
There are jobs in the North East.
One of my sons was made redundant and was out of work for a month or two last year. He's been in work ever since, though, so I know as much as you do about jobs in the North East.
You say he works for a big employer, in which case he should have a union he can belong to.
What does the union say?

gillybob Sun 04-Mar-18 10:43:25

No one begrudging anyone anything maryeliza . Just saying some employers are not as decent and generous as others . Infact many couldn’t give a sh*t about the people who work for them .

gillybob Sun 04-Mar-18 10:41:02

Your nasty sarcasm is once again noted durhamjen .

It’s not easy to leave jobs and find others here in the North East is it ? Of course you know all about that too don’t you ?

maryeliza54 Sun 04-Mar-18 10:40:57

And I stayed over two nights in a hotel so that I would be able to work. I’m self employed so wouldn’t have been paid if I’d not been able to get in. My ‘employers’ paid for the hotel as my absence would have cost them thousands otherwise.

durhamjen Sun 04-Mar-18 10:39:35

Is he in a union? What does his union say?

durhamjen Sun 04-Mar-18 10:38:59

He's not pregnant, is he?
He can get another job.

maryeliza54 Sun 04-Mar-18 10:36:49

Well gilly that’s just tough - we have someone in the same situation in our family. But he doesn’t begrudge the fact that others can take leave.

maryeliza54 Sun 04-Mar-18 10:35:02

OldMeg shock

gillybob Sun 04-Mar-18 10:33:58

Like most large manufacturers my daughters partner has set holidays he can’t just take them to please himself . Production has to be planned.

maryeliza54 Sun 04-Mar-18 10:33:28

But the bottom line is that if work is open and you can’t get it, it’s holiday or lose pay ( or not if contract is better).If work is closed, then you should be paid as usual.