What are your views on unions & strikes?

doodledog - l have not read all contributions but l would like to put some context into your perception of dentistry.
My husband has worked his whole life in NHS. Firstly in maxillofacial, research then general dentistry. Whether NHS or private we had to get a mortgage to buy a practice ( plus our house mortgage ) Very quickly we had to learn all that goes with running a business and managing staff. Govt changed the contract in 2006 which made a lot of NHS practices unviable so hand back NHS contracts was their only option. Our age ment we had to grind on. We do have some private patients and without them we would probably have gone bankrupt. 4 years ago we were approached to buy our practice, the year became two, then Brexit followed by Covit. Despite my husband's and his partner's ages they worked and did extra clinics, like most dentist's we know, through the pandemic. We have just had our buyer pull out as they cannot recruit dentists. A direct affect of Brexit and european dentists have left and no interest in returning because of new hoops they are being asked to jump through and poor pay. At 67 - after 35 years service he is handing back his NHS contract and closing the practice. We will be paying the redundancy costs etc and lose the nest egg we thought we had. So before you slag off dentists research the facts. Those private dentists have huge overheads to equip and run their surgeries. For 5years at university, Post grad study etc it costs a lot to be a dentist and to keep current and registered. If you are interested l drive a Polo !
To answer the question yes l do support the strike. Had we supported each other ,especially those who are in jobs that cannot strike , we may have the best pensions in Europe not the worst. Workers representation on the boards of companies, as Germany have, would make for farer working conditions and renumerations for all as both management and staff would want to see a prosperous company. Head off and avoid strikes all together.

I support the rail strike. Some train drivers are paid well but this strike is not JUST about them . It's about all rail workers, including the poor souls who have to work after a death on the track. They are trying to get rid of jobs like guards and ticket office staff. The employers are using these jobs and pensions as a negotiating tool. There are incidents on trains all the time, how much worse would they be without a guard?

I don't support a strike I have 2 family members who work of the railways and they have been bragging for the past 5 years on how well they are paid and how good thier pensions are the country is trying to get out of 2 years of the pandemic we should be working together not striking

My total support.

Casdon

volver

Missingmoominmama

‘How will the army of minimum-wage Carers get out and about to their 15-minute assignments with the most vulnerable?’

Their companies (who are raking it in), should supply taxis in this instance. It is not the responsibility of the minimum wage staff.

Serious question. How many carers trying to get to their 15 minute appointments use the trains to get there?

Very few, carers are normally allocated people to support in a small defined geographical area. It’s far more of an issue that petrol prices have increased, because it’s people living in more remote areas where care is difficult to source anyway, who tend to get stuck in hospital. It’s not attractive to care agencies to take on those clients, because of the additional cost of getting to them.

Thanks Casdon.

I thought it would be something like that. But I think that the government are stirring up stories like this to turn the public against the strikers.

homefarm

Agree, everyone is entitled to withdraw their labour if they wish - it's called freedom

I work in a care home with very vulnerable elderly people with a lot of dementia, how can I possibly withdraw my labour?

springishere

Could someone enlighten me as to what the strikers actually want? I seem to have read somewhere that the train drivers earn £56,000 a year, which is a lot more than care workers, nurses, shop assistants etc. earn. They all continued to work during the lockdowns when travelling by train was banned.

The train drivers are not striking (ASLEF), it's the rail workers (RMT). Signal people, track inspectors, ticket collectors etc.
Underground workers in London get on average £24k, the range being £18,000 to £30,000.

Agree, everyone is entitled to withdraw their labour if they wish - it's called freedom

volver

Missingmoominmama

‘How will the army of minimum-wage Carers get out and about to their 15-minute assignments with the most vulnerable?’

Their companies (who are raking it in), should supply taxis in this instance. It is not the responsibility of the minimum wage staff.

Serious question. How many carers trying to get to their 15 minute appointments use the trains to get there?

Very few, carers are normally allocated people to support in a small defined geographical area. It’s far more of an issue that petrol prices have increased, because it’s people living in more remote areas where care is difficult to source anyway, who tend to get stuck in hospital. It’s not attractive to care agencies to take on those clients, because of the additional cost of getting to them.

Let us remember that through the fight and struggle of the trade union movement many of us have benefits which were not afforded our ancestors.
This strike is inconvenient and I suspect they are fighting for jobs and working conditions as were the miners in the 80s. I spoke to a rail worker at the ticket office this week and he told me that the Government would not speak to the unions. Back to Thatcher days when her government went in heavy handed. I would support a general strike at the moment but many people are not in unions unfortunately so have no back up.

Support from me

I am a union member (Unite) and do not support this strike. Time doesn’t stand still and the railways will become automated whether the workers like it or not. Rail workers aren’t badly paid, unlike retail, nursing and teaching staff and care workers - what if they all (rightly) went on strike!? A substantial amount of these will have major problems getting to work because even if they don’t use trains or the underground, the roads will be exceptionally busier. It will be difficult to park and buses will be put under great strain. My sympathies lie with the amazing armies of these low paid workers who will be under even more strain during the strike.

I support them

Recession, higher interest rates a rise in cost of living equals strikes and demands for higher wages. No recession, lower interest rates and you seldom hear a peep out of the unions. The two go together although the rail dispute plays into the hands of those who want greener living, less travel, work from home, cycle everywhere and purchase an electric car only if you are wealthy enough to do so which most of us are not.

they have my support, this govt treats workers like turds

I am still a Union member (Unite) in Health Care. I would never personally go on Strike, I think this timing it is completely wrong.
Not the right time to get other workforces on their side.

I support the rail strike. No one wants to see a summer of discontent but unless we start to stand up against the injustices in pay, and in society in general, we are heading for decades of discontent and disaster. Just wish Labour would take a more proactive stand.

I just read an 'Opinion' piece on tfl funding on Ianvisits website (it's a great little site giving info on what's on in London, unlike many others, a bit quirky) - anyway the piece was highly informative & worth a read.

The rail workers and any other workers who take the democratic decision to strike have my full support.

Missingmoominmama

‘How will the army of minimum-wage Carers get out and about to their 15-minute assignments with the most vulnerable?’

Their companies (who are raking it in), should supply taxis in this instance. It is not the responsibility of the minimum wage staff.

Serious question. How many carers trying to get to their 15 minute appointments use the trains to get there?

1978-1979

Sorry, I meant the winter of discontent happened during the winter of 1078-1979.

Grantanow

Different groups in society mobilise in different ways to get what they want. That's how things are in a democratic society. But groups are sometimes manipulated for political ends. If Johnson thinks the rail strike will benefit the Tories he should think back to Ted Heath who was dismissed at an Election fought on 'who governs Britain?' after the winter of discontent.

Never let facts get in the way of a good discussion.
The winter of discontent was the winter of 1977-1978 and happened under a Labour government lead by James Callaghan. The winter of discontent was the reason that Margaret Thatcher’s government was elected in 1979 and remained in power for over a decade.
Who governs Britain was the catchphrase used by the Tory government when Ted Heath called a snap election in 1974.
Just thought we should use the actual facts.

I’m in full support of the rail strike. Teacher and nursing unions are also contemplating balloting their members re industrial action. The Tory government antics and the cost of living crisis seems to be heralding a summer and autumn of discontent if not a general strike. I wish pensioner organisations had more clout

Missingmoominmama

‘How will the army of minimum-wage Carers get out and about to their 15-minute assignments with the most vulnerable?’

Their companies (who are raking it in), should supply taxis in this instance. It is not the responsibility of the minimum wage staff.

The companies are not raking it in*Missingmoominmama*. If they were new ones would be springing up. As it is, there aren’t enough care agencies to meet the demand which is the primary reason for delayed transfers of care from hospitals.