What are your views on unions & strikes?

I don't support the National Rail Strike, I think it will be counter productive on so many levels. However, as a general rule I think Unions certainly have their place and have been a force for good in so many ways. I can't help feeling that they might have been a bit of a bullet in our industrial strength in times gone by though.
Personally, I would not strike so I have never joined a Union. If I was unhappy with my lot, I would move to another job. (I recognise that others may not have that ability.) As a teacher, I joined a Union who respected your right not to strike.

It sounds like time for a new government over there. How long ? So far so good with the new government here but it is early days yet. They are certainly noticeably better at foreign policy than their predecessors.

‘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.

I just hope it doesn’t go same way has it did with the miners strikes. I still remember them today and the struggles families had and how everyone rallied to help each other. But I’m not sure ppl will beable to help them this time as everyone is struggling in their own way. But ppl have to stand together. But I do feel for the ppl trying to get to work who can’t afford to stop off but will have no choice.

We wouldn't have paid holidays etc today without the workers uniting years ago

I do feel that this is the start of things to come. This government has driven people to dispair. Nurses, teachers etc using food banks ?

One of the things they are striking for is having the workers walk the lines and inspect each track.

There are trains now equipped with high-tech cameras which can do this quicker and more efficient. If we want a modern working infrastructure fit for the 21st century changes are needed.

They have been guaranteed that there will
be no compulsory redundancies.

The Unions need to be more flexible and allow workers to swop rolls if they gave the appropriate qualifications.

My opinion on them is unprintable.
Well paid, good perks. I think they have a cheek striking when almost everyone else in country is less paid. Whole country struggling. Now is not the time to wreck what is left of the economy

I'm not a leftie. Never voted Labour in my life.

I do love Unions though. They're mainly the reason that we're not still living in poverty and beholden to "the man".

Most of the general public are against these ridiculous strikes. Evidence for that?

So all the union loving lefties are out on this post .
Most of the general public are against these ridiculous strikes.
Having been paid throughout the pandemic whilst so many wernt they are not now content on their inflated wages which will feed inflation .and make the situation worse for everyone else .

I can't support this strike though I have been a union member and been on picket lines etc. Many working people have not had pay rises in line with inflation, or indeed any pay rise at all. I appreciate that this strike is also about other issues
but with the economy in such a bad state (as are many throughout the world) it does not make sense to me to disrupt what will effectively be a whole working week.

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.

Full support here

Unions and strike - absolutely necessary in any society - for women especially.

Wonderful to see so much support on here!

GrannyGravy13

The majority of care homes/agencies are privately owned and run.

How will not voting Tory help? genuine question.

Do you envisage these private businesses being purchased by a Labour Government?

Or are you pinning all on the bringing in of a higher minimum wage?

It will help not to vote Tory because the majority of people living in care homes and nursing homes, or looked after in the community are funded by local authorities and the NHS. The government allocations to those bodies is not enough to enable them to pay a high enough rate to private care agencies and homes for them to raise their staff wages and raise standards. That’s why so many have ceased trading in the last couple of years, they can’t make ends meet.

I am in full support of the strick. Enough is enough. I worked nearly 40 years as a qualified nurse and would have loved to have made a difference to our conditions and unfair pay, but unfortunately the system had me over a barrel as I could not of risked others lives.
Good luck to them.

Not voting Tory won't make carers pay go up overnight.

The Tories have been in power for 15(?) years. It's not a Tory thing to pay adequate wages to people who they think don't have any bargaining power. Adequate wages for careers are not their concern. Making it easy for entrepreneurs to buy into all kinds of businesses that make them big bucks by paying the least money to their staff that they can get away with, that's quite important to them.

The workers are not the Tories' concern. Their biggest triumph is making the worker think the Tories are the party for them.

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.

During the time the Tories have been in power have things improved for carers?
If not then a change just has to be worth a shot.

I believe it is illegal for workers to strike in support of workers in different employment

I didn't know that. I often wondered why it didn't happen in support of nurses.
Might have known!

Stop voting Tory!

Caleo

To get better pay for carers, stop voting Tory.

I really don’t think it will make any difference who is in power. Carers have been notoriously badly paid for many many years and that is in all sectors of care be it children, mental health, learning difficulties or the elderly all very lowly thought of jobs Consequently very poorly paid. I find it quite incredible that I could go as a cleaner in Wetherspoons and get nearly a pound an hour more and yet looking after vulnerable people…?It just beggars belief really..

The majority of care homes/agencies are privately owned and run.

How will not voting Tory help? genuine question.

Do you envisage these private businesses being purchased by a Labour Government?

Or are you pinning all on the bringing in of a higher minimum wage?

I heard on the Sophie Rayworth programme this morning that the RMT has amassed a considerable war chest

Tory MP Kwarteng said unions have been "quietly amassing a war chest" to pay strike pay

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