We'll *Do Something" about the strikes

Do you remember Liz Truss proclaiming that we needed to stop focusing on redistribution and "grow the cake"?

She then proceeded to redistribute even more from the poor to the rich and crashed our economy, to the tune of £72 billion.

growstuff

Katie59

“ The financial sector has its place but it's a parasite on the sectors that actually produce goods and services.”

So I guess all those of us with pensions or ISAs have to accept that we are parasites.

That's just being a drama queen!

I was being a bit of one, too...

MaizieD

growstuff

Katie59

“ The financial sector has its place but it's a parasite on the sectors that actually produce goods and services.”

So I guess all those of us with pensions or ISAs have to accept that we are parasites.

That's just being a drama queen!

I was being a bit of one, too...

😹😹😹😹

Probably every Gransnetter remembers the seventies in this country. However, times have changed and life has moved on. Undoubtedly inconvenience has been caused for a lot of people due to rail strikes, but today many can work from home - the internet has changed how people earn their salary. This must lessen the impact. Similarly, as a few other posters have said, Royal Mail are potentially killing off their business because other carriers are filling the gap. I recall the strikes at Fords in the sixties and seventies. Real hardship for the workforce, but oddly the strikes often occurred when Fords car parks were completely full of new vehicles, so when the men went back to work there was little interruption to supply, and if theyhad got the percentage increase they wanted, offset against what they had lost during weeks of striking it was a very small victory for them - and Ford had paid no wages for those weeks. Never a straightforward situation.

I thought that capitalism was based on supply and demand. If supply is good then prices remain stable and if there are shortages then prices rise. A worker sells his labour. When there is a large supply of workers the wages remain lower but when workers are in short supply then wages should rise.

Inflation was going up well before the workers started asking for more money so it's not their fault.

Sparklefizz

I understand the pay issue but if inflation then rises, that pay increase will be worth less.

Royal Mail say they are losing £1million a day through strikes, so where do the posties think the pay increase will come from? I order a lot of goods online and deliveries are very rarely via Royal Mail these days, mostly from DPD, Evri/Hermes, etc.

They have paid millions in dividends to shareholders. Perhaps a fairer share of the profits. Save them millions in the long run.

Shinamae - agree totally - there's nothing more essential for an elderly infirm person living alone than a carer coming in to help that person up out of bed, get washed and dressed and given a breakfast. I spent several years nursing my Mum and telling our lovely carers not to come on Christmas Day but they always did because Mum was double handed. They turned up for time and a half which was hardly anything. Of course they were well rewarded but not by the agency. They're a class of worker who would never strike because their work is based on relationship but I support the right of anybody to withhold their labour if they're being exploited and 12 years of Tory austerity plus Brexit means that most public sector workers who are working in a situation of poor wages and many vacant positions causing work overload and stress are in that category. The only think Sunak can do is to properly tax the rich to pay the poor. Then 7% of the population own 84% of the wealth there's something radically wrong.

The Police can't strike but there are loads leaving due to appalling pay and work conditions. I know of 2 who have left recently, 1 retired asap, and another completed training for train driver whilst still working. More money, less violence and abuse and better work patterns. Can't start as a driver until strike situation resolved though. Because they can't strike what option is left but to leave. Throughout the emergency services we are losing people with lots of experience. It's not always money but recognition and respect for the work they do.

Whitewavemark2

Some of the robot accounts that the government are using to spread false propaganda.

Especially since the RMT is the rail workers Union. ASLEF is the drivers union, though a few drivers are members. ASLEF are not on strike but fewer trains can run due to safety issues. No guards, signalers etc.

As to the automated train that picks up faults, this has been running for years now and is not an issue with the maintenance staff. My partner doesn't miss walking along ballast for miles, there's still plenty of work to do. Too much is contracted out to inexperienced staff. Knowledge and experience is not valued.

Another thing, as 75% of UK railways are owned by foreign companies that use their profits to run their own railways, how much thought do you think they give to the comfort and convenience of UK rail users?
No guards, no catering on trains, unmanned stations anyone? Rant over.

We can’t change what the government did in the past but we do need to find a way forward to ensure that emergency services feel valued again and are paid a living wage. I think the gov giving up some of their privileges - eg subsidised food, then this would be a good start.

We can change what the government did in the past. We simply renationalise utilities and transport, and close the loopholes that allow the very rich and large companies to avoid paying tax.

GrannyGravy13

This will be unpopular but I do not think emergency services should be allowed to strike.

I am not sure what the solution is though.

Everybody has the right to strike, but you seem to be a little confused as to what actually happens when hospital staff, police, firemen or ambulance staff strike.

Obviously none of these people can all go on strike - casualty and intensive care wards are still staffed, ambulances still sent out and police and firemen are working too. Strikes for these people are either a matter of "Work to rule" or of a skeleton staff providing the most needed services and anything that can safely (meaning you won't die if told to wait your turn) will have to do so.

Oh, and midwives will be working too, as you cannot tell a child who has decided that now is the right time to be born, "Just hang on in there a day or too, love."

At the opposite end of life there may well be difficulties, not on attending the dying, but on the funeral arrangements, but these days the dead don't seem to object to waiting an unreasonable amount of time for their obsequies-

vampirequeen

We can change what the government did in the past. We simply renationalise utilities and transport, and close the loopholes that allow the very rich and large companies to avoid paying tax.

We can’t change the past, we can change the future. Unfortunately, not ‘simply’. It will take as long to put right the wrongs of the last twelve years as it took to create them

volver and Blondiescot are on the right lines.

The Government could if they wanted to sort out many of these strikes by just being a bit more realistic and less ideological about bloody profit for their damn mates. But of course they won’t and we will all suffer in the short and medium term until they simply have to have a general election when, hopefully, a more sensible and measured approach might allow a decent Government to start to put right the very serious errors of Cameron, Johnson, Truss and Sunak. (In my opinion May was shafted by her own party)

A close relative called me in a panic because his usually quiet train was standing room only , he is autistic and on the verge of a major meltdown. There was nobody to help , no guard on the train and when he got off at the next stop simply to escape there were no station staff. Trying to get him some assistance was impossible , the rail company telephone lines weren’t being answered so I had to call the transport police. Their response took over an hour.
Managing that situation was fraught .
Now think of the risks of travelling alone when such deficiencies become the norm. The government media machine isn’t telling the truth about the reasons for the strike. Conditions of service and passenger safety should be a priority . Saying the strikes are just about pay is terribly misleading but par for the course with this lot in power.

MyDH ex cop and my DS in job now,have NEVER been allowed to strike! In fact they were never even protected by health and safety laws either!! Only in very late 80/90s were they included! Before that it was " tough " if you came a cropper as a copper!!
After all that , the result is a decimated force filled with mamby pambies who don't want to do nights/ weekends/ don't like wearing uniform footwear/ can't run for toffee ! You wouldn't believe the cr4p allowed in nowadays! All because the job does NOT. Attract decent hard working career people anymore. And no I don't think emergency services should be able to strike,..........unless they're so badly served that it's the ONLY option! ...case rested all those who keep country running/ dockers/ refuse collection/ emergency svcs/ should be the ones paid the big bucks to " attract the very best and keep the talent " as is trudged out when justifying the obscene salaries of those talentless greedy b**gers!

Casdon

vampirequeen

We can change what the government did in the past. We simply renationalise utilities and transport, and close the loopholes that allow the very rich and large companies to avoid paying tax.

We can’t change the past, we can change the future. Unfortunately, not ‘simply’. It will take as long to put right the wrongs of the last twelve years as it took to create them

It is simple. These privatised companies are failing. If/When a utilities/transport company goes bust, instead of spending £billions bailing them out, we simply say, "You're bust and as such your stocks are valueless." Then we take it over and run it as a nationalised company and, as there are no shareholders to pay dividends to, the prices will be cheaper. Most people will go to the cheapest provider and the snowball effect will start.

Volver
Agree with all your comments. I'm married to a railway worker, not involved in the action this time round, but obviously we know the back story and support them fully.
People need to remember that nobody strikes for the hell of it and the full story behind the strike action is never reported by the mainstream media.

Is anyone else feeling guilty that we pensioners are getting a pay rise without having to go on strike for it?! 🤔

TiggyW

Is anyone else feeling guilty that we pensioners are getting a pay rise without having to go on strike for it?! 🤔

Still waiting for my pension

Guilty? Why? My working life was stuffed with mysogyny/ granite ceilings/ sexism/ loss of rank due to female issues/ embarrassing interrogation about my periods and reproductive intentions?/ Sackings due to refusal to sh*gbthe revolting boss(es)!!!! Guilty? No sodding way! I EARNED my less than a blokes pension! When the moaners have worked non stop for 42 years THEN they can have a say! I've got tights older than the whingers wanting to " retire" at 45!!!!

Gabrielle56

Guilty? Why? My working life was stuffed with mysogyny/ granite ceilings/ sexism/ loss of rank due to female issues/ embarrassing interrogation about my periods and reproductive intentions?/ Sackings due to refusal to sh*gbthe revolting boss(es)!!!! Guilty? No sodding way! I EARNED my less than a blokes pension! When the moaners have worked non stop for 42 years THEN they can have a say! I've got tights older than the whingers wanting to " retire" at 45!!!!

AND I've lost £54k+ on the whim of the conservatives being greedy and making me wait another six years than what I was promised and what I PAID FOR!!!!

Those employed in the UK may support the strikes, BUT they tend to forget the extra money all the unions are demanding will come from THEM paying much much higher taxes .....then going on strike again against the soaring cost of living ......no answer ............

The unions are made up of workers . The workers balloted to strike. The unions cannot call a strike without the members voting in favour.

We never see MP’s pay pegged so far below inflation do we? There is always enough money to pay shareholders and CEOs.
Restrctions on bankers bonuses have been lifted. The wealthy still avoid tax with offshore accounts. There IS enough money - it is just thst the people we all depend on are not considered worthy enough for decent wages.
Our doctors’ practice lost a skilled and qualfied nurse because she could earn more money at Tesco!