TUC March 20th October in London & Glasgow

Anyone going?

Is it worthwhile or a waste of time?

As a union member i can see the need to voice disaproval but will the ConDem government take a blind bit of notice?

And would the othe lot be any better if in office?

Questions questions.....

 

I'll be going along as part of being there for. Charlton match.

Went on last one and its not made one bit of difference. Over half a million people went past the Houses of Parliament and no one decided to storm the ****er.

 

Am I right in suggesting union strikes mostly occur when conservatives are in office? The Gmb were fecking useless when I lost my job years ago. Managed to get all the union representatives work elsewhere though

 

It's never worth going to Glasgow!

 

i'll bet you a pound to a penny you were better treated than i was as a non union person (not by choice) we are treat like **** with no voice or input whatsoever.

 

they probably read your posts on here and thought 'why bother with Whitey?'*


* only joking!

Seriously though i do feel you are better in the union than not....i know £17.40 (my subs per month) could be spent on other things but you can make the money back with free will services, discounts etc. Personal choice though i guess whether you join or not.

hth

 

Do you work for an employer where a lot of the workforce are union members or are you one of few or even possibly the only one?

 

No you're not right. I spent more time on strike during the last Labour govt. than anytime since the Miners strike.

 

if thats me you mean then there is no union representation, as when it was proposed, being a minimum wage firm no one could afford the dues they put forward so the union abandoned their recruitment, i get my advice from the labour party meetings

 

Thats shocking from the union i must say...... the workers couldn't afford the subs so they abandoned the said workers..... which union if i may ask as if it's mine i would want answers as to why they couldn't drop the subs price.

so much for solidarity ffs...... just shows even the unions don't give a fek about the low paid.

hth

 

Its a march against this Govts Austerity measures which aren't working. link

The IMF which Osbourne has been happy to use to help prop up his failed Austerity programme has now blamed it on costing the economy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/oct/13/imf-george-osborne-austerity-76bn

 

You must be so proud Scargill is fighting that he should still get all his payments, boy, he must really need it.

 

Why must I be proud whats happening with Scargill and the NUM?? I have no feelings about it and it has nothing to do with me. I ceased being a member of the NUM almost 20 years ago.
I'm on about today, fighting Austerity stategies that are clearly being carried out to fulfil this govt's poltical aim and is harming the economy.

 

I'm not in a union nor is anybody I work with.

 

If a year long miners' strike at a time when we were more dependant on coal couldn't change anything, I can't see what difference a march on a non-working day is likely to achieve.

There is a need to reduce the deficit - to not address this would result in interest payments on government borrowing increasing, meaning that available funds would go to debt servicing, rather than providing vital public services. To continue like the last government did would sooner or later have brought the house in on us - a la Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Greece. On the other hand, clamping down too hard stunts economic growth, meaning that tax revenues fall and the Treasury is left in a downward spiral whereby further cutbacks are needed to make good the shortfall in public revenues. So somewhere between the two lies the best course. Many would agree that big public infrastructure projects bringing their own economic benfits (faster communication, or travel times) could be the smart play, bringing as they do further employment and increased economic activity by those so employed.

As regards strikes, marches and all the rest, these are tired tactics. It's been remarkable how a town like Barnsley has adapted following the demise of the mining industry. People have found a very diverse range of alternative employment routes - some within the town and some by travelling further afield. In this day and age, to develop your knowledge, skills and abilities is the way forward. You can then vote with your feet and take up alternative jobs if you are unhappy with the conditions of your present employment. That is of course provided that the economy is in a decent shape, and that other opportunities exist - which is why debt reduction and growth are the holy grail.

In consequence of the above, to me therefore, union activities ought to be re-focused on assisting members to increase their skills and experience, and also to doing whatever they can to promote economic growth, rather than being stuck in the timewarp of marching and striking. Just a thought, like.

 

Your last paragraph suggests to me you know little of modern day Trade Union activity. I am a Union Learning rep (ULR)and a big part of my remit is to look at ways of bringing additional learning into the workplace which is beneficial to both employer and employee. Often these include basic skills of Numeracy and Literature. These often provide a stepping stone to go onto further things. The number of staff in my branch alone who have gone on to gain promotion or gone into further and/or higher education over the years as a result of using their ULR is brilliant. Go to the Union Learn website and look at the material on there. Also check out various Union's websites. this is not restricted to the public sector. The Baker Union for example are very pro active in Union learning. Our experiences with management regards this is nothing but positive. We also produce great recruitment figures as well.

These Austerity measures aren't working, Indeed, they are damaging the economy more than first believed. Ask the IMF, who this Govt in the past has always used a tool to prop up their Austerity measures. The March on saturday is TU organised but the people in this March are members of the Public.

 

The biggest myth in Britain today - the "need" to reduce the deficit.

 

"a non union person (not by choice)"???

What do you mean? How can you be a non-union person by anything other than choice? Surely if you want to be a union member you just have to join a union.

 

Yes, pass it on for your children and grandchildren to look after, the typical "I'm all right, Jack", philosophy. If Brown & Blair hadn't squandered money in the good times, viz buying votes by inventing non-jobs, 'education, education, education', which really meant lowering standards, starting wars, etc. etc. the government would have been better off to cope with the current crisis.

 

i can't decide whether i am right, left or middle...they are all fekking liars as far as i am concerned......from local level to mp level.

corrupt gits the lot of em

hth