island trade unions/30 November strike

[penfold]

I too will be inconveinced by the strike but I support those striking's right to remove their labour to show their resolve to stand up to a change in their employment terms they don't want to accept.

 

People will work longer in the private sector I hear some cry so why should public sector workers get a better pension, instead of hauling those with a better employment deal down to the level suffered in the private sector it should behove those in the private sector to try and achieve the better standards.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15842063

[shetlandpeat]

Folk have had enough warnings on the date, that is why the unions announce it so early on.

 

If you look at all the things you now take for granted that will be hit with this action, perhaps you will understand that it is a good proportion of the population.

 

I have had my pay cut 5 times in the last 3 years, now they want to cut it again and make me have a pension so small that I will have to claim additional benefits for a reasonable standard of living.

 

It still amazes me how many folk do not have pension provision, you could say that they are the blight of the private pension schemes.

 

I will be on strike, it is shameful that folk who do not stick together will attack those who do.

[Urabug]

It still amazes me how many folk do not have pension provision, you could say that they are the blight of the private pension schemes.

 

 

Shetlandpeat----- why would You be surprised as there are many people employed earning so little that there is no way they could fund any pension fund. They can hardly survive as it is far less agree to further deductions .

[shetlandpeat]

Thanks for that.

 

Many folk working for public bodies are not on great remunerations, yet they are expected to pay more, work longer for less.

The point shows that living nowadays is a costly business, houses cost 8 times more than a person earns in a year in many cases, it used to be 3 - 4 times.

 

As mentioned previously, the current pension market is not geared for the lower paid, there are schemes available, but as you say, folk cannot afford them. The point now is that those with no pension provision and who work should have a contribution made by their employer. Especially as many national and international companies are still in healthy profit.

 

If more were in a pension scheme, there would be more money to make from interest. However, current Treasury advice is to limit investments to 3 months, and councils and other schemes are sticking with the part nationalised banks as they are bonded by you and me. Some investments too are on call and earn less than 1%.

 

Due to the world wide economic picture, there is little investment.

 

If the lower paid were able to contribute, then this would improve the situation, I believe.

 

One more point is one part of the current GOV limited folk in how much they were allowed to pay into a scheme. You could bank holidays into the scheme and of course increase your subs to give you a better outlook. This was done in the 80s. They did not stop folk retiring early, when their funds realised enough for them to sustain themselves, some were retiring at 50. The last GOV did increase the age to 65 when you could draw a Public Pension.

 

It is right that folk fight to maintain what they signed up for.

 

There are councils who do not support the scheme the GOV want to introduce, LCC being one of them. The minutes from the pension committee are there for public scrutiny.

[JustMe]

Meanwhile I have heard the government muttering about passing new laws to restrict strikes to those where 50% of the union's membership has voted for a strike. Not 50% of those voting but 50% of the membership. Going to be hard to get that sort of result since every member not voting will in a way have voted against a strike. Even those on their sick bed and perhaps even those who are dead!.

 

Look out for legal challenges whenever the result is close as in British Airways strike breaking. And be warned that the legislation will have enough teeth to bankrupt a union caught breaking the rules. Quite why Maggie Thatcher did not do this I do not know but I am convinced that unions challenging this government will knot know what has hit them.

[icepick239]

Surely Brian Smith of UNISON, in receiving yet another personal e-mail from Davey Thomason in Australia must find this embarrassingly unwelcome - (or does he)

After all, it was Davey himself, once more seeking some sort of personal on-going recognition, who also sent it for publication in the Readers Views of the Shetland Times of 25th November, 2011....

It should be recognised, that Wednesday will be extremely disruptive, but probably more to the liking of the above mentioned, rather than to the people who will be directly or indirectly involved....

Using terminology such as Comrades, Solidarity, Brothers and Sisters, shows how some haven't adapted to Britain 2011.

 

A selected history lesson...

The Seamans strike 1966....only a handful of British Crews left in 2011.

The Miners Strike 1984........only a handful of Pits working in Britain.

[penfold]

 

A selected history lesson...

The Seamans strike 1966....only a handful of British Crews left in 2011.

The Miners Strike 1984........only a handful of Pits working in Britain.

 

Not withstanding the miriad of factors in both disputes how would you have kept both those examples in the forefront of world competition in the face of factors such as subsidised competition and out sourcing to countries with lower standards of living and conditions relative to those expected by the majority of citizens in this country, both those who work and contribute and those who don't?

 

If the country is to return to victorian "Laissez-faire" regulation then there will be alot more feeling the "wind of change" than there is at the moment.

[shetlandpeat]

A few cash facts for you to digest...

 

In March, the GDP was £1,520 Trillion---6th in the world

 

Against GDP, our debt is 60% in 1945 261% in 1960 133%

 

In 2008/9 our GDP fell by 10%, now, £100bn tax loss due to unemployment, deficit prior to recession £38bn, after £145bn.

 

Projected 2010 tax take £620bn, it was £520bn.

 

Thatcher paid £174m/day interest, currently it stands at £120m.

 

Now then... the nitty gritty

 

The deficit can only be reduced by cuts we are told..

 

Growth oct 2009 to Mar 2010 was 1.5%

The forecast deficit in March 2010 was £167bn, it actually was £145bn

 

So, it was reduced by £22bn

 

Bankers, the lot of them...

 

The value of the bank bail out was £995bn, which was 100% of our GDP costing us £5bn a year.

 

The GOV is borrowing to finance the bail out, which is 6.5 times bigger than the national deficit.

 

 

If the banks were to cut some of the bonus which was £7bn that would probably be enough to reduce the cuts. On top of forcing the banks to pay back sooner, I think the cuts could be managed, they certainly are not being well managed now.

 

The banking crisis, started by sub-prime mortgages by the USA and the greed of bankers and other money folk brought this to a head. In theory, the money was never there, the assets were worth far less than the promise note written to pay for them.

 

Regardless of who or what got us here though, if a hard working Mam and Dad were to make cuts in their household budgets, they would not starve the kids to do it. Unless of course they were Blue.

[MuckleJoannie]

It still amazes me how many folk do not have pension provision, you could say that they are the blight of the private pension schemes.

 

 

Shetlandpeat----- why would You be surprised as there are many people employed earning so little that there is no way they could fund any pension fund. They can hardly survive as it is far less agree to further deductions .

 

The government has legislation in place to enrol all workers not already in a pension scheme in one from 2012 onwards.

 

http://www.pensionsreform.co.uk/summary.htm

[shetlandpeat]

Forced into a pension. Cannot be worse than forcing the unemployed to work for less than the minimum wage. Good way to get the volunteers they were relying on.

 

1,000,000 more unemployed, that is far too many. They will end up paying proportionally more tax.

[icepick239]

A selected history lesson...

The Seamans strike 1966....only a handful of British Crews left in 2011.

The Miners Strike 1984........only a handful of Pits working in Britain.

Not withstanding the miriad of factors in both disputes how would you have kept both those examples in the forefront of world competition in the face of factors such as subsidised competition and out sourcing to countries with lower standards of living and conditions relative to those expected by the majority of citizens in this country, both those who work and contribute and those who don't?

If the country is to return to victorian "Laissez-faire" regulation then there will be alot more feeling the "wind of change" than there is at the moment.

As you say, a myriad of factors...

Funny how you mention the 'Wind of Change'

But you neglected to mention the serious influence of Communism in regard to the Seamans' Strike of 1966...

This was stated by Harold Wilson, Prime Minister in an Emergency Session in the House of Commons...

[paulb]

not sure there is much of that political view amongst the public sector workers. well apart from one well known comrade.

[penfold]

As you say, a myriad of factors...

Funny how you mention the 'Wind of Change'

But you neglected to mention the serious influence of Communism in regard to the Seamans' Strike of 1966...

This was stated by Harold Wilson, Prime Minister in an Emergency Session in the House of Commons...

 

There was indeed allegations of communist agitation with the NUS, though you forgot to mention the main goals of the strike were to reduce their working week from 56hrs to 40 hrs and to acheive a better pay settlement. Which even the non communists amongst us would say were worthy ideals.

 

You can argue that those aims eventually led to the demise of the British merchant marine, but you could argue that the competition from countries where there were no legislation on pay or working hours was the ultimate demise as ship owners and shareholders sought a massive reduction in labour costs by sourcing crews from these area's.

[Quarffie]

28 November 2011 PR 13/11

 

Coastguard and Emergency cover on 30 November - Strike Day

 

On November the 30th 27 unions will be taking strike action over pensions, job cuts aand pay, the Con-Dem coalition government’s cuts agenda is damaging the services we deliver and everyone in society relies on. Their policies are designed to cut hundreds of thousands of public sector jobs, cut services, attack public sector workers pensions, and freeze public sector pay for two years.

 

Despite the successful community campaign to keep the Shetland Coastguard station open, our jobs, terms and conditions are not safe as public services are being slashed. Everything we have worked for is under threat: our pay is frozen while inflation soars, we are being told too pay higher contributions for a smaller pension and to work longer, and this governmennt has ripped up civil service redundancy terms.

PCS members are taking strike action to demonstrate their opposition to these attacks and to show support for the union’s attempts to reach a negotiated settlement, in particular: no detrimental changes to pensions and the civil service compensation scheme, an end to the pay freeze and fair pay for all.

 

As an emergency service at the heart of the Orkney and Shetland community the officers of Shetland Coastguard feel that we cannot leave the seas, coast and islands without adequate cover. Although we fully support the PCS and other unions taking strike action we would like to make it known that we will not be taking strike action ourselves;

Instead, in support of our union colleagues, Shetland Coastguard PCS members we will be taking action short of a strike beginning at 8pm on Tuesday (29th) until 8pm on Wednesday, during this period we will only provide Distress and safety cover to vessels and persons at sea or on the coast, all other routine duties will be suspended.

 

~ Shetland Coastguard PCS

[JustMe]

Well done the coastguard. Be hard for them to sit and watch a disaster at sea while remaining on strike so best say in advance that they are providing emergency cover.

 

Same goes for the ferry crews and the gritter crews (although somehow I think they will have their strike in peace this time).

 

Just a pity that we cannot lock the union leaders and the bosses (in this case the government) in a room until they can come to an agreement that avoids a strike with the inconvenience it causes to the public and the workers who will lose pay by striking. In fact a pity they cannot be locked in a room with a limited supply of food and drink and small chemical toilets and not be allowed out until they come to an agreement.