Do you want to discuss boring politics? (297 Viewers)

Terry Gibson's perm

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Rcn union to strike first time in their 106 year history, my wife has sent hers in for unison to strike
 

D

Deleted member 5849

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Not sure as it didn’t say.

My wife has just messaged me delighted saying it’s great news.
Worrying though isn't it, that we get to this point.

Worrying for those of us who have people in that care system who depend on nurses, too. To be clear, I'm not suggesting they're wrong to strike etc. just that it's worrying!
 

Terry Gibson's perm

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Such a big statement about the state of the country. I’m old enough to remember the 70’s and how bad that was but the nurses didn’t strike even then.


My wife has been a nurse for 20 years and at the start said she would never strike but after years of people taking the piss on wages she has changed. Even her pension which was final salary got taken away and we looked back at an old wage slip and her pension contributions were 4% they are now over 9%.
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
Worrying though isn't it, that we get to this point.

Worrying for those of us who have people in that care system who depend on nurses, too. To be clear, I'm not suggesting they're wrong to strike etc. just that it's worrying!


They will strike but won’t take risks with patient care.
The nhs is desperate it’s full of people earning decent money but making no difference.

My wife had a job that they messed about with so it became a band 2 job but she was doing it as a band 5 and when my wife got bored and moved into something else they replaced her with a band 6, it was two hours of work a day which she did from home.
 

skybluetony176

Well-Known Member
My wife has been a nurse for 20 years and at the start said she would never strike but after years of people taking the piss on wages she has changed. Even her pension which was final salary got taken away and we looked back at an old wage slip and her pension contributions were 4% they are now over 9%.
Very selfish. Did she not see Tory MP’s clap for them on their doorsteps? 😀
 
D

Deleted member 5849

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They will strike but won’t take risks with patient care.
Unfortunately I can't see a way around that, though. As it is, the NHS needs more staff (my Mum was stuck in an ambulance outside casualty for half a day the other week). By definition withdrawing needed labour will cause issues.

Again, I don't blame nurses for that.
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
I do almost wonder if the current direction of economic travel and its consequences are preferable to the Government in dealing with the perceived uptick of essential workers value over the suits examplified through the pandemic?

Edit :eek:f course if you're going to be malnourished through your efforts anyway why bother working.
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately I can't see a way around that, though. As it is, the NHS needs more staff (my Mum was stuck in an ambulance outside casualty for half a day the other week). By definition withdrawing needed labour will cause issues.

Again, I don't blame nurses for that.


A lot of that is coming from the hospital not being able to get people out of the beds and into other locations quickly enough so it’s causing a back log in the whole system.
 

Philosoraptor

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately I can't see a way around that, though. As it is, the NHS needs more staff (my Mum was stuck in an ambulance outside casualty for half a day the other week). By definition withdrawing needed labour will cause issues.

Again, I don't blame nurses for that.

Totally agree, hopefully the Govt will get their heads out of each other's asses and sort this out before the strike action happens.

If you're left with no other options but to strike, then it is a must.
 

skybluetony176

Well-Known Member
I have to say I’ve supported all the recent strikes. The purpose feels bigger than just them fighting their own corners. Regardless of how difficult the government has tried to make it for them to strike they’ve cleared every hurdle, and convincingly too with high turnouts and extremely clear majorities in favour of action. Trade union membership has been growing exponentially the last few years also.

It’s like the old saying goes. You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
Rcn union to strike first time in their 106 year history, my wife has sent hers in for unison to strike
So probably only a few days from the govt blaming them for the entire health care crisis and endangering lives with their excessive demands.

Wasn't that long ago they were saying how vital they were and clapping them on their doorsteps...
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Rcn union to strike first time in their 106 year history, my wife has sent hers in for unison to strike

Not all over the country, just in the districts where turnout met the threshold. Teachers' strike ballot not doing great on turnout so far, but a long way to go till the deadline.

Interesting time to be a union rep
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
Not all over the country, just in the districts where turnout met the threshold. Teachers' strike ballot not doing great on turnout so far, but a long way to go till the deadline.

Interesting time to be a union rep

Saw that a bit later but still a lot of areas.

Crazy that people are not voting either way and then those people will be the first to moan if it doesn’t go their way.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Saw that a bit later but still a lot of areas.

Crazy that people are not voting either way and then those people will be the first to moan if it doesn’t go their way.

Most don’t realise how tight the anti union laws are. The ballot has to be postal and even if you win, the turnout has to be at least 50%. If we held local elections to the same standard even with ballot stations most councillors wouldn’t get elected.

If you jump through those hoops and get enough numbers, you then have to give 2 weeks notice of strike days and only 6 union members are allowed to be on the picket at once. Yet the Tories want to go even further than these rules to the point where striking would practically be illegal in all but name
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
Most don’t realise how tight the anti union laws are. The ballot has to be postal and even if you win, the turnout has to be at least 50%. If we held local elections to the same standard even with ballot stations most councillors wouldn’t get elected.

If you jump through those hoops and get enough numbers, you then have to give 2 weeks notice of strike days and only 6 union members are allowed to be on the picket at once. Yet the Tories want to go even further than these rules to the point where striking would practically be illegal in all but name

What’s the picket line bit about? Seems randomly arbitrary. Not that it all isn’t but that in particular. How do they even police that?
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
What’s the picket line bit about? Seems randomly arbitrary. Not that it all isn’t but that in particular. How do they even police that?

Two reasons, firstly to make it look weaker and secondly to prevent harassment of strike breakers. Which as Mick Lynch said before is nonsense as all you do is ask the strike breaker not to cross but if they do then you let them through.

In practice the other unions in a given area will send their members as ‘bystanders’ to boost the numbers on the picket and show support. I went to a few RMT pickets in that capacity in the summer. If you try to break the rules there are inspectors and of course anyone in the general public who can report it to police and your picket is shut down.

When you look at how far the law goes on this and other union issues you can really see how cynical the Conservatives are about the rights of the working people they claim to champion.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
Two reasons, firstly to make it look weaker and secondly to prevent harassment of strike breakers. Which as Mick Lynch said before is nonsense as all you do is ask the strike breaker not to cross but if they do then you let them through.

In practice the other unions in a given area will send their members as ‘bystanders’ to boost the numbers on the picket and show support. I went to a few RMT pickets in that capacity in the summer. If you try to break the rules there are inspectors and of course anyone in the general public who can report it to police and your picket is shut down.

When you look at how far the law goes on this and other union issues you can really see how cynical the Conservatives are about the rights of the working people they claim to champion.

Sunak in PMQs claiming the Tories are on the side of working people because Labour support strikes was certainly a take.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Sunak in PMQs claiming the Tories are on the side of working people because Labour support strikes was certainly a take.

Look into the laws on union recognition. I bet he doesn’t even know what the term means but to me they are worse than the rules on strikes.
 

JAM See

Well-Known Member
Two reasons, firstly to make it look weaker and secondly to prevent harassment of strike breakers. Which as Mick Lynch said before is nonsense as all you do is ask the strike breaker not to cross but if they do then you let them through.

In practice the other unions in a given area will send their members as ‘bystanders’ to boost the numbers on the picket and show support. I went to a few RMT pickets in that capacity in the summer. If you try to break the rules there are inspectors and of course anyone in the general public who can report it to police and your picket is shut down.

When you look at how far the law goes on this and other union issues you can really see how cynical the Conservatives are about the rights of the working people they claim to champion.
As someone currently between jobs, I'd happily be a civilian bystander on an RCN picket line, if I was welcome.

How do I sign up?
 

cowboy1850

Well-Known Member
I know it's only part of the issue but money wastage needs sorting out.
If there are people in the NHS, teaching, universities, councils who are happy to take £50k + a year and do as little as possible then there's clearly something wrong. Public sector pay should be related to visible performance. There are middle managers in the NHS who take home £50k + a year and all they can do is come up with shit ideas like team coffee mornings.
Suppliers is another big money wastage issue. Why is the NHS renting furniture from companies for thousands of pounds a week when it's probably cheaper to buy it outright?
The gravy train has to be derailed but that involves the people at the top curtailing their greed. Going to happen anytime soon?
 

cowboy1850

Well-Known Member
What I'm trying to say is that pumping millions more £'s isn't the best way. Redistributing it out better so the nurses are deservedly paid better, and we have less top-end earners and middle managers hiding behind desks or working from home.
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
I know it's only part of the issue but money wastage needs sorting out.
If there are people in the NHS, teaching, universities, councils who are happy to take £50k + a year and do as little as possible then there's clearly something wrong. Public sector pay should be related to visible performance. There are middle managers in the NHS who take home £50k + a year and all they can do is come up with shit ideas like team coffee mornings.
Suppliers is another big money wastage issue. Why is the NHS renting furniture from companies for thousands of pounds a week when it's probably cheaper to buy it outright?
The gravy train has to be derailed but that involves the people at the top curtailing their greed. Going to happen anytime soon?
While I'm in agreement that there is wastage (there is everywhere, including the private sector) you have to look at why a lot of these inefficiencies are there.

Who chooses to employ largely unimportant middle managers on overly inflated salaries rather than paying frontline staff like nurses, porters etc. more? Bureaucrats creating jobs for people like themselves who have an overly inflated sense of their worth and importance. And that starts at the very top in Whitehall and Westminster.

It's almost impressive how ministers can keep on having a go at things like the NHS when many of it's problems are caused by them, either through lack of funding or poor utilisation of what they've got. Yet they seem to be able to disassociate themselves from it in the minds of the electorate.

As for stuff like renting, in some instances it can be worthwhile because the items become obsolete very quickly, but often it's just scratching the backs of their friends - give contracts to those you know so they can make a pretty penny out of public funds. They know they could do it more efficiently.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
I know it's only part of the issue but money wastage needs sorting out.
If there are people in the NHS, teaching, universities, councils who are happy to take £50k + a year and do as little as possible then there's clearly something wrong. Public sector pay should be related to visible performance. There are middle managers in the NHS who take home £50k + a year and all they can do is come up with shit ideas like team coffee mornings.
Suppliers is another big money wastage issue. Why is the NHS renting furniture from companies for thousands of pounds a week when it's probably cheaper to buy it outright?
The gravy train has to be derailed but that involves the people at the top curtailing their greed. Going to happen anytime soon?

Ah yes those overly paid lazy public sector employees 😂

Since I moved to industry I earn far more for far less work.
 

stupot07

Well-Known Member
I know it's only part of the issue but money wastage needs sorting out.
If there are people in the NHS, teaching, universities, councils who are happy to take £50k + a year and do as little as possible then there's clearly something wrong. Public sector pay should be related to visible performance. There are middle managers in the NHS who take home £50k + a year and all they can do is come up with shit ideas like team coffee mornings.
Suppliers is another big money wastage issue. Why is the NHS renting furniture from companies for thousands of pounds a week when it's probably cheaper to buy it outright?
The gravy train has to be derailed but that involves the people at the top curtailing their greed. Going to happen anytime soon?
You're having a laugh arent you. Iess than 5-10 max% of people in the NHS, teaching, universities, councils get paid £50k+ a year. And they certainly don't do as little as possible. You need to stop reading the daily mail.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
I know it's only part of the issue but money wastage needs sorting out.
If there are people in the NHS, teaching, universities, councils who are happy to take £50k + a year and do as little as possible then there's clearly something wrong. Public sector pay should be related to visible performance. There are middle managers in the NHS who take home £50k + a year and all they can do is come up with shit ideas like team coffee mornings.
Suppliers is another big money wastage issue. Why is the NHS renting furniture from companies for thousands of pounds a week when it's probably cheaper to buy it outright?
The gravy train has to be derailed but that involves the people at the top curtailing their greed. Going to happen anytime soon?
The problem is the wrong people are earning the money and it's those same people, the ones at the top on big salaries, who are charged with implementing any cuts. They aren't going to turn round and say their own job isn't needed so you end up with cuts to the frontline workers.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
I know it's only part of the issue but money wastage needs sorting out.
If there are people in the NHS, teaching, universities, councils who are happy to take £50k + a year and do as little as possible then there's clearly something wrong. Public sector pay should be related to visible performance. There are middle managers in the NHS who take home £50k + a year and all they can do is come up with shit ideas like team coffee mornings.
Suppliers is another big money wastage issue. Why is the NHS renting furniture from companies for thousands of pounds a week when it's probably cheaper to buy it outright?
The gravy train has to be derailed but that involves the people at the top curtailing their greed. Going to happen anytime soon?
Clueless

NHS rents furniture because it doesn't have the capital to buy it, simple really.
 

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