Forum Topic

1.1 Million Unison Members had the opportunity to vote to strike Nov 30th Yet only 245K/22% voted 

As a Nation we are in dire straits and we are all feeling the pinch,irrespective of persons saying that the majority do not want to work, this is a fallacy give us a job and we will work, it was proven when a new company advertised on the Great West Road they had 30 applicants for each job available over 900 applied.The government made a pretty reasonable offer to Public Sector Workers, I mean how many Private Sector Workers get 20 Thousand Pounds a year pension. We will lose many hundreds of millions of pounds all for a one day strike,plus we will all lose out. Will the hierarchy of the unions give say 30k of their salaries to the strike fund will they *ell!They have ensured that they get a fantastic pension all down to their members.Why not talk and discuss the whole deal, it's a bit much that 3.5 million workers should be able to bring our nation to a stand still, I believe that our understanding will wane greatly if hardship transpires because of this forthcoming strike. Talk don't strike.

Dawn Hardy ● 5026d21 Comments

Which compares very favourably with the 21.6% crazy enough to vote for Blair in 2005.

Ian Fillingham ● 5023d

The terms of employment in the private sector for people on ordinary salaries has and continues to change for the worse, I believe. If these people have to pay part of their taxes towards an enhanced final salary scheme for government officers, but cannot afford to fund their own pensions at all or can only get pensions  which nowadays are less generous than final salary schemes, is it surprising that the private sector has woken up to the fact that market employment conditions have changed but not so for government employees?Am not against striking, but do we need this strike? I doubt it will affect bankers bonuses.

George Knox ● 5023d

???

Phil Andrews ● 5024d

Since when have you changed to Lib-Dem!!

Dawn Hardy ● 5024d

Shouldn't the ballot have been taken under an AV system rather than first past the post?After all only 28% of the electorate voted for FPTP at the referendum earlier this year, which surely means 72% favour AV?

Phil Andrews ● 5024d

I really do not think that anyone person is worth such very large salaries and bonuses that includes footballers, however if it means that banks will stay in our capital and deal then unfortunately it will have to stay.

Dawn Hardy ● 5024d

Yes he is a Fat Cat but he (I hope) costs you and I nothing,his wages/pension are paid by the 2 million Unite members. If they are happy then I'm happy,end of really."Union Leaders should only get as much as their members"Agreed if the bankers will accept the same as a teller.

Tony Wood ● 5025d

What would describe the Unite Leader he is on a guaranteed 197 Thousand Pound a year Pension at this moment in time! he by crikey is a very fat cat!!! The rest of them are not far behind,here am I criticising because Public Sector Workers are on 18k at the moment going upto approx.21k,the more they earn the larger the pot! when Private Sector get nothing like and have to pay more. Union Leaders should only get as much as their members.

Dawn Hardy ● 5025d

"I think that if people really want to strike they will take the bother to vote for doing so."I think the same about those that don't want to strike."It is a great pity that a vote by a minority of trade union members can result in a strike that will cause suffering and hardship and loss of income to many."But all of "The Many" will loose a lot more money than a days pay,if they don't contest the Governments plans won't they? We are talking reduced pensions here,how happy would you be in that situation?You're party will have to do something to rein in the "Fat Cats" renumeration/tax fiddles before I loose my sympathy for the NHS workers,I doubt I'm alone.

Tony Wood ● 5025d

I think that if people really want to strike they will take the bother to vote for doing so. It can't be too difficult. And it is about very important issues that affect them personally.  It is a great pity that a vote by a minority of trade union members can result in a strike that will cause suffering and hardship and loss of income to many.

David Giles ● 5025d

100 people hold your life in their hands 22 vote to keep you alive 78 don't vote for you so you are put down hey that's okay cos they didn't have to vote to prove a point!!!

Dawn Hardy ● 5025d

Perhaps those fool's were sick to death of 13 years of a corrupt Labour government who brought us to our knees!

Dawn Hardy ● 5025d

David also convieniently "assumes" that the 78% who didn't vote were all anti strike action,that's very unlikely.  So it seems to me he was either spinning and treating us like idiots or he's just a bit that way himself.

Tony Wood ● 5026d

Around 10.7 million fools voted Conservative in the 2010 General Election. To  their credit, nearly 35 million British voters had the common sense not to vote for this party of greedy, self-serving crooks. Of those who voted nearly two thirds did not vote for the Tories. It is to the credit of the British people that over three quarters of them were not prepared to give Cameron a mandate.And you call this "democracy" Mr Giles yet attack the unions for using a system in which the decision is determined by the support of the majority who vote?

John Connelly ● 5026d

Also local councillors are often elected with as few as 10% of those eligible to vote having supported them.

Phil Andrews ● 5026d

By using your strange logic,I suppose the 35% of people who didn't vote in the last election,should be the ruling party as we are far more sensible than those that did vote.

Tony Wood ● 5026d

It follows therefore that the vast majority of Unison members are sensible people who don't want to strike.

David Giles ● 5026d

No chance - that is an exclusive club.

Vanessa Smith ● 5026d

Ah but there's always the chance that Josephine Soap can work hard and join their ranks......isn't there?

Tony Wood ● 5026d

By reminding Brentford's arch Tory and apologist for David Cameron that this governnment were only elected by a majority of the minority who bothered to go and vote. They haven't even got a proper mandate either, so quite where the resident motormouth gets her bonkers ideas I have no idea. The public sector is an easy target for the government, they do not have wonderful pensions in spite of what people imagine, and they are being cr*pped on from a great height by an idealogically driven bunch of rich boys who haven't a bloody clue. Good Luck to all the unions - ordinary people have had a gut-full - hence the protest outside St. Pauls and all around the world, yet still our political masters just don't get it.

Vanessa Smith ● 5026d

Where the hell do you start with that?

Tony Wood ● 5026d