Are the TUC now out of touch?

[dave50]

The only people that are in unions these days are those working in the public sector. So for them to be planning strikes and civil disobedience in order to protect their pensions and jobs which I pay for through my exhorbitant taxes I find disgusting. They will get no support whatsoever from those working in the private sector as it's they who pay for it all.

[B00]

In whichever company ive worked for I've always opted out of joining the union. I've never ever seen the point of them. The 5 pound odd a month is way better in my pocket than in some fat cat union bosses thank you very much!

[Old_Geezer]

The customer always pays for the products or service they get. No point in finding it disgusting what the person you paid allocates the money to.

Folk have a right to protest at agreements being changed without their say so. If it is more difficult in the private sector then that just shows what unfair restrictions the private employee has to endure.

Folk who hold different viewpoints to yourself are not necessarily the ones 'out of touch'.

[jd_here]

What a wise old sage you are old_geezer

[Bobbisox]

BOO, I agree 100%, the unions have no clout at all now and to consider striking now would be totally pointless, not for the reasons Dave has given about paying taxes but because there is no money in the pot and who are they hurting ?
Joe Public

[B00]

"No point in finding it disgusting what the person you paid allocates the money to."

There is every point. I'd resent my fiver a month going towards a union bosses new swimming pool or sending his offspring to private school, hence why I refuse to join a union.

What strange concept OG, im sure you'd also resent it if money you paid towards one service was being used for something else entirely, willing to bet the above mentioned fiver that you wouldn't say "what's the point?"

[jd_here]

Unions are not all about striking. I have been a Union member all my working life and have never lost an hour through industrial action. On the other hand, when I was unfairly treated at work the Union fought my case and won. I don't advocate wildcat strikes, but I do support a persons right to withdraw their labour under certain circumstances. By the way, no mention of 'fat cat' CEO's and bankers milking the systems!

[Sqad]

Nothing new here as it is the function of the public sector Unions to " bat" on behalf of their members.....that is what they do and what they are paid to do.

The general economic state of the country is purely secondary in the eyes of the Unions and any downside of the economy is seen as due to inadequacies of the bosses of the private sector, sometimes accurate and sometimes inaccurate.

The Unions will flex their muscles............no doubt about it.

[sandyRoe]

'We're all in this together...' The fat-cat bankers and the ordinary workers. I wonder who will feel the pinch the most?

[Bobbisox]

us, as usual sandy :-(

[jake-the-peg]

So quick question

Was this current financial disaster caused by those working in the private sector or by those working in the public sector?

Why should those working in the public sector be made to pay for the greed of those working in the private sector - who took stupid risks to "earn" fat piles of cash and then turned around and blackmailed the country when it all went wrong?

[BrainsTracy]

The whole union movement is out of touch, they had a purpose a century ago, now they are simply a bunch of communists who think the world owes them them a living.

[DrFilth]

>> I agree 100%, the unions have no clout at all now and to consider striking now <<

some have more clout than others

after many years last week i stopped my union membership this was after they had put the donation fee up to more than double

look what has happened after the mad women got her own way , people now work on sundays and bank holidays for single time minimum wage. you can't blame the unions for low pay



http://www.dailymail....-prevent-strikes.html

[Bobbisox]

Dr F, don't get me wrong here, I know what has happened but really can not see strike action in this climate, helping at all

[jake-the-peg]

And the Tories tried to block even minimum wage!

As I recall it was going to cause the collapse of the hotel industry

[DrFilth]

read the link bobbi

[owdhamer]

Whilst strikes are imconvenient they are a democratic right. I have been on strike several times in the past, won some, lost some.

[jackthehat]

Every employee has a democratic right to withdraw their labour if they are unhappy about 'conditions'........unfortunately, many Union Leaders appear to call strikes on an ideological basis.

[DrFilth]

>> hard day's work never hurt anyone <<

this was probably written in the old days when only the rich had pen and paper and the person who wrote it had never lifted up a pick in his life

without the unions people would still be working 12 hour days six days a week

and bring in your own coal if you want some heat in the workplace

[Sqad]

///So quick question ///

The answer is not as simple as your as your "quick question" would suggest.

To lay the blame of the recession, totally on the banks and bankers is naive, although they did have a large part to play as the flagship of the private sector.
The public sector had Labour as it's flagship and spent money that it hadn't got on the NHS, Education and other financial "necessities"

Yes, the fat cats, the bankers didn't perform well, made significant mistakes, but the Government of the late 90's and the first decade of 2000 must take it's share of the blame.

[DrFilth]

sqad if i made a mistake at work i faced the sack , strange when the bankers made a very big mistake they still get a big bonus