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It"s one thing when Unite want to get their BA workers out on strike,but when people start messing with my rail travel,!furios!Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ... Is anybody here much affected by rail or flight disruption and generally,what are peoples views on strike action? It seems strange that if I want to go on strike the only person to get punished is me! No doubt the same would apply to many on here so , balanced arguments, for and against,anyone? x

Whenever times are hard there is always a stronger likelihood of industrial action.

When there is near full employment (long time since that happened in this country) people feel safe, because if they leave their job, it's easy enough to get another one. Conversely, when employers are laying people off or changing their working practices, the workforce, already worried about their long-term employment prospects, becomes more militant.

There are many employers who have asked employees to take voluntary cuts in hours worked, wages, etc, but it's quite rare, once the crisis over, for the employer to want to see a return to the way things were before. Lower wage costs during hard times mean even bigger profits when the good times return.

The current strikes by BA cabin staff (not normally a militant bunch of people) and the RMT & TSSA are over proposed redundancies. All the unions involved see industrial action as their last act to try and avoid the redundancies.

BA wish to reduce the number of cabin crew by one as well as cut down on salaries etc. A reduction of one may not seem like much to you and I sat at home, but the level of service many expect from BA (who on the whole are a costlier airline to fly with than most) will be noticed by those who fly with the airline... not least should an emergency occur. Various pundits in the media have pointed out that Virgin fly with fewer and less well paid crew, and used that as a reason as to why BA cabin crew should accept what the management are asking them to do. The one argument you don't hear is that BA cabin crew are well paid BECAUSE they are well represented by their union! The fact that so many of them voted to strike (over 90% of those balloted) and the fact that they are not normally people who strike should make us all think that maybe they have a point!

With regard to the rail strike, I'm not sure I want to see 1,500 fewer people working on the infrastructure of the railways. How would you feel traveling in a train knowing that the line won't have been inspected as regularly as before, or maintained as often as before, and by a smaller workforce forced to keep to schedules designed for a larger workforce? How long will it be before we see another train derail and dozens of people killed because track maintenance wasn't up to standard? Fewer people, working longer and more unsociable hours than before on a network that's already over-burdened doesn't exactly leave me feeling comfortable.

These two strikes are just the beginning of what lies ahead for the next few years. None of the major parties will be honest enough to explain, in the run up to the election, quite how deep the cuts will be that need to be made to reduce the national debt.

One will cut some and try and tax the richest to bring in some revenue. The other will make bigger cuts and expect the poor, who cannot afford to do so, to invest in private schemes to cover health insurance, pensions etc.

Whoever gets in, it won't be pretty. All 3 major parties have said that the NHS and education are "ring fenced" for the next few years, but expect local councils to increase their council tax bills as central government cuts off their funding. Expect to see even greater numbers of soldiers killed due to lack of proper equipment as the armed forces budget gets slashed. Expect to see all sorts of public sector workers go on strike as their numbers get threatened due to redundancies and wage cuts.

But if the Tories get in, expect to see bankers still making loads of money! After all, the piss-poor "light touch" regulation Labour imposed on The City was far too harsh according to the Tories a few years ago... just imagine what a mess we'd be in if they'd been in charge for the last 5 years or so! It doesn't bear thinking about.

After rampant privatisation I think unions are essential for employees to have some kind of say and representation - and for someone to go to who can represent their rights. Am amazed at how many people speak out against strikes because they don't see the bigger picture and just accept that 'times are hard' so you 'just get on with it'. That sort of apathetic thinking leads to longer work hours, no/miniscule pay rises, further responsibilities and more stress. Of course not everyone in a union is whiter than white - the extremists get everywhere - but unions are essential otherwise employees will get exploited. So when I hear about a strike I say good on them.

Well Ill take the civilised non violent last line of defence that is the strike action over a full bloody riot resulting in injuries and loss of life any day.

Its a mega pain inthe arse but it sure tells people they are pissed off without resorting to violent options and also reminds you how important this services are.

Secretease wrote:

> After rampant privatisation ... [SNIP]


You don't want to get me started on what I think of privatisation!!! !furious!

When the gas and electricity market was opened up to all by the Thatcher government, one of the main beneficiaries was the state owned French company EDF.

I find it laughable that the very people who keep complaining about "Brussels" (read that for The European Community in general) encroaching on the British way of life are the very same people who voted Thatcher into power in 1979 and were all for the selling of the "family silver" CUNTS!!!!

If I buy a second had car which is later found to have been stolen, the police will take the car away from me to return it to it's rightful owner and I will have lost any money I paid out.

On this basis, I call for the re-nationalisation of the "stolen" gas, electricity, water, postal, telecommunications and railway industries with no financial compensation to current share holders. The Thatcher government had no right to sell them in the first place. These are services that form the backbone of the country's infrastructure and should therefore be wholly owned by the country and no-one else. I further call upon all members of that government to be stripped of all their assets as fines for being party to the wholesale rape and pillage of this country. For the gross act of theft that they committed, they should all be incarcerated at Her Majesty's Pleasure for the rest of their natural lives. Let that serve as a lesson to any politician who wishes to sell off the nation's wealth to the highest bidder, just to pay for tax cuts for their already wealthy millionaire friends and supporters!

Don't you find it "ironic" that when investment is required in the infrastructure the privatised utilities look to the government to fund it?

e.g. New rail lines, new power stations, extension of broadband.

These plc's are happy to rake off the profits, but don't want to know when any investment is required.

Bastard Thatcher, is she dead yet ?

Cheers guys ... I love reading peoples various views,even if i dont particularly agree (Re strikes, im neither for nor against... on the one hand,im going to be well pissed off having to drive on long journeys as i like to "let the train take the strain" and work on my laptop ... and on the other hand,Id much rather travel knowing i was safe.......Tho Dont get me started on the sometimes appalling shortage of carriages made avialable on certain routes at times... Good points all.. !thumbsup!

"Bastard Thatcher, is she dead yet ?"

No. she is waiting a potential comeback as Minister for Pain in any newly formed Cameron government.

Her mantra will be something on the lines of "No gain without pain" at least when applied to the poor and defenceless. Cameron's fitlhy rich City chums will probably do rather well.

D

Next a Party Political Broadcast on behalf of ?????????? any bets ?

I suppose they will make her son, "Sir" Mark, Foreign Secretary with special responsibility for Africa.

He can arrange to overthrow any government he likes where he thinks he can make a fast buck.

The only way Margaret will die is when someone drives a stake through her heart, or maybe shoots her with a silver bullet.