Lancashire council staff vote for industrial action (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Sack the lot of them. There are plenty of people available to take their place. Don't they realise times are tough.

A Darener wrote:
Sack the lot of them. There are plenty of people available to take their place. Don't they realise times are tough.

So you'd happily accept a 15% pay cut and be told you that you have to pay for the priviledge of parking your car at work despite the fact that you need to use it several times per day in order to do your job? Oh, and by the way, none of this applies to your managers or directors. The people worst affected by this are those at the lower end of the pay scale, not those already on inflated wages with great pension packages etc. The vast majority of people have accepted that there has to be big spending cuts - but they need to be fair and across the board.

Pay cut = job.....
strikes= unemployment.
Take your pick.
Unforunately life isn't fair , the very people making the decisions are the ones that should go, but obviously they won't put themselves out of work. It is up to the Government to sort them out by changing Local government policy. The sooner the better.

A Darener wrote:
Pay cut = job.....
strikes= unemployment.
Take your pick.
Unforunately life isn't fair , the very people making the decisions are the ones that should go, but obviously they won't put themselves out of work. It is up to the Government to sort them out by changing Local government policy. The sooner the better.

it's not a strike - read the article again. What do you do for a ling then?

Nicco71 wrote:

A Darener wrote:
Pay cut = job.....
strikes= unemployment.
Take your pick.
Unforunately life isn't fair , the very people making the decisions are the ones that should go, but obviously they won't put themselves out of work. It is up to the Government to sort them out by changing Local government policy. The sooner the better.

it's not a strike - read the article again. What do you do for a ling then?

sorry - meant to say 'living'

Nicco71 wrote:

Nicco71 wrote:

A Darener wrote: Pay cut = job..... strikes= unemployment. Take your pick. Unforunately life isn't fair , the very people making the decisions are the ones that should go, but obviously they won't put themselves out of work. It is up to the Government to sort them out by changing Local government policy. The sooner the better.

it's not a strike - read the article again. What do you do for a ling then?

sorry - meant to say 'living'

I stand corrected. Getting ahead of myself, only a matter of time before it escalates. I am at home caring for my severely handicapped adult daughter, unpaid, apart from a miserly carers allowance.

if u took a 25% pay cut you would still be on more than me,

Suck it up or visit the joke shop - sorry job centre.

burty basset wrote:
if u took a 25% pay cut you would still be on more than me,

If you receive less than 24p/hour then I suggest you see your boss. My "wage" is controlled by the Government who see fit not to allow me the minimum wage.

I hate this argument of if you want to strike then you should leave your job, as though people should be thankful to just have a job in the current climate. The vast majority of people in work are actually currently grateful for that fact however, in the current climate, with unemployment soaring, your rights as an employee are not diminished, nor is there a right for employers to diminish your wages/benefits/worki
ng conditions; I for one admire those workforces who are in the priviliged position of being represented in their entirity by a union and being in the position where they can actually exercise their right to withdraw their labour; their are many many more employees who are taken advantage of who are not! I appreciate the need to address our national debt however, the government are going about it in completely the wrong way, why not start by addressing those costs which it makes common sense to cut, but no, they make the working class pay and not the middle or upper classes at all, why am I surprised, this is after all a Tory government! Also, just because someone may be paid more than you are, does not automatically mean that they are paid fairly for the job they do!

a fantastic response by the union members. A full strike is useless as we are all told to cancel appointments on that day, so in therory there is little comeback from the public. Refusing to use your own transport and working to rule is the way to go. I really hope that other unions take note as this will really effect productivity without compromising your job

A Darener wrote:

Nicco71 wrote:

Nicco71 wrote:

A Darener wrote: Pay cut = job..... strikes= unemployment. Take your pick. Unforunately life isn't fair , the very people making the decisions are the ones that should go, but obviously they won't put themselves out of work. It is up to the Government to sort them out by changing Local government policy. The sooner the better.

it's not a strike - read the article again. What do you do for a ling then?

sorry - meant to say 'living'

I stand corrected. Getting ahead of myself, only a matter of time before it escalates. I am at home caring for my severely handicapped adult daughter, unpaid, apart from a miserly carers allowance.

I agree with what your saying over the caring of your duaghter and have every syphathy for you if they are words I can use.However these workers have the right to take industrial action and strike if neccesary. Nicco is correct its those workers on the bottom end of the pay scale not the fat cats we often read about now if any one needs sacking its generally these greedy people.

So, these workers are unjustified in not being paid for using their vehicle for work and for working weekends for no remuneration?
.
So, A Darener, would you be happy if your employer said you will work weekends at normal time as well as your normal working week and because you have to drive to do your job you will have to pay the petrol for doing so?
.
Or is your employer JSA?

slackerbtch wrote:
So, these workers are unjustified in not being paid for using their vehicle for work and for working weekends for no remuneration? . So, A Darener, would you be happy if your employer said you will work weekends at normal time as well as your normal working week and because you have to drive to do your job you will have to pay the petrol for doing so? . Or is your employer JSA?

No! I am not employed by anybody other than my daughter who depends on me 24 hours a day seven days a week, and as stated above I am "employed" by the Government at 32p/hour to do it. Since my wife died 6 years ago I have not had a holiday without my daughter or a life of my own since.

Unfortunate as your circumstances may be, this is not the fault of those at the lower end of the pay scale at lancashire county council, nor will the cuts in their wages result in more money in your pocket - if the money you are being given to care for your daughter is not enough for you both to live off then you should contact the appropriate people in power/charities who may be able to help you instead of griping at people sticking up for those who fight for their rights through industrial action; your comments suggest you resent your circumstances, in which case i would suggest that you seek help

A Darener, nelson claret is right, contact BwD social services customer liason team on 01254 587547 and ask for a carers assessment.

your granny wrote:
A Darener, nelson claret is right, contact BwD social services customer liason team on 01254 587547 and ask for a carers assessment.

Hi! Granny, don't teach me to suck eggs! Do you think I haven't done any of that. Been at it for over 30 years.

To get back to the original topic. It is because of the overstaffed councils, with their "non-jobs" that makes it harder for everybody else to save. More and more of the percentage of a persons wage goes to pay the local councils who employ all these people in positions that if it were a private employer would have gone out of business years ago.

If you have, then i think you are talking tripe and feeding us a bull sob story about your 24p/hr. If your daughter is seriously disabled you should be entitled to respite, day services, and/or home care so please don't tell me to suck eggs when you are flinging bull about just to justify your narrow minded, BITTER, comments about hard working people. if you don't have these options, then i stand by my well meaning comment about contact social services but as far as I'm concerned you can sod off

I think a few of you think that council staff are on more than they are.
True council staff used to be big earners but a lot are on under 6.50 an hour which is not much above the minimum wage, and these are being reduced to under 6.20 per hour, which is a pitence for what some do.
So if you dont know the true facts get off your high horse and go and F*(& yourself.

your granny wrote:
If you have, then i think you are talking tripe and feeding us a bull sob story about your 24p/hr. If your daughter is seriously disabled you should be entitled to respite, day services, and/or home care so please don't tell me to suck eggs when you are flinging bull about just to justify your narrow minded, BITTER, comments about hard working people. if you don't have these options, then i stand by my well meaning comment about contact social services but as far as I'm concerned you can sod off

I have to agree with your comments also Im sure that if this mans daughter is has serverley disabled as he is claiming he may be able to ask for a care worker from the SS. Respite to I agree with you. I agree there are a few nasty comments attacking those people who have been pushed in a corner and made to fight for what they see are injustices against them. Sorry A Darwener but if it wasnt for the Trade Unions you can bet your bottom dollar there would be a lot of unfairness goes on in the work place not that its perfect even to this day. Dont blame the workers for your situation blame Governments for their policys both present and past.

I'm sorry if I upset a few people with my comments. I was not getting at the workers themselves but the system they have to work under. If an organisation is too big then it has to be trimmed etc. I am in full agreement with you that management should take an equal share of cuts, but in the real world turkey's do not vote for Christmas.
As for my daughter's situation thank's for the advice but there are reasons why respite care is not suitable for us. It has been offered by S.S. but has to be turned down for reasons I can not go into on a public forum. But I do appreciate you taking the time to comment.

Markr wrote:
I think a few of you think that council staff are on more than they are. True council staff used to be big earners but a lot are on under 6.50 an hour which is not much above the minimum wage, and these are being reduced to under 6.20 per hour, which is a pitence for what some do. So if you dont know the true facts get off your high horse and go and F*(& yourself.

I'll take that pitance please, maybe then I won't get repossesed!
-
pitance or not, under the present circumstances its like sitting next to a starving man complaining your lobster is overcooked.

no problems A Darener. times are a tryin' and tempers a little short.

useyourhead, great harwood says...
3:20pm Thu 29 Jul 10

Markr wrote:
I think a few of you think that council staff are on more than they are. True council staff used to be big earners but a lot are on under 6.50 an hour which is not much above the minimum wage, and these are being reduced to under 6.20 per hour, which is a pitence for what some do. So if you dont know the true facts get off your high horse and go and F*(& yourself.
I'll take that pitance please, maybe then I won't get repossesed!
-
pitance or not, under the present circumstances its like sitting next to a starving man complaining your lobster is overcooked.

Markr wrote: I think a few of you think that council staff are on more than they are. True council staff used to be big earners but a lot are on under 6.50 an hour which is not much above the minimum wage, and these are being reduced to under 6.20 per hour, which is a pitence for what some do. So if you dont know the true facts get off your high horse and go and F*(& yourself.

I'll take that pitance please, maybe then I won't get repossesed! - pitance or not, under the present circumstances its like sitting next to a starving man complaining your lobster is overcooked.

A good point but you are comparing an average wage to someone unemployed as opposed to the your fat cat businessmen. Not really fair. Most front line staff are on about £7 which, compaired to minimum wage/low skilled work, is not silly money. you need at least NVQ3 or a few A levels to earn that money. Crab stick wages rather than lobster me thinks.

When times are good the public sector usually attaches itself to the private sector in requesting pay rises etc and God knows how many benefits.

When times are bad, the public sector suddenly becomes autonomous from the rest of us and cannot be affected by cutbacks.

Suck it up or find an alternative. We all know that local government is riddled with waste and it's about time this waste was tackled.

Unison backed the New Labour government financially, that being the case I have no sympathy for them or their cause. New Labour caused the financial chaos that we now find ourselves in, which includes massive public sector job cuts.
For the last 13 years the unions and their members, including Unison members, have stood on the sidelines gazing at their navels whilst the country was made economically and morally bankrupt. In addition unions made phone calls to try to encourage peolple to vote New Labour in the last election, which was irresponsible and quite frankly disgusting.
If the unions, including Unison, had spent less time sucking up to Blair,Brown and their cronies and more time on really addressing the issues that really mattered many jobs may have been saved. My advice to any member of Unison, in fact any union, is quit and save yourself a few pounds every week, i fear that you are going to need it. The unions are finished. Just one question for any Unison member or representative who may read this. How much was spent on "Diversity" training over the last 13 years at LCC, and was it worth the cost?
Deus Vobiscum

Get rid of all of then. They are a drain on society

your granny wrote:
useyourhead, great harwood says... 3:20pm Thu 29 Jul 10 Markr wrote: I think a few of you think that council staff are on more than they are. True council staff used to be big earners but a lot are on under 6.50 an hour which is not much above the minimum wage, and these are being reduced to under 6.20 per hour, which is a pitence for what some do. So if you dont know the true facts get off your high horse and go and F*(& yourself. I'll take that pitance please, maybe then I won't get repossesed! - pitance or not, under the present circumstances its like sitting next to a starving man complaining your lobster is overcooked.

Markr wrote: I think a few of you think that council staff are on more than they are. True council staff used to be big earners but a lot are on under 6.50 an hour which is not much above the minimum wage, and these are being reduced to under 6.20 per hour, which is a pitence for what some do. So if you dont know the true facts get off your high horse and go and F*(& yourself.

I'll take that pitance please, maybe then I won't get repossesed! - pitance or not, under the present circumstances its like sitting next to a starving man complaining your lobster is overcooked. A good point but you are comparing an average wage to someone unemployed as opposed to the your fat cat businessmen. Not really fair. Most front line staff are on about £7 which, compaired to minimum wage/low skilled work, is not silly money. you need at least NVQ3 or a few A levels to earn that money. Crab stick wages rather than lobster me thinks.

fair point,
-
but whats going wrong with the quotes lol. i got muddled and i wrote it. he he

nelson claret wrote:
I hate this argument of if you want to strike then you should leave your job, as though people should be thankful to just have a job in the current climate. The vast majority of people in work are actually currently grateful for that fact however, in the current climate, with unemployment soaring, your rights as an employee are not diminished, nor is there a right for employers to diminish your wages/benefits/worki

ng conditions; I for one admire those workforces who are in the priviliged position of being represented in their entirity by a union and being in the position where they can actually exercise their right to withdraw their labour; their are many many more employees who are taken advantage of who are not! I appreciate the need to address our national debt however, the government are going about it in completely the wrong way, why not start by addressing those costs which it makes common sense to cut, but no, they make the working class pay and not the middle or upper classes at all, why am I surprised, this is after all a Tory government! Also, just because someone may be paid more than you are, does not automatically mean that they are paid fairly for the job they do!

Well written and I commend this post as being the best, most reasonable and reasoned in this thread.

pdb951 wrote:
Get rid of all of then. They are a drain on society

how? by emptying your bins? cleaning your streets, looking after your elderly and disabled, staffing swimming pools and gyms, and lets not forget.. by cleaning your drains. then there is the food hygine teams, skills and learning, building planning, health and safety... the list goes on and on and on. just ask yourself who would be there for you when things go wrong.

your granny wrote:

pdb951 wrote: Get rid of all of then. They are a drain on society

how? by emptying your bins? cleaning your streets, looking after your elderly and disabled, staffing swimming pools and gyms, and lets not forget.. by cleaning your drains. then there is the food hygine teams, skills and learning, building planning, health and safety... the list goes on and on and on. just ask yourself who would be there for you when things go wrong.

Have to agree with you on most of your examples. But I am afraid you ruined it by including H&S. Possibly the worst department in the whole of officialdom. It is H&S that has cost this country a fortune over the last few years. Ok some injuries may have been avoided, but, most issues are down to commonsense. We don't need signs telling us a wet path may be slippery, if we trip over a flagstone it is our fault for not looking where we are going. Commonsense worked for hundreds of years, before H&S and would work for the future if H&S depts were disbanded.

indeed A Darener, it is a bit silly at times. I think some of it is a result of the council (or any business) being sued. Some stuff, like food hygiene and contruction and public events, it's useful to have this policy. Things like banning conkers is just wolly thinking daftness and makes us stupid

your granny wrote:
indeed A Darener, it is a bit silly at times. I think some of it is a result of the council (or any business) being sued. Some stuff, like food hygiene and contruction and public events, it's useful to have this policy. Things like banning conkers is just wolly thinking daftness and makes us stupid

Indeed, it is the compensation culture brought over from the US, the ambulance chasers and the compensation lawyers that are responsible for costing us millions of pounds. 90%+ of claims should be classed as frivolous. e.g. trip or fall at work, simple solution watch where you are going. Being given the wrong kind of ladder, don't use it if it is the wrong one. (tv adverts). Hit by falling tree branch, act of God, etc etc. Hundred's of children are missing out on school trips because of the paper work and assessments needed to avoid dangerous situations. Things happen, get over it.

A Darener wrote:

your granny wrote: indeed A Darener, it is a bit silly at times. I think some of it is a result of the council (or any business) being sued. Some stuff, like food hygiene and contruction and public events, it's useful to have this policy. Things like banning conkers is just wolly thinking daftness and makes us stupid

Indeed, it is the compensation culture brought over from the US, the ambulance chasers and the compensation lawyers that are responsible for costing us millions of pounds. 90%+ of claims should be classed as frivolous. e.g. trip or fall at work, simple solution watch where you are going. Being given the wrong kind of ladder, don't use it if it is the wrong one. (tv adverts). Hit by falling tree branch, act of God, etc etc. Hundred's of children are missing out on school trips because of the paper work and assessments needed to avoid dangerous situations. Things happen, get over it.

I have to agree on the compensation thing....My child had a very serious accident at school and was hospitalised for a considerable time and required surgery and mised 3 months of school....I was approached by several parents who told me to sue the school time and time again but I chose not to....Had I sued the school I have no doubt that we would have been successful and probaly walked away with between £10,000-£15,000 however that money would be taken from my childs education and other kids would have had to suffer in the long run....How many computers, books and trips would that have been??? More to the point it would pay the wage of a classroom assistant for a year.....I know which I would prefer.