[Fat Tony]

The days when striking was necessary or effective are largely long gone. I've never been unionised and also, being a long suffering tube commuter, think that people just do it to scive-off work. Am I wrong?

Anyway, can some of you strikers out there tell me why you do it & what you do on your 'days off'.

[MacReady]

Tomorrow will be the first time I have ever been on strike in my life. I will not be picketing as I have no intention of facing up to good friends where I work who are not part of the union and will be working. I don't really want to lose a days wage either but also have no intention of inciting possible arguments witn other friends who are in the union by going into work....so it is a day of playing on the 360 for me

[Mr THX]

Evening Mac....

Are you local Government then??

Where abouts...........

[MacReady]

Originally Posted by Mr THX

Evening Mac....

Are you local Government then??

Where abouts...........

I work for West Yorkshire Probation at their head office in Wakefield....lovely job in IT and Network tech support

[Mr THX]

Nice one - I'm up at St Johns North working for WMDC

[M-C-P-M]

I'll be striking tomorrow, and I, will, be picketing. I love it when people who don't get it, when people strike.
But I bet if the strike succeeds they will take the better conditions or the wage rise or the early retirement! and they'll get it off the backs of the very people they have been slagging off!
I don't know of anyone, who said they didn't want any of the benefits, that have, over the years been gained by the unions!
Its not greed to want a good pension or a better standard in our work places!

I'm just standing up for me and mine, and if others are helped in the proccess then good for them but don't slag us off or make glib comments

[Mr THX]

Totally agree

[Ed Selley]

Originally Posted by the_caretaker

I'll be striking tomorrow, and I, will, be picketing. I love it when people who don't get it, when people strike.
But I bet if the strike succeeds they will take the better conditions or the wage rise or the early retirement! and they'll get it off the backs of the very people they have been slagging off!
I don't know of anyone, who said they didn't want any of the benefits, that have, over the years been gained by the unions!
Its not greed to want a good pension or a better standard in our work places!

I'm just standing up for me and mine, and if others are helped in the proccess then good for them but don't slag us off or make glib comments

How does that work then? As part of the private sector whatever happens to you affects me only via taxation. You should be happy enough that you have a pension, an extra five years to wait for it is immaterial. I'm pretty sure that whatever happens today, if you are striking and under the age of 40, you'll not benefit from it even if you win in the short term. There is simply too radical a change afoot in the demographics and economy of the country for it to be otherwise.

[JohnG]

Around our way the tradition was to fight with non-strikers and throw lots of stones at the police for a year or so

[la gran siete]

Originally Posted by Ed Selley

How does that work then? As part of the private sector whatever happens to you affects me only via taxation. You should be happy enough that you have a pension, an extra five years to wait for it is immaterial. I'm pretty sure that whatever happens today, if you are striking and under the age of 40, you'll not benefit from it even if you win in the short term. There is simply too radical a change afoot in the demographics and economy of the country for it to be otherwise.

Thing is that it affects only the Unison members who are the support staff and not the lecturers who still keep the benefits of early retirement.The support staff are some the worst paid people in the country and its always been generally accepted that their rewards came during retirement.
Having said all that maintaing the current retirement age would be reflected in extra council taxes which wouild go down like a lead baloon

[lmccauley]

Originally Posted by Fat Tony

I've never been unionised and also, being a long suffering tube commuter, think that people just do it to scive-off work.

You do realise that it's an unpaid day off work, don't you?

Cheers,
Liam