Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

Even Arthur Scargill was capable of giving a measured, thoughtful performance under forensic TV interview. Here’s a good example from 1984, worth watching in full (albeit difficult to follow given the technicalities of coal mining in Britain are no longer part of everyday discourse :D )

Nevertheless, put him on a picket line and he would scream and shout like the Trot he was (presumably still is).

Scargill was at least explicit about his desire to bring down a democratically elected government. Mick Lynch just seems content to do his bit to kick Boris while he’s down, and while it’s hard not to be sympathetic with that aim, the fact is it’s not his job to play politics or hold the country to ransom.

Incidentally, if you think resurrecting Scargill and the miners’ strike is a bit OTT, you should listen to the opening interviews on yesterday’s WatO on BBC R4. Their academic talking head managed to drop ‘Thatcherism’ and ‘Scargill’ into the debate within his first 30 seconds.

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

talking of Scargill

he's on the picket line aged 84

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...Y-reports.html

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

Scargill was pictured on the picket lines yesterday, I do believe. Will have to dig for the pic…

---------- Post added at 11:06 ---------- Previous post was at 11:05 ----------

Here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-b2106228.html

---------- Post added at 11:13 ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 ----------

Beaten to it by papa don’t preach. :D

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

So there were no food supplies etc? A whole bunch of people still worked.
If the costs go up, then inflation goes up, which in turn leads to wages going up. If the recent cost increases are allowed to drift out of the inflation figures(after a year), then the economy will be better than having an inflationary spiral. Even the Unions knew that in the late 1970s.
Have the £150 council tax rebate and the £400 energy bill rebate been taken into account with wage demands? Are the media reporting that?

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

is the £89k before or after the pension contributions ? I'll bet they're salary sacrifice.......

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

IIRC pensions are deducted before tax then you get taxed, my last job did this.

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

Can be both, mine are salary sacrificed but there's an option available for you not to do that (but why would you)

IF the employer is matching his % contributions that's a hefty pension pot.....

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

If the working conditions of the members of trade union in either publicly owned, or heavily subsidised, industries aren’t political what is?

If the Government want a high skilled, high wage economy why is the intention for public sector workers to be exempt from enjoying the benefits?

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

How would an inflationary spiral help anyone?:rolleyes:

Have they suddenly become more highly skilled? Have they suddenly become more productive?

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

Are you a people manager ?

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

It wouldn’t, but why should preventing it fall disproportionately on some workers?

That’s irrelevant. The entirely mythical Tory high wage, high skilled economy drives up wages for all workers due to the reduced supply of “unskilled” workers creating competitive pressure (dare I even say inflationary pressure) for employers.

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

The claim was for creating NEW "high wage, high skilled" types of jobs, NOT existing ones.

How is it falling disproportionately on them?
If it's a "mythical Tory" thing, why isn't it also a mythical Labour, Lib Dem, or SNP thing?:confused:

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

A two tier economy then, high profits offshored while everyone left has meagre pay rises eroded by eye watering levels of inflation. Gotcha.

Everything is mythical in the Lib Dem manifesto. I’m not sure you’re point it’s the Government’s job to govern and deliver on it’s commitments. It’s just really hard to see how they plan to achieve it as they drive down real terms wages and living standards by the fastest amount in decades.

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

I addressed the railways management structure and political oversight in an earlier post. In brief, Network Rail and its regulator are designed to keep politicians at arms length, with input only at the strategic planning level. No cabinet minister has a place at the pay bargaining table and Mick Lynch is just trying to rock it like the 1970s by pretending otherwise. Network Rail is not British Rail.

Re: RMT announce Rail strikes are on for this week
 

It is clear now that this whole strike story is actively welcomed by the Government. Imagine deliberately encouraging pain & disruption for partisan political purposes.

The Transport Secretary has refused to get involved in the discussions leading up to this strike. I would argue he has a duty of obligation to do so and to actively pursue a route of mediation.