TUC Day of Action - 26th March

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Osem

Well they can take a day off can't they? I mean it's obviously such a good and important cause, far more important than a cough, dentists appointment or a hangover I'd have thought.

No. just stick with the weekend.

having the protest today is unfair to all those peeps who work at weekends so I suggest that all protests be made public holidays so as many people as possible can attend.

You're right. having the protest on a weekday would be less of an inconvenience to those that work weekdays, and of course weekends.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Gary L

No. just stick with the weekend.

OK matey, obviously people who work weekends don't matter. Or perhaps we could have a weekday protest for them....

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Osem

OK matey, obviously people who work weekends don't matter. Or perhaps we could have a weekday protest for them....

LOL

[MovedGoalPosts]

Having the protest at a weekend is unfair to all of those who wanted to go to London to shop, see a show, visit a museam, indeed anything that they want to do with thei leisure time and yet will now be disrupted.

It is a simple fact, for many years governments and local authorities have been spending significantly more than can reasonably afforded. There are no blank cheques in the world economy. Why do some people seem to believe that there are limitless funds? If you personally have financial limits on how much you can put on credit cards, mortgages and other debt, then why does the same not apply to government? The books have to balance

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Rob

Having the protest at a weekend is unfair to all of those who wanted to go to London to shop, see a show, visit a museam, indeed anything that they want to do with thei leisure time and yet will now be disrupted.

Well perhaps they could move the protest to somewhere with a bit more room like Greenland or somewhere like that. HMG could just print some more money and pay everyone's fares......

Last night I was listening to a union leader (FBU?) banging on about how union members ought to be protected from all of this. The debt and other economic problems could be sorted out by taxing big companies and the rich more. Whilst he acknowledged the much worse working conditions and wages in India, China etc. he didn't seem to accept that it's these factors which make them so competitive and that unless we do something drastic we're going to lose more and more jobs to countries like these. The very people and companies he wants to tax more will just leave the UK and their taxes lost in their entirety. His view seemed to be that people like his members have a divine right to be insulated from life's harsh realties just because they're decent people, work hard and do a good job. I dare say people like him get elected because they say what their members want to hear as opposed to the stark economic reality which faces us all whether public or private sector workers.

Anyway, we're off to the smoke on official business shortly so will report back on what we see. If I don't make it back, it's been nice knowing you all.... (well, most of you anyway )

[Ignitionnet]

Shame children can't protest given they're the ones who'll be picking up the bills for our reluctance to pay our way.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Shame children can't protest given they're the ones who'll be picking up the bills for our reluctance to pay our way.

Perhaps that's why the TUC is billing this as a family event. They like to appear to care about children but don't appear to feel a legacy of massive debt or economic meltdown is something our kids ought to be too concerned about.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Shame children can't protest given they're the ones who'll be picking up the bills for our reluctance to pay our way.

You make it sound like this is going to go on forever. or at least till Labour get back in and make it alright again

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Gary L

You make it sound like this is going to go on forever. or at least till Labour get back in and make it alright again

Oh yes, please, please, please bring back Gordon so he can save the world again...

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Osem

Oh yes, please, please, please bring back Gordon so he can save the world again...

Give it time, and I don't think anyone will care if it was Gordon.

Gordon! Gordon! it'll be bigger than the royal wedding probably

[Ignitionnet]

Gordon's alive!



---------- Post added at 11:00 ---------- Previous post was at 10:32 ----------

Here's a nice thought anyway, this could be us if we listen to the protesters and do as they wish.

http://www.openeurope.org.uk/researc...estructure.pdf

---------- Post added at 11:10 ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 ----------

This also echoes my thoughts

No one, or almost no one, will point out the amazing truth, which is that these cuts — variously described as ‘savage’ or ‘draconian’ or, by the TUC, as a ‘massacre’ — are actually comparatively mild. Far from being ‘slashed’, public expenditure at the end of the process in 2014-15 will be a mere three per cent lower in real terms than it was in 2009-10 before the cuts began.

That wasn’t a misprint. Three per cent lower. In 2009-10, government spending was £669 billion. In 2014-15 it is projected to be £647 billion, if you strip out the effects of inflation, or an estimated £764 billion if it is included. Expenditure will be £710 billion in 2011-2012, so in money terms it has already gone up.

Dr Morgan recounts how in 1999-2000 government spending totalled £343 billion. Had it simply risen with inflation, it would have reached £438 billion by 2009-10. In fact, expenditure that year was £669 billion, an increase in real terms of 53 per cent over a ten-year period during which Gross Domestic Product (i.e. the value of all goods and services produced by the economy) increased by less than 17 per cent.

The Selfish Left.

---------- Post added at 11:16 ---------- Previous post was at 11:10 ----------

Originally Posted by Will21st

Well,I don't know Arthur,TBH I have job offers galore at the mo... I even have to refuse stuff!!
There's plenty of work out there,and a positive,can-do mindset is a good start,imo. (although I quietly suspect you don't really care for that)

Me too actually. Get contacted at least a couple of times a month.

---------- Post added at 11:19 ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 ----------

For those interested there is a 'March For The Alternative' iPhone app. Don't worry, for those impoverished peeps who can only afford an iPhone 3GS it works on that one too.

There's some irony there in pretty much the most expensive smartphone having an app for this somewhere.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Shame children can't protest given they're the ones who'll be picking up the bills for our reluctance to pay our way.

They'll be too busy being sent up chimneys and down mines by the evil Tories.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Derek

They'll be too busy being sent up chimneys and down mines by the evil Tories.

They're the real tragedy about all this Derek to be honest. They're the only group I really feel for here, they have the right to be given the best education we can possibly provide for them and we've ****ed away the money to educate them, wasted what was there, and left them an inheritance of debt and tuition fees.

[Sparkle]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

They're the real tragedy about all this Derek to be honest. They're the only group I really feel for here, they have the right to be given the best education we can possibly provide for them and we've ****ed away the money to educate them, wasted what was there, and left them an inheritance of debt and tuition fees.

Yep, that pretty much sums up my feelings on this too.

[Ignitionnet]

Off we go - kicking off in Oxford Street.

---------- Post added at 13:58 ---------- Previous post was at 13:57 ----------

On the upside it got Milliband farting through his teeth off the screen.