Workers To Win Bank Holiday Rights

Escapee, I'm not a do gooder by your definition (which is a disappointment! ) but I would rather champion the disadvantaged than the advantaged. Good to see Labour doing so.

Someone (Edit: me283) mentioned earlier about electioneering and appealing to Labour's core voters. Frankly I think Howard is doing more than Blair to ensure Labour's core vote returns to the fold.

[blackthorn]

What sort of a day did the people who dont work bank hols have.
(Hypothetically) Get up in the morning, go for the morning paper, (staff in the shop probably got no bh rights).
Lets go for a drive or day out somewhere, firstly get some petrol (petrol station staff no rights).
Arrive at destination, whether it be Alton towers, Blackpool or anywhere.
Need the loo, staff there to keep them clean (got no rights)
Want something to eat, nice cafe or restaurant, (same scenario there).
This affects an awful lot of people and I for one am glad somethings going to get done about it, whether its an election gimick or not.

Originally Posted by blackthorn

This affects an awful lot of people and I for one am glad somethings going to get done about it, whether its an election gimick or not.

[paulyoung666]

Originally Posted by blackthorn

What sort of a day did the people who dont work bank hols have.
(Hypothetically) Get up in the morning, go for the morning paper, (staff in the shop probably got no bh rights).
Lets go for a drive or day out somewhere, firstly get some petrol (petrol station staff no rights).
Arrive at destination, whether it be Alton towers, Blackpool or anywhere.
Need the loo, staff there to keep them clean (got no rights)
Want something to eat, nice cafe or restaurant, (same scenario there).

you assume this , you dont know

Originally Posted by blackthorn

This affects an awful lot of people and I for one am glad somethings going to get done about it, whether its an election gimick or not.

happy to pay for this are you

Two million workers - I think Blackthorn's assumption is relatively safe. We all have a responsibility to ensure people are paid a fair wage so the all but negligible cost to the consumer of this measure is indeed a price I am more than willing to pay.

I struggle to see how people can attack a measure designed to help the most economically disadvantaged in the labour force; to give them equality with others and treat them with common decency.

A very welcome move. There are indeed many who do still get a raw deal from their employers, especially agency staff. Surely, now in the 21st century all those who work should be entitled to the same enjoyment as others.

I hope we see more good Labour proposals on the agenda.

[blackthorn]

Originally Posted by paulyoung666

you assume this , you dont know


(

Yes I did, thats why i said Hypothetically

Originally Posted by Gogogo

A very welcome move. There are indeed many who do still get a raw deal from their employers, especially agency staff. Surely, now in the 21st century all those who work should be entitled to the same enjoyment as others.

I hope we see more good Labour proposals on the agenda.

Hear, hear!

[paulyoung666]

Originally Posted by blackthorn

Yes I did, thats why i said Hypothetically

fair play , just pointing something out

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by andyl

Escapee, I'm not a do gooder by your definition (which is a disappointment! ) but I would rather champion the disadvantaged than the advantaged. Good to see Labour doing so.

Someone (Edit: me283) mentioned earlier about electioneering and appealing to Labour's core voters. Frankly I think Howard is doing more than Blair to ensure Labour's core vote returns to the fold.

I am not saying giving bank holiday rights to all workers is wrong, I am just pointing out that many people just think of large companies such as Tesco and forget about the little business who could already be up against the odds. Enforcement of bank holiday rights could mean the difference for someone keeping their business open or closing it, and that could mean someone having a job but having to work bank holidays, or not having a job at all.

It's not as clear cut as some would like to make it, for every large corporation making millions there are thousands of small businesses struggling to stay afloat. These small businesses are however keeping people employed and off benefits in many cases, people run businesses to make money, support themselves and their families with the very positive side effect of employing others in many cases.

Originally Posted by Escapee

I am not saying giving bank holiday rights to all workers is wrong, I am just pointing out that many people just think of large companies such as Tesco and forget about the little business who could already be up against the odds. Enforcement of bank holiday rights could mean the difference for someone keeping their business open or closing it, and that could mean someone having a job but having to work bank holidays, or not having a job at all.

It's not as clear cut as some would like to make it, for every large corporation making millions there are thousands of small businesses struggling to stay afloat. These small businesses are however keeping people employed and off benefits in many cases, people run businesses to make money, support themselves and their families with the very positive side effect of employing others in many cases.

Well if they can't afford to give a worker an official Bank holiday then maybe they can man the small business themselves for the day...

I predict that if this does come into effect that the precise effect on business in general will be zero....After all I never heard one failing business claim that having to pay minimum wages caused them to fail and become insolvant.Unless you can point such a business out to me.

Incog who will be unsubscribing soon as she can see this becoming a very circular argument.

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

You know every time Labour comes out with an idea that will help the more disadvantaged of society the whole of industry whinges about it.

Does anyone remember the predictions of doom and gloom over the minimum wage?How it would bring business to it's knees and the larger organisations so loved to quote how it would damage smaller businesses.

Well I never noticed any particular drop of and insolvancies of said businesses.

Of course they moan at anything that obliges them to treat their workers as workers not slaves...

And all for 9 fecking days in the year....9 days that heaven forbid a shop like Tesco's won't be open at full strength.As for the corner shop...well the shopowner no doubt will pay themselves double time for working on a Bank holiday.

I think since Sunday trading became a fact that peoples' rights in this matter SHOULD be treated with respect.

Thats why I used my xample in post 43 of someone who "Owns a couple of corner shops". It would be hard for them to be in both shops at the same time.

My local chip shop was open yesterday, and the owner and his wife was serving. I wouldn't be sure but perhaps his other shop was either shut, or being manned by a couple of his employees. His employees would however feel rightly disgruntled, had he gone to the seaside with his family and left the employees running the shops.

I have been in the situation myself, being on-call for ntl. It's the same old story though, no one stood up for us because we were in the minority as ntl employees. The 9-5 employees were not affected and HR would go home at easter on the Thursday and not come in till the Tuesday, they were not in a position where they could be called out, and couldn't or didn't want to understand. Thats the big problem the examples brought to peoples attention are only the ones that affect large numbers of employees.

Whenever I hear about large company xyz treating employees badly, I always spare a thought for the guy working for the small company who probably has worse working conditions, but no one seems to care about him/her. The little guy/gal are forgotten about, that was the reason for my input to this discussion.

[me283]

Andy,

No, I offer no sympathy to poorly paid workers, any more than you would rush up to congratulate highly paid employees. We all are dealt a hand in this life, and we make of it what we will. Sure, some are disadvantaged, and I can sympathise with them. But in short, if you aren't earning what you are worth, you move on.

As for the comment about contracts, I think it was made by a teacher? How on earth can someone who gets such a huge amount of holiday anyway be in a strong position to judge here?! (Apologies if that is in error).

Mr. Bliar is clearly looking for votes. Not a tough one to figure out. But I maintain my stance: when you accept a job, you accept the hours, days, conditions and rates that go with it. If all is not to your liking, don't sign up. If it is so very bad, nobody else will take the job.

As a point of interest, I notice that many posts here claim that having to take Bank Holidays out of your annual leave (let's say 20 days) is a huge hardship; strange, but I have worked with many ex-pat Americans whose annual entitlement is only 10 days, even whilst in the UK. And yet you think that we in the UK are Draconian?!

Originally Posted by Escapee

...
My local chip shop was open yesterday, and the owner and his wife was serving. I wouldn't be sure but perhaps his other shop was either shut, or being manned by a couple of his employees. His employees would however feel rightly disgruntled, had he gone to the seaside with his family and left the employees running the shops...

Open yesterday? I hope they were selling fresh fish! Fish & Chip shops down here are closed Mondays because they are normally waiting for fresh fish.

Actually, I would accept small businesses may well have problems, small businesses are a vital part of the economy, I would doubt though the effects would be that serious and usually such businesses just adjust their prices to recoup losses.

[punky]

Originally Posted by me283

As for the comment about contracts, I think it was made by a teacher? How on earth can someone who gets such a huge amount of holiday anyway be in a strong position to judge here?! (Apologies if that is in error).

Just a warning, i'd get running. The last 2 guys to say that to her - their feet still haven't touched the ground.

Everyone keeps saying... Why don't you think of the workers? The poor old workers? Well, yes I am thinking of the workers, but I am also thinking of self-employed people and business owners who are still human beings and still deserve consideration as well. Not many seem to give a damn about them, and how they'd fair out of this. I don't buy into this communist, anti-corporate, capitalistm-is-the-machinery-of-oppression-oiled-by-the-blood-of-the-workers. ethic that seems to be so popular these days.

Wether companies will go bust or not, it seems a bit silly to me, that people should be helped, whilst other people are getting directly hurt out of this. It doesn't seem right to me. And secondly, free enterprise is important, and prosperous businesses provide jobs and spending power and economy. The government should be trying to help small businesses, not hurting them.