Council workers to strike

panther · 23-06-2008, 19:04

Councils across Lancashire are set to be hit by strike action after workers voted in favour of walkouts in a dispute over pay.
Members of Unison in England, Wales and Northern Ireland voted by 55% to take industrial action after rejecting a 2.45% pay offer!

so that means ya bins wont be emptied....so does that mean we get some money off our council tax???

What is it with everyone, why does everyone want more money?...oh yeh to pay for all the **** thats gone up

Mancie · 23-06-2008, 19:35

Could we be heading for a "winter of discontent" ?.. just like the ones the Tories have been saying for the last ten years! it might happen this time.. 2.45% dosent look enough, taking into account the food price increase, this pay rise looks like it was set for last years inflation.

polly · 23-06-2008, 19:52

With food and fuel prices escalating out of control it is almost inevetable that those workers already struggling will want to take action.

I dont want my bin left to rot and stink but then again I dont want anyone to be exploited.

This goverment has enough money to pay its employees fairly (I am talking at national level now) it just needs to stop wasting money on those who will not work, and invading foreign countries.

It is basically a case of re allocating resources for the good of those who have contributed and those who genuinely can not do so

cashman · 23-06-2008, 22:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by polly

With food and fuel prices escalating out of control it is almost inevetable that those workers already struggling will want to take action.

I dont want my bin left to rot and stink but then again I dont want anyone to be exploited.

This goverment has enough money to pay its employees fairly (I am talking at national level now) it just needs to stop wasting money on those who will not work, and invading foreign countries.

It is basically a case of re allocating resources for the good of those who have contributed and those who genuinely can not do so

that i can agree with.

andrewb · 23-06-2008, 23:47

I saw the 6 o'clock news today. It said they were striking because the proposed increase of 2.45% was below the rate of inflation. Last time I heard inflation was around 3%. Now they want a 6% raise.

Do we want increased council tax to pay for above inflation pay rises?

cashman · 23-06-2008, 23:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewb

I saw the 6 o'clock news today. It said they were striking because the proposed increase of 2.45% was below the rate of inflation. Last time I heard inflation was around 3%. Now they want a 6% raise.

Do we want increased council tax to pay for above inflation pay rises?

read pollys post, it don't suggest that.

Mancie · 24-06-2008, 00:03

I am angry .I am Ill , and I'm as ugly as sin..but I know when it's aggro from the Tories.. let's have it!1

accyman · 24-06-2008, 00:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by panther

Council workers to strike

will anyone actualy notice

andrewb · 24-06-2008, 00:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

read pollys post, it don't suggest that.

So you disagree that council tax would have to go up if council workers wages increased double the rate of inflation?

polly · 24-06-2008, 00:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewb

So you disagree that council tax would have to go up if council workers wages increased double the rate of inflation?

The answer is fairly simple, in the abstract.
We are all paying too much tax and receiving too little for it.
The majority of taxation is via IR and indirect taxation on goods we purchase. With this money the goverment spend far too high a proportion on invading foreign countries and along the way getting far too many of our service people killed and maimed.

We also pay local taxation which councils use to pay ever more menial wages for people who perform essential services.

the solution, without costing us anymore, is to pull back a high proportion of our troops, and redirect the money from central geverment to local services, better wages for those who deserve them and improved hospitals, schools, pulic transport for all.

polly · 24-06-2008, 00:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

that i can agree with.

Please don't do that I will loose all my credability

cashman · 24-06-2008, 00:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by polly

Please don't do that I will loose all my credability

not when ya talk sense ya won't.

shillelagh · 24-06-2008, 00:45

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7469122.stm

Theres bbc's link for the story.

2.45% increase equals about 15p an hour pay rise. Not much is it? Over a 37 hr week it equates to £5.63 a week rise. Now when you take into account an increase in tax, national insurance, pension, etc.... how much of that will you have left? Not much i can tell you that in fact probably you will be worse off.

Next up you will be asking how i worked that out - my hourly rate is linked into the council rate....

andrewb · 24-06-2008, 00:51

and how many council workers are there? as in what cost is it to us if they get the 6% they want

shillelagh · 24-06-2008, 00:55

If you read that link you will see this:

The wider Retail Prices Index measure of inflation - the one used for many pay negotiations - is already at 4.3%.

It also says:

Mr Darling was speaking after the government's preferred inflation measure, the Consumer Prices Index rose, to 3.3% in May, with the Bank of England warning it may reach 4%.

So it isnt even keeping up with what the government says it should be!

According to that as well they balloted nearly 600,000 UNISON members. The GMB union accepted the offer - because they couldnt afford to strike.