AllanP
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Grangemouth Refinery.Are there any reasonable folk out there who begrudge this workforce going out on strike to protect their pension rights, both for the workers currently working there and also to protect future "new starts", or does anyone not agree that they have the right to do this, given the recent problems they have caused with most motorists and haulier's trying to get fuel?
Please be aware that anyone who disagree's with their action may well be drawn into a long and drawn out arguement against the idea that they were wrong in doing so.
I am an ex employee and shop steward of the BP Refinery in Grangemouth, and would enjoy and listen to any comments for and against this action.
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Guest
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Sack the lot of them!!
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BoB
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| woodysdad wrote: | | Sack the lot of them!! |
Thatcherite 
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Guest
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Bakelite 
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AllanP
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| woodysdad wrote: | | Sack the lot of them!! |
Why?
Unless you are winding me up just for the sake of it, then do please explain your comment, and how that would help the situation.
I have also read that the management have now taken off the table for the time being anyway, final salary pensions for new employees and are going to resume talks with the trade unions.
Surely that was worth the small inconvenience to some for limited supplies of fuels for a short time.
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Guest
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Only worth the inconvenience if ye don't drive for a living, are self employed and can't pay yer bills because these overpaid underworked bods think they deserve more!
But If I'm landlocked at home, not earning, and I can't get a bus because the supplies are cut oof, and know that it's going to take weeks to get the system up and running again...Id 120 men can hold the company to ransom, get rid!! 
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AllanP
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| woodysdad wrote: | Only worth the inconvenience if ye don't drive for a living, are self employed and can't pay yer bills because these overpaid underworked bods think they deserve more!
But If I'm landlocked at home, not earning, and I can't get a bus because the supplies are cut oof, and know that it's going to take weeks to get the system up and running again...Id 120 men can hold the company to ransom, get rid!! |
Oh Dear! I take it that in a past life you were either, a slave or a peasant, who bowed to the Lord of the manor and thanked him with doffed cap for your tuppence a week and a free turnip.
How sad!!!
I am of course sorry for your own predicament, but surely they should be applauded in the fight for the right to at least keep their own standard of life, rather than have it erroded year by year by the "fat cats" who do not suffer any hardship, but are rewarded with an obscene bonus if they can reduce costs from workers benefits or pay rises.
The union of workers I applaud without reserve or apology to anyone.
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shagpile
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I've read that Grangemouth is going to be relocated 'south of the border' now it's reaching the end of it's working life.
If that happens, it'll be ENGLISH oil that pays Scotlands way!
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Zaf
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sorry Allan but I disagreed too. Unless I got the whole gist of the reporting wrong they werent striking over existing conditions or their conditions of work being altered but for conditions for new employees, to me that is wrong.
ps many moons ago (70's) I was a Union representative where I worked but I still disagreed with the way many strikes were held in the 70's etc and am convinced thats why the country voted in that terrible Thatcher woman who destroyed so much of our industry and our jobs in manufacturing and mining.
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AllanP
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| Zaf wrote: | sorry Allan but I disagreed too. Unless I got the whole gist of the reporting wrong they werent striking over existing conditions or their conditions of work being altered but for conditions for new employees, to me that is wrong.
ps many moons ago (70's) I was a Union representative where I worked but I still disagreed with the way many strikes were held in the 70's etc and am convinced thats why the country voted in that terrible Thatcher woman who destroyed so much of our industry and our jobs in manufacturing and mining. |
There are and will be many other past union rep's like myself who have disagreed with many decisions taken around the top table.
But don't forget that the union rep's don't take the decision to strike, the workers at a free vote make the ultimate decision to do so or reject it.
Democracy at it's best.
Thatcher was a disgrace. Nuff said about that bitch.
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Zaf
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Its possible for powerful or clever leaders to sway the electorate and in the case of Grangemouth I dont know enough about it to comment on the possibility but I still feel (according to what I heard on the media, which of course may have painted a totally biased view) that they were wrong to strike on this occasion.
I'll certainly agree with you that Thatcher was a disgrace, probably the worst thing that happened to these combined countries in hundreds of years. She destroyed the mining industry out of spite and much of our manufacturing industry, the poll tax was a disaster and we are all still paying for that blunder, it should never have happened as the local councils told the silly cow it would never work - worse still she used unemployment, and to a lesser extent interest rates, as a weapon against the ordinary working man. Something that in my opinion is unforgivable.
Privitisation was, and still is, in my opinion, a disaster and the treatment of the staff working in many of the government departments that were privatised was disgusting and scandalous. I have first hand knowledge of this as I was a Civil Servant at the time and know of the nasty tricks used to get rid of people so as not to pay them redundancy or their whole pension rights. I am also convinced that much of the privatisation was engineered to make huge profits for the companies taking over the government departments' responsibilities (and I wonder how many of her ministers were directors of said companies?) I am also convinced that privatisation cost the country billions of pounds and if it wasnt for the Official Secrets Act would happily expand on what I know (I did the accounts for building maintenance for one RAF station both before, during and for a short while after the privatisation of the MoB&W/ PSA).
Sorry, am getting on my high horse, guess folks now realise I'm not keen on the Thatcher woman or her policies! I can tell you that even the most ardent Conservative supporter at our RAF base hated the damned woman by the time the privatisation con was completed and he had voted Conservative all his life and was in his 50's (as did his parents before him), he told the Conservative candidate in the next election campaign to f*ck off!! I only wish one of them had canvassed my door, I wouldnt have been so polite 
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Guest
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| AllanP wrote: | | Zaf wrote: | sorry Allan but I disagreed too. Unless I got the whole gist of the reporting wrong they werent striking over existing conditions or their conditions of work being altered but for conditions for new employees, to me that is wrong.
ps many moons ago (70's) I was a Union representative where I worked but I still disagreed with the way many strikes were held in the 70's etc and am convinced thats why the country voted in that terrible Thatcher woman who destroyed so much of our industry and our jobs in manufacturing and mining. |
There are and will be many other past union rep's like myself who have disagreed with many decisions taken around the top table.
But don't forget that the union rep's don't take the decision to strike, the workers at a free vote make the ultimate decision to do so or reject it.
Democracy at it's best.
Thatcher was a disgrace. Nuff said about that bitch. |
Many years ago I was involved in an Industrial dispute.. The Scotsman reported we were going on strike in the next ten days! I phoned the editor and asked how he knew, since the meeeting of the members wasn't uintil the next day!
At the meeting, this was brought up (since the paper had printed my comments) and I stood up and told them it was me!! The strike didn't take place...and we got the result we wanted by changing the union negotiators!
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rickyross3359
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I was surprised at the amount of revenue that the UK exequer were losing a day due to this strike. Scotland as a independent nation could do so much with that. Forget PPI for Schools and hospitals. Shame that the Scottish government are rather tied on the question of PPI's as they cannot raise revenue. I though the Scottish parliament had tax raising powers guess that just means income tax. When I voted for a parliament with tax raising powers I didn't think it was restricted to income.
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AllanP
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| rickyross3359 wrote: | | I was surprised at the amount of revenue that the UK exequer were losing a day due to this strike. |
Sorry Ricky, I can understand the sentence above, but am a little lost with the rest of your comments.
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shagpile
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| rickyross3359 wrote: | | I was surprised at the amount of revenue that the UK exequer were losing a day due to this strike. Scotland as a independent nation could do so much with that. Forget PPI for Schools and hospitals. Shame that the Scottish government are rather tied on the question of PPI's as they cannot raise revenue. I though the Scottish parliament had tax raising powers guess that just means income tax. When I voted for a parliament with tax raising powers I didn't think it was restricted to income. |
Grangemouth almost pays for Scotland alone.
In a few months, it may actually provide a wee bit more besides.
Don't forget our other industries though..........
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