Council Workers on Strike

[GMH]

With up to 1.5 million people going on strike today, mostly council workers and the like, how is the strike going to affect you the most?

I am not a Trade Unionist myself, but the daily Meals on Wheels service that I usually receive will be postponed today, and I doubt that I will be able to go to the library today. My other half has to cross the picket lines just to get to her job as a teaching asssistant, so she will have her work cut out. She is not a Trade Union member. The question is, are you taking part in the strike, and if you are what will you be doing today? Also if you are a consumer of local council services how will you manage today without that service you usualy require?

[sunflower68]

Like your other half I am a teaching assistant. Some of my colleagues will be on the picket line today (they have promised not to throw eggs at me!)

I am in a union but this is not the way I like to do things. It is a special needs school and it has been closed due to the strike today. I prefer to get my job done. I know it is my pension but I am in my thirties; I am not really ready to think about what age I retire. Many collegues I personally feel did not really read up on the strike and what it was about but followed the militants in the school who were very pushy.

My union website annoyed my because it listed the rules of picketing on the day, and said along the lines of "don't forget this is a great chance to recruit new members".......hmmmm put me off really.

[PatriciaH]

I am on strike today,going to my other job soon as i have two jobs,i had made plans to retire in 10 years at 60... now they want me to work till 65, i dont think so...!

[Trojanfarce]

I'm not personally affected by all this but my other half is. She's a union member but finds herself in the position that she HAS to work today otherwise she would join the strike. What is annoying to her is that everyone is assuming that the strike is solely about the government's plan to raise the retirement age to 65. What the media are failing to report is that the government have also said that if you do retire at 60, they'll take 30% of your pension from you.

Something else that all this is about and only affects government agency support workers (i.e. police controllers), is that whereas now, their pension is based on the whole of their salary, the government are planning to base it solely on their basic wage, not taking into account their shift allowance. Of course, something like a police controller's job just can't be done 9-5 so the shift allowance is essential to their salary make-up. By doing, what they're planning to do, the government is basically reducing their pension by approximately 35%.

[kick3m0n]

we've got no Mothers and Toddlers group today as teh village hall will not be opened by the caretaker. The primary school in our village is open today, but the nursery is not as one of the teachers is a member of the union which is striking. As a union rep myself (before I left work to be a mum), I fully sympathise with their predicament and I think that it really does need strong action to make the goveernment sit up and take notice. I also think that the unions were left with very little choice in the matter. I do hope this issue gets resolved, or we could face a very long year full of all sorts of disruptions, as the memebrs involved will affect almost every aspect of our daily lives.

[OBonio]

I was speaking to a chap last night who was going to strike today. I asked him what it was all about and he said it comes down to them having to work until they're 65 and nurses, police, teachers etc only until they're 60.

I asked my wife about this (she's a nurse) and she said they're thinking of doing the same in the NHS.

My guess is there are a lot of misinformed work shy fops on the picket line. Could be an opportunity to do a little culling maybe?

[chazza]

I am lucky in that the strike will not affect me at all!

[don1]

Let me tell you of three of my golfing buddies.

No.1 A sailor who retired on full pension aged 42
No.2 A Fireman who retired aged 55 on a full pension
No.3 A Police officer who retired aged 55 on a full pension

Now let me tell you about my father who didn't get to retire because he died of pneumiconiosis aged 58 because his lungs were full of coal dust.

If sailors and firemen and cops can retire as young as 42 to 55 why is Tory Blair telling the rest of us that we should work until we die?

[Word Butcher]

usually

[Marky B]

Whereas I have sympathy towards these people on the issue of retirement age,I always remember a red hot socialist union convener once said to me:"the only losers in a strike are the workers". He was right.

Ta Ta

Marky B

[Gef]

Some real nonsense on this thread. I won't pick out individuals but they will know who I mean.

I am a teacher and I was not on strike today as we are not part of the dispute. I would have crossed a picket line today (although there were none) on the advice of my union and I managed to carry out my job without the help of the valuable people who were on strike. I did my job, not theirs.

However, why be in a union if you ignore their call to strike?

Also, if you are not in a union (if you have the option) and choose not to join then don't complain.

If you are i a union and ignore their advice then hell mend you. There were a couple of people at work today who boasted about not throwing away a day's wages by going on strike (they are in Unison) - totally misguided and selfish.

Oh Dear, the libraries were closed today. What a shame.

Rant over.

[Pippa68]

My daughters teacher had to manage the class of 30 all by herself today ~ she is a diamond.

My refuse wasn't collected today..unfortunately it won't be collected until next week, so the street is going to stink to high heaven..but never mind, at least there will be enough food for the foxes & rats, eh?

[sandbach99]

Isn't this dispute about work contracts being rewrote by Local Government without consent of the other party ie the worker. When each worker commenced work they would be given details of how their pension would be worked out and if they so desired could make further provision for their old age, now as previous post show many will end up with less for working longer.

Most of these workers already receive a low wage so any change to their pensions means a drop in what already will be a fairly low pension.
To Pippa68 refuse collection every 2 weeks is something most councils have already or intend to implement and how many teachers are required to teach a class of 30 nowadays?.

[ianess]

If someone aged 56 has 29 years of service he/she is in a pension scheme that will allow retirement on full pension at age 60.
What the hell is wrong with that and why are we not all striving for the same?
Are police officers [just as an example] not allowed to retire after 25 years service?
Should they be made to work on until age 65?
I and my family am affected by today's action but they have my 100% support in trying to keep what they already have. Is it not this government who are telling us all to make our own personal pension arrangements?

[THECORBYLOON]

ianess a policeman can retire at 55 if he has 25 years' service or before that if he has 30 years' service (the earliest possible is 48 1/2 years old.)

[Drisgirl]

I dont agree with all out strikes.

I watched the strikers on the TV tonight and they were all giggling and laughing - loving the attention..

I believe- where all communication has broken down - in selective strikes.To that end when BT had their strikes in the 80's I was a black leg because I felt that taking out core workers ie revenue workers - would hit BT harder and we would subsidise their wages.This was too simple a solution.So I stuck by my principles and went to work through a picket line.I donated my days pay to the strike fund but I was still a scab for having the courage of my convictions.

Selective strikes are the only way to hit employers - if necessary.Unison should have taken out the cleaners and janitor..Health and safety couldnt allow a school to remain open.Job done - without everyone losing a days pay.

[Pippa68]

sandbach99 ~ the OP asked how the strike was affecting us & I replied.

We have our refuse collected weekly, however our council rules that all rubbish must be left at the front of our houses for collection (bins & bags are not provided). There is no way I am leaving 2 weeks worth of rubbish in my back garden to fester..all the residents have agreed to leave the rubbish at the front (as per council rules) so we will just have to see!

As for the schools...I have no idea how many teachers are needed for 30 children, but considering the fact that all the classes have assistants I can only assume that they are needed. The teacher herself has obviously become used to having the assistants with her so I also assume that yesterday would have been hard for her?

[Pippa68]

Forgot to add ~ my daughter is in reception year, so the children are all aged 4-5 years..classroom assistants are pretty vital for these years I am sure most would agree ;o)

[sunflower68]

Gef I should clear up a few points, as I presume you are referring to me as one of the union members not on strike.

Goodness, may hell mend me! I joined the union a year ago because I was in a very tricky role health and safety wise, at my school, and I did not trust the management. I did not feel my job was safe. Please don't tell me I need to do what my union tells me. I do as I feel is right. I did not feel passionately enough about the subject; I have enough going on in my life now without worrying what I will be doing at 65.

I would stand out and protest for lots of things I feel strongly about; this was not one of them.

[pipparooney]

I went on strike on Tuesday

I work for one of the lgps. I could ill afford to lose a days pay but you have to stand up for what you thinks right and fair. What gives them the right to offer a pension, let people contribute 6% of their salary and then years later say oh sorry you will have to work another 5 years to get your full pension rights.

What the news doesn't say is that you have to have at least 25 years service before you can retire at 60 without deductions anyway. And what they also dont say is the goverment revolked the changes last year for their own mp's. Another case of i am alright Jack!!