Mr_Danger Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Anyone else been striking these past few months? Pretty shit innit. It was a good laugh at first but the coffers are running dry and seeing everyone’s miserable faces on the picket line is depressing. Gotta keep at it though. The most frustrating thing for me is that everyone and everywhere reports these disputes as being around pay when I know for a fact most of my colleagues would bend over and take a shafting on pay if it meant our terms and conditions continued to be protected. I’ve heard the same from NHS workers too. It’s been pretty overwhelming how much support from customers I’ve gotten too, even small business owners getting shafted have been mostly positive. Nice to know there’s still a bit of solidarity amongst the plebs. There was a spectacular misfire at Royal Mail the other week when the company decided to cancel overtime. During an industrial dispute at the busiest time of year for our business and the they unwittingly worsened the impact of the strikes a great deal. They soon rolled it back and sadly many colleagues were happy to work the extra hours to clear through the excess. Posties are fucking dumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 One for me coming up in January I believe, but local reps are still discussing it. It's quite disheartening and heartening to see so many different sectors striking, as it just goes to show that people won't stand for it any more* On a completely separate note, I had the loveliest postie today. A real happy, smiley chap who really didn't need to be that pleasant when confronted with my miserable boat. Solidarity to all, and a big hello to all you truckers out there. *Cue a Tory landslide at the next GE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Nexus Posted December 21, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted December 21, 2022 Meant to be striking in January, but not sure we'll hit the returns threshold because the government are arseholes. Solidarity with everyone striking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Arch Stanton Posted December 21, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted December 21, 2022 Full solidarity with those striking, especially the posties as you've given me a great excuse for not bothering to send out any Xmas cards this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Cod Eye Posted December 21, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted December 21, 2022 100% behind anyone striking. I tear my hair out at those lashing out at the workers who just want fair wages/conditions, and not the cunts at the top pocketing the profits/government not wanting to pay fair wages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Danger Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 (edited) 9 hours ago, RalphyV2 said: I'm all for it too, always wanted to be a postie too, as I enjoy walking and getting bitten by mittens the chihuahua. The only way I can see any form of strike being successful in getting what they deserve is for it to be a longer one than a few days. However, unlike for example a production line where if something stops being produced it can't pile up and create a massive backlog, this is not the case at RM and post n parcels will still be sent by people. all it will do is create a mountain of work for the striking workers to go back to meaning that many simply won't do one for long enough for something to scare the gaffers into doing something Been 3 months mate and the backlog is huge. Huge as in tons of deliverables being stored out doors with foxes and rats rustling amongst them. The problem is that there’s a CEO who has been brought in to dismantle a union and oversee a takeover by a Czech billionaire who can instantly recoup his money by dipping in to a pension fund and multiply it ten fold if he wants to start shutting down sites and selling off real estate. All backed by a government who don’t want us back but will inevitably allow us to be left in such a state that the next lot will have to inherit the unprofitable dying sector of our business whilst billionaires turn the rest of the company in to prestige Hermes. Incidentally our CEO previously worked for one of the failed track and trace pop up companies that creamed millions of the government. Eat the fucking rich. Edited December 22, 2022 by Mr_Danger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wideload90 Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 Fully support the strikes, solidarity with all who are taking a stand. The Tory press attacking unions and pushing misinformation shows they're getting desperate. I had a conversation with my old man who pedalled the tripe about train drivers making 60k. He wasn't as happy acknowledging the plight of cleaners, guards, ticket attendants.... Up the workers, fuck the Tories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted December 22, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted December 22, 2022 100% on support of all strikes. My other half worked in HR for Royal Mail up until last month, so selfishly I'm glad that she's out and not working through all this at the busiest time of the year. My union have balloted to strike, and I just have to hope that my ballot actually made it to them despite the postal strike. My work is in a mess due to bad management decisions that anyone with eyes could see coming, and the whole education sector is fucked, so I'll be disappointed if the vote doesn't lead to a strike, because it's completely necessary at the moment. I've been to four weddings this year, and every single one of them was impacted by the rail strikes. It's slightly frustrating, but not as frustrating as a public transport system gutted by the cuts they want to bring in, or as frustrating as not getting paid a decent living wage or a safe working environment, and it's easy enough to work around it when you have to. Similarly, I understand people being frustrated about postal strikes and stuff not showings up in time for Christmas, but it's not the end of the world. I had Christmases in Jersey where my presents didn't show up by the day because bad weather meant the mail plane couldn't get in, and it's fine - you cobble together some last minute presents if you can afford to, and even if you can't, presents showing up a few days after the fact just mean you keep Christmas going a little longer and make that part of how you approach the season that year, rather than it all being about opening presents on Christmas morning. It's not the end of the world. I saw Billy Bragg last week, and there was something lovely about hearing the crowd at the O2 all singing along with "There Is Power In A Union" on a train strike day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Nick James Posted December 22, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted December 22, 2022 Full solidarity with all who are striking for better conditions. I work for the largest mail based retailer not called Royal Mail and the amount of abuse our staff are taking by mistakenly thinking our company is one and the same with Royal Mail is off the scale, so I can only imagine what flack the posties are getting. It's infuriating that as per usual, the general public will always blame the people who are being treated like shit, rather than those that their ire should be aimed at. Those earning £600k a year and above pointing the finger at the lowest rungs of the company and playing the blame game while as per usual, the public gobble it up. Same with nurses and the rail network, seen an awful lot of people complaining about the people striking, and nothing at all about people being outraged at the conditions they are made to work in. Wasn't long ago everyone was out banging pans and sticking rainbows in their windows, very quick to forget. Hopefully everyone can get what they want with job security alongside that and not let the corporation's win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Arch Stanton Posted December 22, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted December 22, 2022 I though polls showed overwhelming public support for striking workers at the moment? There will always be those that don't see the bigger picture, but on the whole people seem on the side of the workers this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 18 minutes ago, Arch Stanton said: I though polls showed overwhelming public support for striking workers at the moment? There will always be those that don't see the bigger picture, but on the whole people seem on the side of the workers this time. They do, but one poll from completely non biased YouGov had blame for the rail strikes scored with the unions polling a couple of points ahead of the government. Every other strike had the government at fault by a large margin. I suppose it shows the Tory rags demonising Mick Lynch has an impact. I think it’s a matter of time before he’s labelled antisemitic given how they can’t call him a remoaner. Solidarity with everyone striking for better conditions. I really hope this can be a catalyst to stop other workers racing to the bottom. Perception is important, I heard one commentator push back on the “Nurses want a 19% pay rise” line with “Actually they want 5% above inflation, that doesn’t sound greedy now does it” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Cod Eye Posted December 22, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted December 22, 2022 Unfortunately, we're heading towards a national, general strike in my opinion. It's the only way we can hold the government/big shareholders to account and possibly change things. No idea how the logistics would work though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallicks Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 (edited) Interesting analysis of the government response to the strikes here, looking at how maintaining ruling class superiority over the proles takes precedence over capitalism and capitalist realism. Edit: just to add, solidarity with those striking! Edited December 22, 2022 by hallicks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 34 minutes ago, Cod Eye said: Unfortunately, we're heading towards a national, general strike in my opinion. It's the only way we can hold the government/big shareholders to account and possibly change things. No idea how the logistics would work though. Unfortunately? It’s what I want to be totally honest. How it works is the unions all agree the same dates for strikes, ballot the members, and if it’s voted for, they tell the government it’s a general strike on those days. In a different thread I mentioned how it’s one thing to get the tories out, but that’s not enough. I want to get shot of the whole system that enables 12 years of Tory rule, and at least five upcoming years of continuity Tory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Cod Eye Posted December 22, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted December 22, 2022 1 hour ago, Keith Houchen said: Unfortunately? By "unfortunately", I mean that it's unfortunate that it has come to this. That in 2022, in a developed, "democratic" and wealthy county, even the emergency services are having to down tools just to get a fair wage and it's looking like the only way to achieve anything is for everyone to walk out. I agree it needs a general nationwide strike to try and totally wipe the slate clean. If it works or not, that's another matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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