Driving through town just now I came across a couple of demonstrations by Glasgow City employees ( it's Friday after all and the weather's most pleasant).
They were picketing the building that houses the planning department and the City assessors ( I'm with them all the way on this one).
What amused me was that, though the picketers were clearly sons of the soil,grimy shipyard salt of the earth.. no hang about, that's not true they sit behind computers and answer phones saying the computer system's down...anyway, there they were ready for a siege.
They had their thermos flasks of Lattes, their wraps for lunch... and dozens of bottles of mineral water. Not even in plastic bottles - in GLASS bottles.
Not like when I was a flying picket.....
Update:
It seems there was a bit of a do because the Police said they couldn't have the glass bottles - elfnsafety dontcha know....
PS
The youngest Ms. Lear has pointed out I am a Capitalist Pig and was never a flying picket. She is quite correct. I took the bus....
Showing posts with label Strikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strikes. Show all posts
Friday, April 03, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
Mandelson's little difficulty.
John Redwood has a particularly good article today on the present strikes. In essence, he says this government has fudged all EU directives, telling us that either it won't have an effect or making a stand and then winning an immaterial concession. This is then hailed as a victory.
As he says :
"When people fear a law or think it is stopping them working they want their elected politicians to take that seriously and to be able to amend it. When the law comes from Brussels, the government is no position to do that. The government has honestly to tell the strikers that there is no point in them striking, because even if the government wanted to change the law in the way they would like, it cannot do so without the agreement of most other EU countries, which looks extremely unlikely on this issue."
Mandelson has been all over the TV and radio saying that the Company statement says it's all OK, but what has actually happened is that the UK contractors that tendered had workers wanting, for example, £20 per hour. The Italians will do it for eg £15. Its no use trotting out the line that there is a minimum wage and it has to be adhered to, as we are well north of that figure.
What is happening is that the Government's spin and general line about" it's fine, trust us" has finally been rumbled.
Never mind Labour's inability to do the housekeeping, they always end up with a winter of discontent. This is because , despite the rhetoric about " difficult decisions" they never take any, twisting in the wind to curry favour.
As my children will testify, I frequently say, it's no use being nice to people. The point is to tell them the truth and shame the devil. Alternatively, if you are nice to them, do it in expectation of no thanks or reciprocation.
No one may like it, but at least they know where they stand.
As he says :
"When people fear a law or think it is stopping them working they want their elected politicians to take that seriously and to be able to amend it. When the law comes from Brussels, the government is no position to do that. The government has honestly to tell the strikers that there is no point in them striking, because even if the government wanted to change the law in the way they would like, it cannot do so without the agreement of most other EU countries, which looks extremely unlikely on this issue."
Mandelson has been all over the TV and radio saying that the Company statement says it's all OK, but what has actually happened is that the UK contractors that tendered had workers wanting, for example, £20 per hour. The Italians will do it for eg £15. Its no use trotting out the line that there is a minimum wage and it has to be adhered to, as we are well north of that figure.
What is happening is that the Government's spin and general line about" it's fine, trust us" has finally been rumbled.
Never mind Labour's inability to do the housekeeping, they always end up with a winter of discontent. This is because , despite the rhetoric about " difficult decisions" they never take any, twisting in the wind to curry favour.
As my children will testify, I frequently say, it's no use being nice to people. The point is to tell them the truth and shame the devil. Alternatively, if you are nice to them, do it in expectation of no thanks or reciprocation.
No one may like it, but at least they know where they stand.
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