Private sector strike

MaxwellBygraves
MaxwellBygraves Posts: 1,353
edited January 2012 in Commuting chat
You may not have heard, but today starts an 11 day strike for workers at Unilever over cuts to their pensions.

Marmite shortage jokes aside, good for them.

Video here - http://www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/ ... pensi.aspx
"That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! " - Homer
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Comments

  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Lazy private sector workers, they don't know how good they have it! ;)
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    notsoblue wrote:
    Lazy private sector workers, they don't know how good they have it! ;)

    Exactly. I pay their wage. I mean, I've run out of Dove soap ffs.
    _
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    From the Lynx adverts that have been on TV recently, Unilever seem to think the world will be ending this year, so I don't see why they're bothering with trying to change the pensions.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,372
    Never mind Dove (srsly? wtf?) WHAT ABOUT THE MARMITE?!
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
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    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • woodford2barbican
    woodford2barbican Posts: 1,505
    Marmite? bought a big pot on Sunday. shoudl see me and my 2 year old through the next month or so.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,116
    Its hardly the whole private sector is it? :-) Wonder how hard Unite tried to stir this one up?
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    Its hardly the whole private sector is it? :-) Wonder how hard Unite tried to stir this one up?
    Just like the 'public sector strike' wasn't the whole public sector :wink:
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Unilever strike hey? I guess you'll either love or hate the idea.....
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
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  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,116
    bails87 wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    Its hardly the whole private sector is it? :-) Wonder how hard Unite tried to stir this one up?
    Just like the 'public sector strike' wasn't the whole public sector :wink:
    I didn't say that. :-) But the public sector strikers were a much larger percentage of the total public sector workforce than unionised Unilver employees are as a percentage of the private sector workforce, agreed?
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    bails87 wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    Its hardly the whole private sector is it? :-) Wonder how hard Unite tried to stir this one up?
    Just like the 'public sector strike' wasn't the whole public sector :wink:
    I didn't say that. :-) But the public sector strikers were a much larger percentage of the total public sector workforce than unionised Unilver employees are as a percentage of the private sector workforce, agreed?


    So what?

    It's a pretty big proportion of unilever workers.
    _
  • neiltb
    neiltb Posts: 332
    I can't believe there's no I can't believe it's not butter.

    Unilever are just a cpg juggernaut now, they openeed a new soup plant near us a few years ago, closed in 2 as they couldn't steal enough of our business away.
    FCN 12
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,116
    "Rick wrote:
    So what?

    It's a pretty big proportion of unilever workers.
    A large number of private sector pensions have been hit so it's not right just to look at the proportion of Unilver workers.

    Since you seems to know, what proportion of Unilver workers is it?
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    "Rick wrote:
    So what?

    It's a pretty big proportion of unilever workers.
    A large number of private sector pensions have been hit so it's not right just to look at the proportion of Unilver workers.

    Since you seems to know, what proportion of Unilver workers is it?
    [/quote]

    Roughly third.
    _
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,116
    A minority then :-) I'd like to see what percentage that is of people whose pensions in the private sector have been affected.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • 2wheelzgood
    2wheelzgood Posts: 373
    roughly third is what voted for this government. minority or broken democracy?
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  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    A minority then :-) I'd like to see what percentage that is of people whose pensions in the private sector have been affected.
    Whats your point, Stevo?
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  • W1
    W1 Posts: 2,636
    Brilliant plan! Blackmail your employer into bankruptcy, and have no jobs and no pensions! Terrificly well thought out.

    As usual, sack the greedy buggers and give their jobs to people who want them.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Eey, that's a bit more like it.
    _
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,116
    notsoblue wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    A minority then :-) I'd like to see what percentage that is of people whose pensions in the private sector have been affected.
    Whats your point, Stevo?
    NSB, thought it would be self evident - just having an argument with Rick about what the relevant percentage of strikers is - Rick thinks its a percentage of Unilever workers, I think it's the percentage of private sector people whose pensions have been affected recently. The upshot being that the private sector on this basis seem to more aware of current financial realities and have a bit more sense than to go on strike about it.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    notsoblue wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    A minority then :-) I'd like to see what percentage that is of people whose pensions in the private sector have been affected.
    Whats your point, Stevo?
    NSB, thought it would be self evident - just having an argument with Rick about what the relevant percentage of strikers is - Rick thinks its a percentage of Unilever workers, I think it's the percentage of private sector people whose pensions have been affected recently. The upshot being that the private sector on this basis seem to more aware of current financial realities and have a bit more sense than to go on strike about it.

    Sorry, that probably came across as a bit belligerent, but I was interested to hear what you thought about it.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    The upshot being that the private sector on this basis seem to more aware of current financial realities and have a bit more sense than to go on strike about it.

    Or that they can't strike, because they're not unionised!
    _
  • neiltb
    neiltb Posts: 332
    not on anyone's side, but the workers seem upset that their company is readying to shaft their future pension at a time when profits are up 20% on the year and the CEO is getting huge bonuses (I like how he takes payment in lieu of not having a company car and then gets access to a chauffeured car, I guess he has to take his own car out at the weekends).

    They have the benefit of organised labour, our plant does not.
    FCN 12
  • W1
    W1 Posts: 2,636
    neiltb wrote:
    not on anyone's side, but the workers seem upset that their company is readying to shaft their future pension at a time when profits are up 20% on the year and the CEO is getting huge bonuses (I like how he takes payment in lieu of not having a company car and then gets access to a chauffeured car, I guess he has to take his own car out at the weekends).

    They have the benefit of organised labour, our plant does not.

    Bless them - I'm pretty sure, if they aren't happy, they can leave? Or have Unilever locked them all in and forced them to work?
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,116
    notsoblue wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    notsoblue wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    A minority then :-) I'd like to see what percentage that is of people whose pensions in the private sector have been affected.
    Whats your point, Stevo?
    NSB, thought it would be self evident - just having an argument with Rick about what the relevant percentage of strikers is - Rick thinks its a percentage of Unilever workers, I think it's the percentage of private sector people whose pensions have been affected recently. The upshot being that the private sector on this basis seem to more aware of current financial realities and have a bit more sense than to go on strike about it.

    Sorry, that probably came across as a bit belligerent, but I was interested to hear what you thought about it.
    No probs, actually it sounded like a fair question as I hadn't spelt out in black and white what I was thinking of.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,116
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    The upshot being that the private sector on this basis seem to more aware of current financial realities and have a bit more sense than to go on strike about it.

    Or that they can't strike, because they're not unionised!
    You can still go on strike as an individual, as you have a ballot of one and down tools. However, most people do what's already been said if they're not happy with the way their company is treating them - leave and get another job (isn't that what you're trying to do just now?).

    To pre-empt your likely response that it's not always that easy, well that's life and sometimes life isn't fair - or just seems that way if there are lots of other people with similar skills.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    The upshot being that the private sector on this basis seem to more aware of current financial realities and have a bit more sense than to go on strike about it.

    Or that they can't strike, because they're not unionised!
    You can still go on strike as an individual, as you have a ballot of one and down tools. However, most people do what's already been said if they're not happy with the way their company is treating them - leave and get another job. To pre-empt you likely response that it's not always that easy, well that's life and sometimes life isn't fair - or just seems that way if there are lots of other people with similar skills.

    It's not the simple though is it.

    It's clear on here i'm not happy with the way I'm being treated and I'm trying to leave and get another job.

    It's been 5 months now and still I'm here. It's not easy getting work out there.

    I'm not sure you quite get the principle of 'collective bargaining'...
    _
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,116
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    It's clear on here i'm not happy with the way I'm being treated and I'm trying to leave and get another job.

    It's been 5 months now and still I'm here. It's not easy getting work out there.

    See my point above about lots of other people with similar skills. You're young enough to retrain/get a new skillset - I switched careers aged 25 to solve a similar issue.

    Rick Chasey wrote:
    I'm not sure you quite get the principle of 'collective bargaining'...
    I do, thanks. However that's not quite the same as striking is it. And in the case of one third of the Unilever workforce, are they really that badly off that they have to resort to what is effectively corporate blackmail?
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    What should the unilever staff do then, all leave their jobs and re-train?

    It's not like unilever are on the verge of bankruptcy, they're doing extremely well by all accounts, I'm sure the staff have at least something to do with this. So what's happening? An extremely well remunerated boss is deciding to cost cut their pensions, so he can claim to have improved the bottom line by xx% and help justify his pay packet.

    Believe me, despite what I've just been saying, I'm not especially left wing, I just can't believe how people seem OK with the massive (growing) wealth gap in the western world...

    Turned into a bit of a rant, sorry.
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    current financial realities

    Financial realities=soaring profits.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • neiltb
    neiltb Posts: 332
    W1 wrote:
    neiltb wrote:
    not on anyone's side, but the workers seem upset that their company is readying to shaft their future pension at a time when profits are up 20% on the year and the CEO is getting huge bonuses (I like how he takes payment in lieu of not having a company car and then gets access to a chauffeured car, I guess he has to take his own car out at the weekends).

    They have the benefit of organised labour, our plant does not.

    Bless them - I'm pretty sure, if they aren't happy, they can leave? Or have Unilever locked them all in and forced them to work?
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_upYWpj40RO8/TG2OrMNgFDI/AAAAAAAAAig/3H6hcH9Uq6Q/s1600/slopshop.jpg

    lazy gits, they should think themselves lucky to be out of their slum and working in yours
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