Scabbing?

spen666
spen666 Posts: 17,709
edited June 2011 in Commuting chat
Well as a (un)civil servant who is in a different union to those involved in the strike today ( The conservative & union party is a union is it not? )

I have a choice, do I do as I am contracted and go into work today, OR do I refuse to cross the picket lines?



Those striking do different jobs to me and there is no question of me being expected to do any of their work.



So, if I go to work, does that make me a scab?



The reality is I will not cross the picket line as that will be at the front of the building and the bike storage is accessed via the rear of the building so no pickets there
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Comments

  • Keith1983
    Keith1983 Posts: 575
    Depends if you want to get paid or not! At the minute I simply couldn't afford to strike so it would be an easy decision for me!
  • georgee
    georgee Posts: 537
    Go to work, if your public service and on strike at the moment you deserve to have your head caved in. Well done if you made it in.

    There is absolutely no sympathy from me in the private sector given i've suffered pay cuts, job insecurity for the past three years and the removal of my pension (even though it was only 3%).

    (plenty of road cyclist without bags heading into Richmond Park thismorning, maybe a few making the most of their free day off and the sunshine)
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    spen666 wrote:
    Well as a (un)civil servant who is in a different union to those involved in the strike today ( The conservative & union party is a union is it not? )


    It's Conservative and Unionist as in Northern Ireland Unionist
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • nich
    nich Posts: 888
    I thought this was going to be about proper scabs, I've got a lovely one on my elbow :D
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    Cross a picket line your scabbing.

    Do you receive the same benefits as those that are striking to keep? Are you happy about the pension reform? If the strikers were to win some concessions would you forfeit these as you never supported their action?
  • Sigurd
    Sigurd Posts: 38
    georgee wrote:
    There is absolutely no sympathy from me in the private sector given i've suffered pay cuts, job insecurity for the past three years and the removal of my pension (even though it was only 3%).

    You need to distinguish between civil servants and public servants. My most miserable time of employment was five years with a city council: removal of the career grade scheme for my post a week after I started (loss of £3000 pa); restructure to remove and recreate our posts at lower grades (loss of £3000 pa); job evaluation scheme to further reduce our grades (loss of £6000 pa). Four years later and two years into a new job and I'm still suffering the effects of those cuts.

    I'm not seeking to diminish your suffering, just to point out that all is not rosy in the public sector. Those that are doing well (director-level posts on £80,000 pa) will always do well; these are the people who circulate between public and private sector, floating above the smog of insecurity, accumulating the mythical gold-plated pensions and pay-offs.
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  • nich wrote:
    I thought this was going to be about proper scabs, I've got a lovely one on my elbow :D
    So are you going to pickit?
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    georgee wrote:

    There is absolutely no sympathy from me in the private sector given i've suffered pay cuts, job insecurity for the past three years and the removal of my pension (even though it was only 3%).

    Take it you enjoyed higher wages than the public sector during the boom right? :roll:
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Sigurd wrote:
    georgee wrote:
    There is absolutely no sympathy from me in the private sector given i've suffered pay cuts, job insecurity for the past three years and the removal of my pension (even though it was only 3%).

    You need to distinguish between civil servants and public servants. My most miserable time of employment was five years with a city council: removal of the career grade scheme for my post a week after I started (loss of £3000 pa); restructure to remove and recreate our posts at lower grades (loss of £3000 pa); job evaluation scheme to further reduce our grades (loss of £6000 pa). Four years later and two years into a new job and I'm still suffering the effects of those cuts.

    I'm not seeking to diminish your suffering, just to point out that all is not rosy in the public sector. Those that are doing well (director-level posts on £80,000 pa) will always do well; these are the people who circulate between public and private sector, floating above the smog of insecurity, accumulating the mythical gold-plated pensions and pay-offs.

    Well said.
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    georgee wrote:

    There is absolutely no sympathy from me in the private sector given i've suffered pay cuts, job insecurity for the past three years and the removal of my pension (even though it was only 3%).

    Take it you enjoyed higher wages than the public sector during the boom right? :roll:

    Generally speaking, that's not the case and hasn't been for some time. Average wages in both public and private sectors hare generally equal.
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  • d87heaven
    d87heaven Posts: 348
    georgee wrote:
    Go to work, if your public service and on strike at the moment you deserve to have your head caved in. Well done if you made it in.

    There is absolutely no sympathy from me in the private sector given i've suffered pay cuts, job insecurity for the past three years and the removal of my pension (even though it was only 3%).

    (plenty of road cyclist without bags heading into Richmond Park thismorning, maybe a few making the most of their free day off and the sunshine)

    So because you are suffering others must suffer too? I hardly call my other halfs teaching job 'secure' . She runs a daily gauntlet of being attacked both physically and verbally so Im sure a head caving is only days away. It will match her broken nose a treat I bet.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    edited June 2011
    Asprilla wrote:
    georgee wrote:

    There is absolutely no sympathy from me in the private sector given i've suffered pay cuts, job insecurity for the past three years and the removal of my pension (even though it was only 3%).

    Take it you enjoyed higher wages than the public sector during the boom right? :roll:

    Generally speaking, that's not the case and hasn't been for some time. Average wages in both public and private sectors hare generally equal.

    Not in any industry I've come across.

    Edit; a quick google has come up with this - from March 2010:
    - Public sector graduates are paid 3.4 per cent less than in the private sector.
    - Public sector workers with higher education qualifications short of a degree are paid 6.2 per cent less than in the private sector.
    - Public sector workers with A levels are paid the same as in the private sector.
    - Public sector workers with lower skills get paid more than in the private sector.

    Stats from here: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/lmsuk0210.pdf

    Everyone I know is a grad or has a degree so that's where I'm coming from with that.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/ ... n-goldacre

    This goes through the stats too.
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    georgee wrote:
    Go to work, if your public service and on strike at the moment you deserve to have your head caved in. Well done if you made it in.

    This is a pretty strong thing to say, why are you so angry at these people?
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    georgee wrote:
    Go to work, if your public service and on strike at the moment you deserve to have your head caved in. Well done if you made it in.

    Idiot.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    I scabbed - even chatted to the picketers about some work gossip. They don't have my boss though, so striking isn't an option, nor can I afford to drop a days pay.

    Those that wanted to abstain weren't even allowed to book a day's holiday, unless your kids couldn't go to school.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    Keith1983 wrote:
    Depends if you want to get paid or not! At the minute I simply couldn't afford to strike so it would be an easy decision for me!

    Unfortunately, this is the case for many people, and it is to the detriment of working conditions and quality of life.
  • Sewinman
    Sewinman Posts: 2,131
    Is it scabbng if your union is not actually striking? I would have thought not. It would seem reasonable/sensible to go to work if you are not on strike.

    I have never been on strike though, or in a union. What is the etiquette when you work somewhere where other staff, in a differing union, are on strike?
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    Cross a picket line your scabbing.

    Do you receive the same benefits as those that are striking to keep?
    different union and different jobs
    Are you happy about the pension reform? If the strikers were to win some concessions would you forfeit these as you never supported their action?
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    Then read MY BLOG @ http://www.pebennett.com

    Twittering @spen_666
  • verloren
    verloren Posts: 337
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    Cross a picket line your scabbing.

    Do you receive the same benefits as those that are striking to keep? Are you happy about the pension reform? If the strikers were to win some concessions would you forfeit these as you never supported their action?

    The flip side of that is the experience of my wife (who works in the charity sector). There have been several instances where she was ready (and in one case actually keen) to accept a new general arrangement from her employer, but couldn't because the union she had nothing to do with hadn't approved it.

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  • Confusedboy
    Confusedboy Posts: 287
    Spen, if you are in a different union, or not in a union at all, you are not disobeying the democratically mandated instruction of the union that called the strike (members agree to do this on joining a union), as the union involved has not, to my knowledge, sought that sort of support from other unions nor has it been offered. Crossing the picket is your own decision; not crossing it will cost you a day's pay and show your support and solidarity with the strikers.

    If you meant that you are a member of the conservative party, that is not a union. However, and while I would profoundly disagree with your views, you should as a point of principle cross the picket and go to work.
  • bearfraser
    bearfraser Posts: 435
    But why would we want to pay more , work longer , get less of a pension . Apparantly the NHS pension is fully funded and the 3% incrase they are suggesting as an increase will go straigh into the Government coffers and will be of NO benefit to the workers. This is only the beginning. These Torie/Lib Dem To$$ers are out too screw every one . I fully appreciate that the country is BROKE and full to overflowing with toooooooo many incommers (of any description) but some one or some bodiy is taking the PI$$ with us all
  • fossyant wrote:
    I scabbed - even chatted to the picketers about some work gossip. They don't have my boss though, so striking isn't an option, nor can I afford to drop a days pay.

    Those that wanted to abstain weren't even allowed to book a day's holiday, unless your kids couldn't go to school.

    For some people dropping a day's pay brings the hope of preventing longer term losses (which are likely to be less affordable).

    I get annoyed with people who join me at the pub and don't expect to buy a round.
    I get annoyed with people who hope to reap any benefits and protection negotiated by the union but are unwilling to support these efforts.
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • georgee
    georgee Posts: 537
    georgee wrote:

    There is absolutely no sympathy from me in the private sector given i've suffered pay cuts, job insecurity for the past three years and the removal of my pension (even though it was only 3%).

    Take it you enjoyed higher wages than the public sector during the boom right? :roll:

    Not sure I noticed both private and public sector pay/benefits not doing well in boom years, there's no suprise me and my friends all worked for our local councils job agency between studying rather than a private sector on as the work was easier and higher paid.