The planned BBC strike

[davek]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/01/ed-miliband-bbc-strike

...the plan by the NUJ to strike and take the Tory Party conference off the screens is now condemned by Ed Miliband - the one in the pocket of the unions. Hmmm.

Where do you stand on this?

I say go ahead with the strike and take the evil-doers off the air - although they are good for a laugh when the backwoodsmen drag their knuckles to the lectern and call for the death penalty re-introduction. It's a tough one.

 

[chicoazul]

I think well in for playing fair.

But they're Tories at the end of the day and don't play fair so do the population a favour and get that picket nice and aggressive.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Nice of a trade union to stick to type and not give two hoots about what the customer wants. I mean they're only the people that pay their wages.

 

[davek]

If they allow it to go on, the unions should insist that the Tory speeches are dubbed - as the Sinn Fein MPs were years ago. I'd like to see spaghetti western-type dubbing with the odd gunfire thrown in.

 

[chicoazul]

Nice of a trade union to stick to type and not give two hoots about what the customer wants. I mean they're only the people that pay their wages.

So they aren't entitled to a fair wages and benefits package for an honest day's work, because the customers pay them?

You're endorsing slavery dear sir, you massive racist.

 

[davek]

Nice of a trade union to stick to type and not give two hoots about what the customer wants. I mean they're only the people that pay their wages.

You see if you'd not dived in with your size 12s on before reading around the subject you'd know that the strike action comes at the Tory Conference simply because it was the one that was left them to strike over after the prolonged gap it took to file the strike action and get a vote on it to satisfy the legal gits who put the anti-TU Laws together. They'll be striking after the conference too.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

So they aren't entitled to a fair wages and benefits package for an honest day's work, because the customers pay them?

You're endorsing slavery dear sir, you massive racist.

Who says what's fair? Sky can pay their staff more (presumably - I mean Sky staff aren't striking, BBC are so there must be a big gap or something) because Sky charge more for their telly. If the license fee went up then maybe BBC could pay their people more. Of course no one will want to do that so it's off to the mystical money tree or to the pickets we'll go.

It sadly reflects the intelligence of the average Union that this is the only bargaining chip they seem able to deploy.

Reminds me of a nice interview with the legendary Jack Welch

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217360

One of the executives was lamenting that the new "Work Out" program Welch introduced to rid the company of unnecessary bureaucracy wasn't effective. He complained that he was working 90 hours a week and couldn't make time on weekends to be with his family.

My jaw fell when, instead of giving an understanding, empathetic answer, Welch said, "That’s your fault." Welch went on to admonish the guy, and everyone else listening, that if they couldn't find time for important things in their life outside of work, it was time to change the scope of the job or get out. If you can’t change it by talking to your boss or delegating, the only other choice is to get out. Because, Welch said, bitching about it and bringing everyone else’s performance to a standstill is not an option.

Sadly all many in heavily unionised industries seem capable of doing is bitching about it and bringing everyone else down with them.

 

[Muggins]

If they allow it to go on, the unions should insist that the Tory speeches are dubbed - as the Sinn Fein MPs were years ago. I'd like to see spaghetti western-type dubbing with the odd gunfire thrown in.

I think they should over-dub Chinese in a role reversal with Kung-Fu movies...

 

[davek]

I think they should over-dub Chinese in a role reversal with Kung-Fu movies...

Imagine the audience they'd get if Jet Li was let loose drop kicking the chinless tvvats all over the shop.

 

[davek]

One of the executives was lamenting that the new "Work Out" program Welch introduced to rid the company of unnecessary bureaucracy wasn't effective. He complained that he was working 90 hours a week and couldn't make time on weekends to be with his family.

My jaw fell when, instead of giving an understanding, empathetic answer, Welch said, "That’s your fault." Welch went on to admonish the guy, and everyone else listening, that if they couldn't find time for important things in their life outside of work, it was time to change the scope of the job or get out. If you can’t change it by talking to your boss or delegating, the only other choice is to get out. Because, Welch said, bitching about it and bringing everyone else’s performance to a standstill is not an option.

He sounds like a complete cnut.

 

[chicoazul]

Who says what's fair? Sky can pay their staff more (presumably - I mean Sky staff aren't striking, BBC are so there must be a big gap or something) because Sky charge more for their telly. If the license fee went up then maybe BBC could pay their people more. Of course no one will want to do that so it's off to the mystical money tree or to the pickets we'll go.

It sadly reflects the intelligence of the average Union that this is the only bargaining chip they seem able to deploy.

Reminds me of a nice interview with the legendary Jack Welch

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217360



Sadly all many in heavily unionised industries seem capable of doing is bitching about it and bringing everyone else down with them.

Its relative to standard of living lid, always has been. And the BBC are on the government's pay roll, which is no pay roll to be on at the moment. But should that been enforced upon them? Or should the Tories believe in a fair competitive wage for those on their payroll?

Seems if you are a banker then all is fair in love and war, [Poor language removed] the entire country up with your greed, sack the bonuses off for a year and then while the working class man is picking up the bill, resume your nice big fat bonuses. Normal service is resumed.

 

[Robert Jarvis]

hey Dave give it a rest and calm down.

Dave I watched the labour conference and guess what they acted as though the last 13 years did not exist.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

He sounds like a complete cnut.

Quite possibly the finest manager of the 20th century.

Its relative to standard of living lid, always has been. And the BBC are on the government's pay roll, which is no pay roll to be on at the moment. But should that been enforced upon them? Or should the Tories believe in a fair competitive wage for those on their payroll?

Seems if you are a banker then all is fair in love and war, [Poor language removed] the entire country up with your greed, sack the bonuses off for a year and then while the working class man is picking up the bill, resume your nice big fat bonuses. Normal service is resumed.

That's just it though, it shouldn't be. That's the wrong way round. Staff should be paid what customers are prepared to pay for the product or service those staff provide. If that isn't enough then you either get out of the business or find some other way to do it (such as outsourcing). The customer should always be in control of business. It's a simple fact that the unions really need to be reminded of on a regular basis, although of course their customer is the worker so I suppose in that sense they're doing a good job. Where things get muddled is when the customer supports the union for ripping them off. Can't quite get that at all.

After all, those BBC people knew the salary they'd be offered when they took the job (presumably it was sufficient for them to agree at the time). If their salary is insufficient for the value they offer to the BBC and the license payer then presumably all the other tv and media companies must be lining up to snaffle them away from the Beeb.

It's like football. If a player doesn't feel he's being paid enough, providing he's a good enough player he can always move to another club willing to pay him what he thinks he's worth. As Jack said, quit your moaning and do something about it. If these people don't think they're earning enough, get back into the job market. If they're not confident enough to do that then maybe they should be grateful they have a job in the first place and aren't on the dole like many others right now.

 

[davek]

Quite possibly the finest manager of the 20th century.
.

That's what I said.

 

[chicoazul]

Like your analogies but it falls down a bit mate, when you say "the BBC people all knew the salary when they took the job" is fine, and yes I agree with that but inflation and the course of time changes things badly. Who's the say all of those striking have been working there two years or less, unlikely. Unfortunately inflation also affects near enough every outgoing you have, all your bills, your food and drink and your bus ticket so wages need to rise accordingly. Which the Tories don't believe, they believe that putting a freeze on the working class wage can be covered by the cape of austerity. It can't.

Reign in the fat cats and the masses may start to listen.

Outsourcing is not the way forward exactly is it? I mean the railways, post office and such were all outsourced by the Tories for a quick buck. You can only sell your family jewels once mate.

I think what I'm trying to say is GET CHAVEZ IN.