Firefighters Strike....Yes or No?

Justin · Post by **Justin** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 4:53 pm

So that's why you got a CC erm, you wanted a car with a name you could spell.

CB · Post by CB » Wed Feb 05, 2003 5:51 pm

Thanks Justin...I love a healthy debate.
Anyone else got anything to add?

Coming soon - Religion: Is there a God? Or is it all a crock...

Mr_AWOL · Post by **Mr_AWOL** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 11:22 pm

As the son of two of the miners who went on strike, and since the missus was involved in strike , a couple of points:

1 - My parents supported a man who needed to go back to work,. as they knew his life would be made a misery if he crossed the picket line

2 - My other half was victim of a mini hate campaign when she expressed concerns that we were going to struggle financially if she continued to strike. This was during a strike she didnt even agree with

Both these cases show that in a lot of cases, not even the strikers want to go on, but mob mentality rules - i know of firemen in the same situation!

I would also like to reitterate the fact that wages are, largely, driven by economics, and (rightly or wrongly) the firemen are not in a position to demand high wages. It would be nice if all nurses/firemen/police/forces/etc were given massive pay rises, and i certainly wouldnt turn MY bosses down if they offered ME 40% in my next pay review, but in the case of the firemen, the job doesn't warrant it, and the country can't support it, and a common sense of decency would prevent them from taking up the time of our already overstretched armed forces at this difficult time.

Blimey, should apply for a job in parliament!

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 12:26 am

to keep it simple, if firemen get a 40% pay rise them me wants to be a fireman.

in the meantime the firemen lose out while on strike as they need to sit outside at their little camp fires instead of sleeping and playing pool like they normally do.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 12:40 am

Question.

How come the first thing all the firefireghters do when they go on stike is go out side and set fire to something.

They all seem to have a blazing oil drum

Is it their way of saying ......... Look we're on strike....so on on strike that not only are we not putting fires out we're actually starting 'em.

Perhaps they just like living dangerously..... so no dangerous job to do..... lets start a fire and hope it gets out of control cos that would be REALY DANGEROUS .........you know there's no one to put it out.

CB · Post by CB » Thu Feb 06, 2003 10:46 am

Good points people. I actually parked my car up and went for a "chat" with some striking firemen the other week (and, yes, they did have a blazing drum outside!) I asked them if they knew what they were actually striking for and if they thought they had a hope in hell of getting much out of it. The general consensus was they were doing what their union told them (mob-rule) and some of them didn't really have a fcukin' clue what they were in it for. I explained to them about the strain this is putting on the Armed Forces and especially their families (some of these guys went straight from Exercise Saif Sareea 2 in the Gulf, to Afghanistan, to FF duties and have had little or no time with their families since August 2001. Now that sucks and is fundamentally wrong.
They agreed and looked a little ashamed. Still, they offered me a hot-dog and that won me over to their cause!

CB · Post by CB » Thu Feb 06, 2003 10:47 am

Oh yeah, I wonder how much it has cost to get all those baseball caps with the flames on made up? A fair bit I would imagine....bet that gets taken out of whatever pay-rise they do get in the end....

Justin · Post by **Justin** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 1:46 pm

[quote=""Duncan""]Question.
How come the first thing all the firefireghters do when they go on stike is go out side and set fire to something.
[quote]

Still, I suppose a slightly unhealthy interest in combustion is probably useful in that line of work.

rob · Post by **rob** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 7:25 pm

Greg is about to get a payrise

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2735071.stm

CB · Post by CB » Fri Feb 07, 2003 7:46 pm

Thanks Rob...I missed the announcement today. Between 3.2% and 3.7% then? Well, sorry, not good enough....lets lock all the shipyards, airfields and barracks up, withdraw our armed forces from all foreign theatres, take them off firefighting duties, search and rescue duties, mountain rescue duties etc and strike. Oops, no, sorry I forgot, being in a public service industry we don't have that right because it would put the nations security and public safety at risk. Good job the Firemen don't provide a service like that isn't it? Oh right they do? And they still strike? And peoples lives are at risk? Well, as long as people keep tooting their horns at them I suppose we'll all be ok and I'll sleep easier at night...

Troops worries

Before the pay announcements, Jim Knight, a Labour MP on the Commons defence select committee, stressed soldiers were putting their lives on the line.

That meant they should expect better pay than the Â£13,000 starting salary on which the lower ranks began, argued Mr Knight.

Ministers are keen to end the annual pay round, preferring deals which are spread over two or three years.

Firefighters and their employers are expected to re-start negotiations on Monday after a bitter campaign of industrial action.

If a deal involving changes to working practices can be struck, it might mean rises of up to 16%.

rob · Post by **rob** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 11:00 am

well if it makes you feel any better. We never got a pay rise last year and have been told that we wont be getting one this year either.

So thats 2 years already and no plans for lifting the payrise embargo.

So feel sorry for me

not for this smug b'astard

no wonder he is smiling

Anger at Lord Irvine's Â£22,000 rise

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2738975.stm

toot · Post by **toot** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 6:03 am

Could get in trouble here but here goes...........

I think firefighters do a great job and desreve more money. However...........

I don't think they have any business striking. People know the pay when they join and thats not why they join, they join to help people. With that in mind, I think its terrible that they would go on strike and not do anything, risking human lives just becasue they want to prove a point. As I said, i think they deserve extra but from any other people, we would call them mercenaries. With this in mind, do they even deserve the jobs? There are loads of people out there willing to replace them and they know what pay they will be stuck with. Do they care? No, they still want the job.

OK, let the slating begin...........................................

Hope this doesn't cause any offence or upset as I know a lot of people feel strongly. i've made it clear though that I'm on their side, I just don't think they are doing the right thing.

toot · Post by **toot** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 6:09 am

Oh yeah, I wonder how much it has cost to get all those baseball caps with the flames on made up? A fair bit I would imagine....bet that gets taken out of whatever pay-rise they do get in the end....

Slightly off topic but does everyone here remember the barracades of the fuel a couple of years ago? When the city folk started slagging off the truckers, the truckers came back with "we are doing it for everyone and will not stop until everybody that drives a car gets a fair deal". OK, maybe not an exact quote but something like that.

Anyway, I seem to remember the government offering them a nice discount or deal (although I forget what it was now) and all of a sudden it stopped. Whatever happened to the cheaper fuel they were trying to get for us too???????

Oi, farmers, no!!!!!!!!!!!! sort it out.

They get a deal and they forget us.

Mr_AWOL · Post by **Mr_AWOL** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 1:28 pm

Oi, farmers, no!!!!!!!!!!!! sort it out.

They get a deal and they forget us.

Apparently farmers have been known to request burial in shallow grave, since if they are only a couple of feet below surface they will still be able to get a hand out! (hardly 'A' material but i am seriously suffering the morning after the night before!)

Anyway - my turn for a slating (still off topic) Farmers are a drain on the economy, with their ridiculously high subsisies, foot & mouth compensation schemes, duty free diesel, etc

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 9:14 pm

Now this is a bit of a generalisation but

But the British farmer is having a bad time at pressent don't pick on him

It would be cheeper for the consumer if we imported most of our food this is not what the consumer wants.
1. We would given a choise prefer to buy british for Emotional reasons
2. Prefer to buy british if it give better welfare standard for live stock
3. Like to enjoy a country landscape formed and maintained by farmers
4. Like to take pride and think british food is best.

Many farmers because of the powers of supermarkets to dictate price have to produce food at or near cost making very little profit. Crises like Foot and mouth BSE and food poisoning scares only serve to push farmers over the edge in an industry already hard pressed.

The vast majoirity of livestock farmers where affected by Foot and mouth only a minority of these lost there stock and where compensated. Even then there was no compensation for the emotion investmnt in the farmers stock. You should also bear in mind that that and individul herd may have been build up over many years to contain a gene pool of high pruducing stock this is not easily replaced by buying new animals.

The famers who do make a profit are those who produce food on a industrial scale which is mostly in the interest of the food producers and retailers not in the interest of the consumer. Theye produce food to the lowest common demominator. And it if from industrial food production where the problems which worry consumers usually eminate.

If you always insist on the cheepest posable food you will always have problems and subsidies or no british farmers.