Dracoro

BBC NEWS | UK | Council workers walk out over pay

Surprising how no media attention on this until it happens, anyway..

Darling and Brown been going on about not giving pay rises (esp above inflation rate) and now the unions are striking. If they give in then they lose ALL credibility regarding saying no pay rises, if they don't are we gonna get a summer of discontent???

PeteBrant

I hope the council workers stick to thier guns.

Itsd all well and good for Darling to ask that public and private workers not bei given inflationary rises (which is what he has said, let alone above inflation), but all the inflationary pressure is coming from basic living needs, all luxuries are coming down in price, thus having no impact on inflation whatsoever.

Darlings arguments is if we spend less, then inflation will reduce. Well, no, sorry, I cannot buy less petrol, less food, less warmth.

This is why he won't bring in a fuel stabiliser as George Osborne wants (which was actually suggested by a Labour Backbencher about 6 months ago) he is worried about the effect on inflation if fuel becomes affordable all of a sudden.

Sounds laughable doesn't it - affordable fuel (and thus a knock on on food prices etc) being denied by the Government incase inflation runs away.

mykp

so the council workers are on strike, cant say i'll notice.

they dont even empty our bins when their working!

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

It was bin day today for us, and as usual there is a trail of rubbish and destruction left behind.

I wish I had a fire in my house instead of central heating then I would burn EVERYTHING like my Dad did when I was a kid. If there was a plume of toxic black smoke coming out of our chimney I knew dad was home.

It would Save paying these ridiculous gas prices as well.

dpb

My goodness - rewind 30 years and weve got another winter of discontent coming up and another government as well

ScoobyWon't

They're on strike? I wonder who just went by an emptied my wheelie bin?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Several schools near us to close for TWO days.

Where is all the media attention on lost education, such as was seen when one teacher's union went on strike for ONE day a couple of months back?

Alcazar

Leslie

Strangely our dustbin men are working today, maybe they have had a quiet backhander since they cant afford piles of rubbish all over a holiday area.

This brings back memories of Callaghan's government which turned into the "winter of discontent". Not really surprising that the workers are fed up when they see the obscene bonuses the bosses are getting despite all the gross errors thay keep on making!

Amazing to see such a "them and us" regime under what is suppposed to be a Labour Government. Incredible to see all this talk about wage restraint when they are well and truly on the gravy train and also the way our tax money is being squandered on useless "initiatives".

Les

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Of course you can, don't be ridiculous. It's OK having a pop at the government, they deserve it, but that for most of us that statement is plain silly as of course you can use less petrol, less domaestic fuel and even buy food a bit more cunningly and be less wasteful of it of course.

Just maybe if a few more people thought like that some good would come of this mess.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

As I keep saying Les they may be greedy self serving pigs at the trough but they sure as hell ain't socialists.

r32

Probably a contracted company. But I dont think all councils are on strike are they?

PeteBrant

Really? So tell me, given that I drive to work and back every day, and that about it during the week and I drive to London and back to see my kids once a fortnight
How can I use less fuel?

I use the necesarry power to wash, cook and clean - Not going to cut back on showering/washing clothes etc.

I never waste food

Where are these savings supposed to be coming from?

You might live a wasteful lifestyle but I certainly don't. Ands I should imagine that goes for plenty of people.

Like I said, inflationary pressure is coming from essentials, and there is only so much cutting back you can do on what you need to live.

Tidgy

tbh i have no sympathy for them at all, we've had all our benefits removed and not getting a payrise this year, i don't mean additional to inflation, i mean as in nothing extra whatso ever and ther emoaning about only a 2% raise. well welcome to the real world.

wanna know y our tax is going up, theres your answer.

sorry sore subject at the min

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

no sympathy at all for them, where i live they get paid a lot more than the average wage plus i cant get an above inflation payrise.

our local council has just admitted an overspend of 2.7 million and then they go on strike...... i see people laid off due to financial reasons

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Ah yes sorry I might of known you were perfect

All I am saying is that there are things most of us (obviously not you of course ) can do to lessen the pain of the current economic situation.

The trouble is that inflation and interest rates have been so good for so long most of you have never experienced this sort of thing or have forgotten about it. Used to happen every 3/4 years so you kind of got used to it

FlightMan

PeterBrant is spot on here. I'm pretty sure most of us dont:

Drive for the sake of it.
Heat our homes for the sake of it.
Eat for the sake of it.

Cutting back on life's essentials isn't that easy.

PeteBrant

:Sigh:
When, in the last, say 40 years, has inflation been driven by rises in essentials, rather than non-essential goods?

I was around in the 80's, I remember high inflation, but

(i)Inflation incuded house prices in a burgeoning market
(ii)We did not have the long term low interest/low infaltion back story that has forced the current situation.

I am 37, and I cannot ever remember inflation being so driven by rises in basic commodities.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

YouTube - **** hitting fan

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Hold on a moment here. The low interest rates/low inflation situation has not forced the current situation. It simply makes it more focused as we are used to low inflation these days.

The current primary driver of inflation is global fuel prices. Yes agreed these weren't a driver in the 80s but that was nothing to do with good government or bad government then or now.

Look I am not defending the government as there are a myriad of things they could and should be doing and of course as ever they aren't, but I am saying there are things some of us could do to lessen the impact other than just blaming everything on the government and carrying on as before.

PeteBrant

The government could, as stated, introduce a fuel stabiliser, thus fixing the price of fuel, rather than allowing it to go up by a penny a week as it seems to have been for the last few months.

This would have a knock on effect on food.

The privatisation of British Gas etc in the 80's assured ever rising heating bills, so I wouldn't blame the current government for that one.

I would say you would have to be earning a substantial amount not to be feelign the pinch at the moment, even with the tightening of belts - Certainly considerably more than the average wage.

PeteBrant

it certainly hasn't helped.

A long term low interest, low inflation economy promoted one thing; Borrowing. Unsustainable borrowing. Based on a low interest rate, and the value of property going through the roof.

Make a modest increase in either, and the whole thing goes **** up. As amply demonstrated.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Yes agreed 100%, but don't you think this is a case of reaping what you sow?

If people really are stupid enough to think low interest rates and low inflation can last forever then they need their heads examined.

Admittedly the financial institutions have been woefully irresponsible and the goverment have let it happen, but ultimately it comes down to the individual.

As for the prevuious government don't get me started LOL!

Look I am not picking a fight with you. I guess I just despair a bit when it appears (and it probaby isn't true in your case) that people no longer expect to help themselves at least a little. Yes the government are a bunch of ****wits, but that doesn't mean we all shouldn't try to help oursleves as well rather than just blame them for everything and carry on regardless.

PeteBrant

It is, but, the Government has a level of responsibility.
People really are stupid
It does come down to the individual, but I would have liked to have seen much tighter controls on who can borrow who can borrow how much. Some examples are just plain ridiculous
It's cool, I know

I just think that there comes a point where the government has to stoep in to ease the pressure.

We are going to have a recession, it's absolutely inevitable. And I just think the Government could be doing more to prepare for it, rather than burying thier heads in the sand.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Sadly they are LOL!

Yes I agree, sadly a bit late for that. A nasty case of making hay while the sun shines for them I am afraid.

Yes, but it is almost like they know they aren't going to be in power to pick up the pieces. It is truly jawdropping how little they seem to even acknowledge what is happening. And as they aren't doing anything I guess we need to do the best we can ourselves.

PeteBrant

I think they are praying for a miracle, and that the economy will have an upturn, and they can then claim the credit for it by not panicking.

They know that any admission of recession pretty much seals thier fate

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Yes well they are deluded then.... but we know that

PeteBrant

On some things, yes. Things is, I am a lefty, so it pains me to see them acting like such *****, and virtually forcing me to vote Tory next time round.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Crikey mate calm down. No need to get abusive.... voting Tory indeed

I am the same as you, but I just can't vote next time. There is no one to vote for.

PeteBrant

It reminds me of how I felt when I watched farenheit 911.

"Curse you Michael Moore, curse you. You have managed to do what I thought no one would ever manage to do; Make me feel pity for George Bush."