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strike
jacko - 6/4/09 at 06:25 PM

Where i work it looks like there will be no pay rise this year and i here words like strike bantered about so what i would like to know is if some one is not in the union can they go on strike legally ?
or are they open for dismissal by the firm

catman - 6/4/09 at 06:31 PM

IMHO in the current climate i think your mad to strike unless theres no alternative, be thankfull you have a job

Ed

catman - 6/4/09 at 06:33 PM

^^^^we agree on something then paul LOL

Ed

matt_claydon - 6/4/09 at 06:34 PM

Inflation is pretty much at zero so no pay rise this year is pretty much the same as getting 3% or so in previous years.

People who strike in these economic times are doing a good job of making sure it won't be long before they have no company to work for.

Just my opinion of course...

Miketheconn - 6/4/09 at 06:40 PM

Don't take this as gospel because I am no expert. But I am led to believe that if the strike is legal i.e. there has been a legal vote for industrial action by the union members and proper notice has been served on the company that you cannot be dissmissed for taking industrial action. This includes non union members who refuse to cross a picket line. Of course the company wont pay you. If you were a Union member then there is a chance the Union might pay strike pay.

It is a basic right

Flamez - 6/4/09 at 06:42 PM

If you are not in the union you cannot legally strike. The action is between the relevant TU and employer.

Miketheconn - 6/4/09 at 06:50 PM

quote:
Originally posted by catman
IMHO in the current climate i think your mad to strike unless theres no alternative, be thankfull you have a job

Ed


How many companies are not paying pay rises because they are struggling in this current climate and how many are not paying a payrise because they can get away with it because of all of the media hype regarding the current climate.

As regard the current inflation rate it depends what measure you are using RPI or CPI

Paradoxia0 - 6/4/09 at 06:56 PM

I would be happy with no pay rise this year, in stead we all "volunteered" to take a 3.5% paycut! (an initiative to save some jobs but makes most of us that took it struggle even harder!)

Mark

Bigheppy - 6/4/09 at 06:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by matt_claydon
Inflation is pretty much at zero so no pay rise this year is pretty much the same as getting 3% or so in previous years.

People who strike in these economic times are doing a good job of making sure it won't be long before they have no company to work for.

Just my opinion of course...


Current inflation levels may be at zero levels but consider recent rises in all the utility bills and fuel costs. It seems to me that the EMPLOYERS are using the current figures to say no to pay rises and ignoring everything else. Many businesses use previous years figures to calculate low pay rises when they have had a bad year but have brilliant projections and no pay rises when the future looks bleak despite good returns the previous year. I'm begining to think that these recessions are manufactured by the money people to keep the workers poor while they get richer ............ come the revolution POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Miketheconn - 6/4/09 at 07:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Flamez
If you are not in the union you cannot legally strike. The action is between the relevant TU and employer.


This is not quite correct. If the union members in your company go out on strike and you refuse to cross the picket line you cannot be sacked as an individual.If you are you can claim unfair dismissal.

However the company can sack everyone who refuses to work. But if the majority of staff in a firm are in the union then it would not be in the firms interest to dismiss a large proportion of its staff. That includes the Union members as well, but cannot discriminate against any particular individual or group.

MikeRJ - 6/4/09 at 07:09 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Paradoxia0
I would be happy with no pay rise this year, in stead we all "volunteered" to take a 3.5% paycut! (an initiative to save some jobs but makes most of us that took it struggle even harder!)

Mark


Agreed, I have a 10% pay cut, and ISTR someone on here had quite a bit more than that. I wouldn't entertain the idea of striking, I value being employed far too much.

tomblyth - 6/4/09 at 07:13 PM

why dont you join the union now? before action start? you dont need to tell anyone at work if you dont want to! or you could sign on the sick the day the strike starts, your employer wont sack you when your sick!

designer - 6/4/09 at 07:32 PM

Funny how the 'public purse' is getting away with no hardship; as always!

tomprescott - 6/4/09 at 07:47 PM

You don't have the right to go on strike as an individual, and to be honest if not getting a rise is the worst of your worries then you're lucky, considering how many people have lost their jobs.

Peteff - 6/4/09 at 08:59 PM

I worked for a steel making company years ago who told us we would have to take a pay cut or face job losses. We took the hit and six months later they finished a third of the work force anyway. The firm was then bought out by British Steel (before Corus) and closed because it was competition. Ask how many of the management are taking a drop.