Flashman Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 In about two beers time we will start reading the BNP/UKIP drivel, none of which will make a blind bit of difference. A mainstream party - and realistically that means the Tories - need to step up on these issues. Trouble is, they don't want to because Labour will paint them all as rabid bigots. A bit like the demographic of this Forum... We need to follow the French system: mass, crippling strikes. Often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myzeneye Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 i never use non-british tradesmen,i never use car washes manned by foreign workers, or 24 hr garages that sell overpriced groceries manned by the owner 24hrs a day,never eat danish bacon,new zealand lamb,crossants,mcdonalds=foreign food,does it make me racist ,i do not care,i might not be doing much but ,i am doing more than most. good on yer mate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullbore Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 A good way to express your displeasure would be not to buy TOTAL petrol. Get all your friends to boycott them too and if everyone did it, then they would soon rethink their policies. Hit em where it hurts, in the pockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDYD Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I don't fink its the overseas workers thats got the unions back up but Brown with his British jobs for British workers speech. This has cost him his job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 i never use non-british tradesmen,i never use car washes manned by foreign workers, or 24 hr garages that sell overpriced groceries manned by the owner 24hrs a day,never eat danish bacon,new zealand lamb,crossants,mcdonalds=foreign food,does it make me racist ,i do not care,i might not be doing much but ,i am doing more than most. I admire your zeal but you must be a hermit to avoid all foreign goods. The gas, water and electricity companies are all foreign owned. There's also a good chance you bank is either foreign or State-owned, depending upon the quality of the previous management. What about your car? unless it's a Morgan or black cab, that's also foreign. Do you have Sky..? In fact, all that's left is ... I can't think of a suitable closing gag: that's a sad state of affairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nial Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 We need to follow the French system: mass, crippling strikes. Or, say sod the rules and do what's right for Britain. I can't blame any foreign worker coming to Britain to work hard for a few years to set themselves up back at home, it's what I would do in the same situation. What I don't like is how, by living 8 to an appartment etc, they can then afford to under-cut indiginous tradesmen who have to pay a mortgage/PAYE/support a family at British prices etc I also don't think there's been any analysis of how much money has left the country like this. There was a report (the government tried to bury) a year or so ago which said that immigrant labour had no real positive or negative effect on our economy but surprisingly it didn't take the constant drain of money out of our economy into account. Nial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digger Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Derek, please indulge me, what car do you drive, who made your fridge and is your tv made in Britain? MC - totally agree, the unions are dinosaurs and know it. Sooner they keel over the better, although why they remain a northern fixation is any ones guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnut Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) A lot of people are discussing and debating this story, but do they know the full sp, from what i understand and have read / heard about it recently, it appears that they don't. Just seems to me that the unions and media are whipping it into a frenzy. They did the same thing at a power station that is being built by "FOREIGN LABOUR" near Newark, i work on this site, and there are a damn site more English workers than Eu labour. This foreign labour force as they called it are the people who actually designed and built the equipment (boilers and turbines ) that is being installed, so who better to fit it. They are putting money back into the local economy via rented housing, local shops, Income tax and National insurance. Ref the Immingham situation / north lyndsey refinery Apparently the particular contract for this work was put out to tender quite a while ago, major English companies were also invited to tender for the contract, but it appears that their workforces were fully comitted to other ongoing construction projects elswhere all over the country, and couldn't get the workforce in place when it was needed. The italian company won the contract because it had the relevant workforce ready to go Edited February 2, 2009 by wingnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat 1 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 i never use non-british tradesmen,i never use car washes manned by foreign workers, or 24 hr garages that sell overpriced groceries manned by the owner 24hrs a day,never eat danish bacon,new zealand lamb,crossants,mcdonalds=foreign food,does it make me racist ,i do not care,i might not be doing much but ,i am doing more than most. What shells do you shoot? There is not a single manufacturer of shells in the british isles.They are all assemblers.But then if Eley were still ruling the roost you would be paying 15 pound a box for them now. I dont know what the answer is but I think Britain is big enough and wealthy enough to manufacture its needs in the most part.We are all dependant on foreigners for most of what we use.This is because the fat cats who run the country dont give two hoots about britain,all they are concerned with is a fast buck and they dont care who suffers so long as they can get it. Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8landy Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 the workers are putting zilch into the local economy ,they are staying on a floating hotel in grimsby.ships like that must be booked months in advance ,the italian firm who got the contract had no intention of using local people .hopefully this will be a start of british people first. You could say exactly the same about British workers working off shore in any oil producing country in the world. Remember this contract was signed in 2006, why no strikes then? Brown made his speach in 2007, why no strikes then? They have all just shot themseleves in the foot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Derek, please indulge me, what car do you drive, who made your fridge and is your tv made in Britain? MC - totally agree, the unions are dinosaurs and know it. Sooner they keel over the better, although why they remain a northern fixation is any ones guess. Indeed, I only buy my bananas from my local Sainsburys which is just round the corner from me As for striking, I quite admire the French for their complete **** you attitude, but their strikes are apparently manned entirely by immigrant teenagers from gehttos that don't need too much of an excuse to set something on fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight32 Posted February 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) No you are quite right, Now't wrong with standing up for your rights. But that is where your arguement fails. These people are not employed because it is their right to be in a job. They should be bloody grateful that they have a job in the first place and they should get back to work and do the job they are paid to do. It is a bloody shame that Maggie Thatcher didn't break all the unions, maybe just maybe this country would be great again. Derek, please indulge me, what car do you drive, who made your fridge and is your tv made in Britain? MC - totally agree, the unions are dinosaurs and know it. Sooner they keel over the better, although why they remain a northern fixation is any ones guess. I refute that remark regarding unions in engineering. Got us rights which for which we still have today...... Biggest mistake this country ever made was not supporting the miners as well. Margaret Thatcher only broke them becuase they wer bigger than she was. Anyway We will all agree to disagree on this one as unless you are employed directly in the industry you will not understand the mechanics of it. When I was an apprentice I had to make the tea.... Shop steward heard about it and the whole site went into distpute for three days over 'management attitude'- I ended up on the drink in Redcar and met the wife-So not all bad is it-Or is it B) Only trouble is 20 years on and now I am a supervisor I am still making the tea And on less money too Edited February 2, 2009 by starlight32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight32 Posted February 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 You could say exactly the same about British workers working off shore in any oil producing country in the world. Remember this contract was signed in 2006, why no strikes then? Brown made his speach in 2007, why no strikes then? They have all just shot themseleves in the foot! I don't think so.......When I was in Africa 12 years ago they needed all the help they could get, and still do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Where were the "I only buy british" members during the toaster thread My sanity was questioned becuase I didn't buy a £5 chinkie throw away item every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullbore Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Where were the "I only buy british" members during the toaster thread My sanity was questioned becuase I didn't buy a £5 chinkie throw away item every year. How soon they forget the great toaster incident Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taz24 Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 . Just on the news today so I can't prove or disprove it. The official numbers of UK workers, working in other EU countries is 46.000 The official number of non UK, EU workers in the UK is 16.000 So there are more than twice as many of us out of the country as we have in. If they were all to return home as a straight swap what do you suppose would happen. taz . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullbore Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 . Just on the news today so I can't prove or disprove it. The official numbers of UK workers, working in other EU countries is 46.000 The official number of non UK, EU workers in the UK is 16.000 So there are more than twice as many of us out of the country as we have in. If they were all to return home as a straight swap what do you suppose would happen. taz . And what about the "unofficial" numbers, workers on the black etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myzeneye Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 does size of country come into the equation anywhere here ? we is an island believe??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJN Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Prehaps you would like to explain yourself-I take it you do do not support the preservation of uk jobs? Er where did I say I that ?. UK jobs have been going overseas for years 'talked to your bank recently, very few have call centres in then UK, how about your insurance company. Did everyone support the UK workers then when their jobs went 'OFFSHORE'. I laugh because Brown is 'saving the world economy' and "uk/british jobs for uk/british workers" (oh skilled of course) is just another of his absurd sounds bites. now if only Lord Mandy could spin his way out of this one for him. ! p.s. As I'm working offshore, I'm 8 hours ahead of uk time, so sorry for the delay, but this is a good thread, nice lively debate. And yes , if everyone bought British, (cars , TVs, toasters etc.) we would not be such a sorry state as we're in now. Peace to the world. M. Sunny warm (29c.) Singapore :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 (edited) I refute that remark regarding unions in engineering. Got us rights which for which we still have today...... Biggest mistake this country ever made was not supporting the miners as well. Margaret Thatcher only broke them becuase they wer bigger than she was. Anyway We will all agree to disagree on this one as unless you are employed directly in the industry you will not understand the mechanics of it. When I was an apprentice I had to make the tea.... Shop steward heard about it and the whole site went into distpute for three days over 'management attitude'- I ended up on the drink in Redcar and met the wife-So not all bad is it-Or is it B) Only trouble is 20 years on and now I am a supervisor I am still making the tea And on less money too I am sorry Rob but, that is exactly why the unions do no good whatsoever for the british economy. One out all out because the apprentice had to make the tea? Jesus christ you really want to wake up to the real world and smell the coffee. Margaret Thatcher broke the miners because A ) she could because she still remains the only british prime minister with any balls, and B ) because they got too big for their boots and needed bringing down a few pegs. I know people blame her for ruining the mining industry but if you are really honest with yourself you know that the miners did that themselves. The energy workers are heading down the same route, especially know UK companies can employ who they like. Edited February 3, 2009 by MC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyo Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 I am sorry Rob but, that is exactly why the unions do no good whatsoever for the british economy. One out all out because the apprentice had to make the tea? Jesus christ you really want to wake up to the real world and smell the coffee. the unions asked them to go back...the men themselfs chose not to...you really should listen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight32 Posted February 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 I am sorry Rob but, that is exactly why the unions do no good whatsoever for the british economy. One out all out because the apprentice had to make the tea? Jesus christ you really want to wake up to the real world and smell the coffee. the unions asked them to go back...the men themselfs chose not to...you really should listen The tea making incident was 20 years ago, not a recent occourance.But it was a true representation of the times. Before you make comment on me 'waking up to the real world' I suggest you take a look at two things. Firstly are you employed in the Engineering industry? How many times have you been made redundant in your working career? And finally are you a tradesman of any sort? If you cannot abide to any of those statements then you are in postion to comment as most people don't have the numptials to go on strike in this country as they are afraid of their own shadow. We might be a militant bunch but at least these guys have the balls to stand up for themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 The tea making incident was 20 years ago, not a recent occourance.But it was a true representation of the times. Before you make comment on me 'waking up to the real world' I suggest you take a look at two things. Firstly are you employed in the Engineering industry? How many times have you been made redundant in your working career? And finally are you a tradesman of any sort? If you cannot abide to any of those statements then you are in postion to comment as most people don't have the numptials to go on strike in this country as they are afraid of their own shadow. We might be a militant bunch but at least these guys have the balls to stand up for themselves. What about all of us who suffer because of the union's outmoded negotiating practises? Postman who strike just before Christmas? Train drivers who strike one year, then train guards who strike the next so ALL the unions double up on their demands? And don't let's get started on the tube drivers, led by Bob Crow, who cries himself to sleep at night because he missed out on the miners strike and wants to turn back the clock. Have you ever seen, "I'm alright, Jack?" I've no doubt it's not too far from the truth when it comes to the unions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snozzer Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 My only regret about Lady Thatcher was that she didnt totally crush every single union in the country. The unions destroyed this country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 (edited) The tea making incident was 20 years ago, not a recent occourance.But it was a true representation of the times. Before you make comment on me 'waking up to the real world' I suggest you take a look at two things. Firstly are you employed in the Engineering industry? How many times have you been made redundant in your working career? And finally are you a tradesman of any sort? If you cannot abide to any of those statements then you are in postion to comment as most people don't have the numptials to go on strike in this country as they are afraid of their own shadow. We might be a militant bunch but at least these guys have the balls to stand up for themselves. OK, If you want to shout about it, NO I AM NOT EMPLOYED IN THE ENGINEERING INDUSTRY I AM EMPLOYED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY I have been made redundant once in my life although I don't see the relevance, And yes I am a tradesman, I am a time served carpenter and joiner with 20 yeards experience, I have also retrained as a CAD CAM technician and Design Draughtsman all of which I paid for myself in order to better MYSELF in this world. I did not rely on the unions to bail me out whenever it cut up a bit rough, I had the foresight to see where the industry was going and moved with the times. Maybe the engineering industry ought to take note. You are quite right, these guys do have the balls to stand up for themselves. ONLY themselves. How many of these people would go on strike without the PROTECTION of the unions? Sorry you'll have to speak up I can't hear you. I'll tell you shall I? NONE of them. If they were at risk of losing their job because they go on strike they wouldn't do it. Snozzer, You are bang on mate, Edited February 3, 2009 by MC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.