brian
point 1 - you have a view and are entitled to it - i happen to believe the fbu are not stuck in the 70's.
point 2 - i thought it was a govt not an administration, but perhaps you are a bit clearer to the truth than i am!
point 3 - 77 strike - the reference to sheep is a bit misdemeaning to those who took part in and followed a democratic process
point 4 - i was not around at the time so cannot say one way or the other, but many i have spoken to 'seem to remember' but until someone can only produce minutes from meetings it will always remain an urban myth, a very convenient statement easily made and not so easily dispelled
point 5 - you had a view and were entitled to it - as i suggested earlier, democracy is a powerful notion though an unforgiving servant!
point 6 - has mickey mouse ever taken industrial action? i thought he appeared in a movie once that he was going to, but in the end he 'disney' go on strike (a little scottish language humour)
point 7 - you are correct re the pay rise not being achieved in full - however i could go on about the four pillars of the claim, 30k, equal pay for equal work for retained, equal pay for work of equal worth for control and a new pay formula - not everything was achieved in full - do you honestly believe the workers get everything they demand!
point 8 - drastic change, its happening, so what? lethal weapon 'strike' - i thought it was the fbu that was stuck in the 70's! when you say it doesnt work - it still achieved quite a lot of the four pillars - but withdrawing labour is the final final option. only to be used as a last resort, sometimes just to get the employer back around the table or better still the threat may keep them at the table!
oh, nearly forgot - im not here to take a 'pop' at other trade unions even when i fundamentally disagree with their position on a variety of issues. the stance of other fire trade unions is well known, im not going to change that view by taking part in an open debate on here.
put simply - if the employer says no and continues to say no irrespective of the answer and evidence provided by the employees, not having a strike option may just empower the employer to do what they want - and to be honest its not always the employer, quite often its another employee who wants their own way!!
the trade union i belong to provide checks and balances on a variety of issues, its not just about saying no (70's stance) its about saying there may be better way of achieving what is required by the employer that best suits the employer and employees (and the community) and trying to work together to achieve that - a view supported by the fbu, if that puts the employers in the 1870's by their insistence (or should i use the word intransigence?) that they are always right then the fbu may have to take the ultimate industrial action as a last resort - as is increasingly happening unfortunately
i think ive replied to all your points - we obviously have alternative views which i happen to believe that yours are in the majority wrong, but you are entitled to those views and to make further comment in response to my comments and i am entitled to make no further response, therefore the platform this forum offers is yours mr downes .........
dave bev
