just to save you from continuing to make daft ill-informed judgements I neither work in the City nor am an Accountant. Hope that helps.

an Inbred but no Rebas

The horror – he’d have owned a custom IF & just hidden it from his (occasional) visitors.

Besides, the bloke was a towering libertarian & he pisses all over the modern day blogosphere. 😀

top marks to Bob Crow for giving himself a 12% pay rise…

at least as a top rate tax payer (£133,000 per year basic) we will lose his child benefits soon for his sprogs

but if RMT members think he is worth £133k a year best of luck to them

this is funny, though Bob did not think so:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2480003/We-hold-up-Bob-Crow-on-his-way-to-work.html

Is ernie_lynch on holiday?

Is ernie_lynch on holiday?

I heard he was attending a “do” in Birmingham 😉

they all get paid too much anyway and thats coming from a mate who is a tube driver and loses 250 a day for striking

I think Bob Crow is a real man, I fancy him.

I neither work in the City nor am an Accountant. Hope that helps.

It’s a forgivable mistake – you spent your twenties in its environs and you once admitted to dreaming in Excel. Also, ‘hand-ringing’? Sounds like a filthy Tab thing… shudder. 😈

As I say, 24 hour race team – and then we can sort out the World’s ills, once and for all. I bet GGus is bludy fast.

Lets face it. Unions are all about NIMBY’ism. Thats all they care about, themselves.

I wouldn’t class a Union member who potentially brings the infrastructure or damages the economy as a Patriot.

Then again looking at what Labour did I most certainly wouldn’t class any of them as Patriots. Just murderers, incompetent idiots.

this is funny, though Bob did not think so:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2480003/We-hold-up-Bob-Crow-on-his-way-to-work.html

Harassing people outside their homes because you don’t agree with them – I’m sure you’d be highly amused if it happened to you.

I neither work in the City nor am an Accountant.

My mistake. I thought I remembered you posting that you commute into London to work here, and that you were an accountant. I apologise. Maybe it was someone else.

X

Lets face it. Unions are all about NIMBY’ism. Thats all they care about, themselves.

I wouldn’t class a Union member who potentially brings the infrastructure or damages the economy as a Patriot.

Then again looking at what Labour did I most certainly wouldn’t class any of them as Patriots. Just murderers, incompetent idiots.

Does anyone remember Woodrow Wyatt, the ‘Voice of Reason’?

Hora, get onto the ‘phone to Rupert Murdoch asap. I’m pretty sure there’ an opening for you at the News Of The World.

Lets face it. Unions are all about NIMBY’ism. Thats all they care about, themselves.

well yeah that is the point of a union to look after its workers!

kimbers – does that extend to protecting the size of the workforce?

And isnt the RMT argument about “safety and service quality” anyway?

Lets face it. Unions are all about NIMBY’ism. Thats all they care about, themselves.

I know it is like tesaco only cares about tesco rather than farming and microsoft only cares about microsoft rather than say other companies. Imagine forming a society that looks after its memberrs interests. Lunancy it wont catch on I tell thee.

does that extend to protecting the size of the workforce

it is probably in its members best interests to have a job rather than not have a job. Do you get as outraged about the NIMBY’ism of the CBI Hora?

Lets face it. Unions are all about NIMBY’ism. Thats all they care about, themselves.

I certainly don’t hold a candle (or even a red flag) for the likes of fat Bob, but it’s amusing to cast one’s mind back to union opposition to the utter clusterf__k that was PPP. Many of their fears proved to be correct.

It mirrors the situation in the NHS, where clinical staff opposed to PFI and LIFT were derided as being union shills. Again, much of what they predicted has come to pass. Funny that.

It’s not all beer, sandwiches and mutual backslapping – though that may suit the usual Daily Failograph narrative. Besides, I’d like to see some fire directed at management con.sultants and big group accountants, given their apparent stranglehold on Gov Policy and… OUR bludy infrastructure! 👿

OK, fair enough, I’m a union man but Bob Crow’s a total, total cock. He’s not an effective leader or an effective negotiator, mainly he seems to exist to give unions a bad name. If he didn’t exist the right wingers would probably want to make him up.

That said, this 50% turnout concept is clearly completely ****ed. It makes abstaining more powerful than voting no, and means that a 26% for, 25% against vote is succesful whereas a 49% for, 0% against vote fails. Absurd.

What makes me laugh is that Boris got in a simialr balance
of votes so that makes that he should not be elected Hip Hip

One thing the press dont tell you that when you had the fire at KingsCross
they advised and put in that each underground station should have a certain amount of persons to evacuate each station.

One person included in this is the Ticket sales person also the same
person has to help the train driver evacuate the train in the tunnel and take you to saftey
You cant say what if has IF has already happened
So take this person away and not replace you will have problems.

Yes the drivers and other persons DONT want to strike but it is for
how benift This is a big saftey issue not just a loss of a job!

If he didn’t exist the right wingers would probably want to make him up.

Make him up ? ……he is their ultimate nightmare.

When Crow was first elected General Secretary, RMT membership stood at 57,000. Six years later it had gone up to over 80,000. Why would right-wingers want to “make up” someone who does that to a union ?

The right-wing press despise Crow, and with good reason, he does what they fear most ……..represents his members. They would so much rather he was weak and ineffectual …….. does he not know that unions are not suppose to have any sort of influence anymore ? Sadly for the right-wing press he doesn’t stick to the script which clearly states that unions these days, must cower under and accept whatever is thrown at them.

And as for him not being an “effective leader or an effective negotiator”, here is an example of the right-wing press having a good old moan about the good wages and condition RMT members receive :

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/5496579/Tube-drivers-earn-10000-a-year-more-than-nurses.html

The RMT under Crow has been able to maintain sensible wages and conditions for its members. And that is despite operating under laws which a former British Prime Minister described as “the most restrictive on trade unions in the Western world”. In fact it is probably easier to organise industrial action in strike-ridden China today, than it is in the UK.

And Crow’s ability to be an effective leader and effective negotiator is clearly recognised by the RMT membership. When he last came up for re-election the majority of RMT branches nominated him, no other nominations were received……he was elected unopposed. He undoubtedly has secured the confidence of those which he represents.

Finally, the RMT under Crow does not simply represent the interests of its members, it also represents the interests of the wider industry and its customers……they are all inter-related. This is particularly the case when dealing with issues such as level of service and safety.

And under the prevailing climate where profit and cost-cutting often appear higher up the agenda for private companies than service and safety, it is particularly important to have a union which is effective and well organised……for everyone’s sake. Except of course, the profit-hungry privateers and their press baron mates.

I preferred their earlier albums.

LOL a top end journalist earns much more than a Nurse is that right 🙄
in fact most proffesions even some none earn more than a nurse which is not right !!

ernie_lynch – Member

“When Crow was first elected General Secretary, RMT membership stood at 57,000. Six years later it had gone up to over 80,000. Why would right-wingers want to “make up” someone who does that to a union ?”

Because every time he opens his mouth, he costs his union, and the cause of unionism in general, popular support. So 25000 more members join, big deal, the general public look at him grandstanding and say “Bloody unions”.

How does Bob manage to make his claims that he wants to keep things safe fit with the strikes over drinking tube workers (or empty containers in their lockers or whatever) and drivers who opened the doors on the wrong side? If he had a single iota of consistency people wouldn’t be quite so angry but when he’s raking in 130k a year protecting people who SHOULD be sacked, it just means that any good his union (and by virtue of association, other unions) do is ignored.

As an aside, those who support workers rights to strike in all circumstances, would you support the right of the police to strike in light of cuts to their funding?

25000 more members join, big deal

It is actually. Trade unions are suppose to be in decline…….not increasing their membership by about 45% in 6 years.

the general public look at him grandstanding and say “Bloody unions”

I don’t.

If people choose to believe the anti-union tosh they read about, then that isn’t RMT’s responsibility. Its not the job of a union to pacify the likes of Rupert Murdoch. Although I’m sure that he would argue that it is.

Actually every time Crow “opens his mouth”, I hear someone who answers direct questions which direct answers, in stark contrast with contemporary politicians who always stonewall questions and go all over the back-doubles to avoid answering them. I find it hugely refreshing to hear Crow speak, I know of no other “political” person who is more honest than him.

LOL a top end journalist earns much more than a Nurse is that right

Yep. I know a couple of mid-range journalists; one’s not long bought a nice house in Brockley (quite a nice area), the other buys, does up then sells properties. Show me a nurse who can afford a mortgage in London on just their own wages…

in fact most proffesions even some none earn more than a nurse which is not right !!

I can’t respond to this as I don’t actually understand what it means. 🙁

Ernie wrote,

“I don’t.”

Have you considered the possibility that you may not be entirely representative?

Well I haven’t considered the possibility that I might not be a member of the general public.

You’re right! In future when considering the feeling of the general public, we’ll just ask you, that’ll give a clearer picture than we’ll get worrying about all those other losers…

Well I haven’t considered the possibility that I might not be a member of the general public.

😆

Because every time he opens his mouth, he costs his union, and the cause of unionism in general, popular support. So 25000 more members join, big deal, the general public look at him grandstanding and say “Bloody unions”.

are you so sure this view is representative?

We could have a vote.

But it only counts if more than 50% of the STW forumites bother to cast their vote.

“are you so sure this view is representative?”

I have conducted a wider sample than just asking Ernie and it does seem to be. Even among people who support the union very few people have a good word to say about Bob Crow.

I don’t get your point Northwind. You claim the general public look at him and say “Bloody unions”. Well I’m sure many do, specially the ones who are hostile anyway because of the crap they read. But I pointed out that this was not necessarily always the case – that I for one didn’t. I also pointed out that RMT aren’t responsible for what people chose to think.

So what’s your problem Northwind……..that I challenged your right to speak on behalf of the entire British public ?

Is that all you can think of saying ?

Sounds desperate.

And btw Northwind, RE : “Even among people who support the union very few people have a good word to say about Bob Crow.”

Crow is probably the most popular speaker that I know of amongst trade unionists. He is certainly the most entertaining and by far the funniest. In fact his comic repertoire is the funniest I have ever heard from any speaker – he has his audience heaving with laughter. I find it quite frustrating that this side of his personalty never appears on tv.

Ernie wrote,

“So what’s your problem Northwind……..that I challenged your right to speak on behalf of the entire British public ?

Is that all you can think of saying ? “

Er, right now my problem is that for some reason you’re choosing to twist a joke around and treat it like it was a straight comment, purely for the sake of having a poke at someone on teh internetz. Not sure why you think that’s a good use of your time but it’s certainly not a good use of mine…

I wouldn’t class a Union member who potentially brings the infrastructure or damages the economy as a Patriot.

He would be in good company with the business leaders who exported british jobs abroad and the bankers who really did some damage to the economy.

As for crow, not a particular fan, but unions are not much different from other organisations, such as the CBI and the IOD when it comes to the protection of members interests.

He would be in good company with the business leaders who exported british jobs abroad and the bankers who really did some damage to the economy

Oh I agree there. I was speaking to a Senior Purchasing & Operations lad who came into a business and put forward a business proposal to the board to move everything overseas. He told me he then managed the shut down of two factories and locating them to a low-cost country. He managed the shut down and….guess what? His job was also relocated (without him). The Directors didn’t tell him that bit. The irony.

It seems the Capitalists use the ‘its a global village now’ as their excuse and the Socialists use the ‘do it to someone else, not us’.

Only war it seems brings both sides loosely into agreement (even then the Capitalists are making money producing weapons of war).

I find the contortions of some to try to claim that a union vote for a strike needs more than a simple majority of those voting but must have a turnout of more than 50% when the same does not apply to Boris’s election farcical

Some of the most tenuous logic ever seen on STW.

Bob crow’s about as philanthopic as a parasitic gastric flatworm.

So dsappointed that Stoner turned out not to be a Malvern dwelling city accountant. It would have positioned the above quote as the quintessential essence of irony.

Listening to Radio Scotland this morning, where they had a phone-in about unions striking, was like time travelling back to the Victorian period with people coming on saying that workers should just be gad they have jobs, and if they don’t like it they should leave because there are plenty of other people to take their place.

Given this is all taking place in the context of an economy trashed by a financial sector that is entirely unrepentant, and who receive a far higher level of pay than they can ever justify in the face of the catastrophic damage they’ve done to this country’s financial well-being, having people point the finger at the unions or public sector employees suggests a level of delusion amongst their accusers that is breathtaking. It’s rather like a father, who’s squandered the family savings playing roulette, blaming his kids for the temerity of needing new shoes for school.

my problem is that for some reason you’re choosing to twist a joke around and treat it like it was a straight comment

Twist a joke ? ……… I didn’t even see a joke.

Still Northwind, humour is such a personal thing………..wouldn’t you agree ?

.

BTW, RE : “Not sure why you think that’s a good use of your time but it’s certainly not a good use of mine”

No, I don’t see it as as “good use of my time”……this is a mountain bike chat forum ffs. I see it as a pointless, but yet sometimes vaguely amusing use of my time. I’m sure that if I put my mind to it, I could think of more constructive ways to pass the time. I am quite frankly rather surprised that you apparently see your time on here as top quality ‘put to good use’ time 😕