Voting rarely doesn't seem a big ask of members.

( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:25, 2 replies, latest was 10 years ago)

You don't think volunteering to forfeit a day's pay and pissing off your employer during difficult economic times, when you are both struggling and in fear of losing your job is a big deal?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:28, Reply)

He just said that didn't he?

( MEATSNAKE Richard Hammond, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:29, Reply)

Y'know, I'm not sure now.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:30, Reply)

I never was, most of the posts so far are a bit 'tl;dr' for me, so I don't know what anyone has said

( MEATSNAKE Richard Hammond, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:32, Reply)

alright

(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:36, Reply)

^JUDBMLSP

( MEATSNAKE Richard Hammond, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:39, Reply)

Clickin' dis

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:40, Reply)

boo fucking hoo
welcome to the private sector. or, as everyone outside 1970 calls it, the REAL world.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:33, Reply)

Ah yes, we should level down instead of levelling up.
Prick.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:33, Reply)

you look at union members and think that is going upwards?
what are you, an amoeba?
( rachelswipe with a fork, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:35, Reply)

I'm saying that it would be better for all these amazing benefits you believe public sector workers have to be extended to private sector workers, not vice versa
Do you really struggle this much with reading comprehension?
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:39, Reply)

no, i struggle with thinking that this is the way to build businesses
you're a small company, you can't afford to pay your staff any more/give them more holidays/private healthcare, but hey - they've all voted to make you close down for 2 days next week anyway. that'll make loads more money.

the post office strikers were classic. look, our employer's on its knees, let's kick the corpse a bit.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:47, Reply)

You think it would be bad for business to treat employees fairly?
Do you think that people enjoy striking?
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:54, Reply)

i don't care what they enjoy
it's work. you are there to do a job. if you don't like it, plenty of other people need a job.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:56, Reply)

That's true, there is always the option of living like a king on benefits.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:57, Reply)

i've seen that on channel 5
they are loving it
( rachelswipe with a fork, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:00, Reply)

I believe this month it is immigrants who are living the high life

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:12, Reply)

They vote by post I thought?

( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:38, Reply)

I'm unclear as to what your original point was.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:40, Reply)

I have no problem with unions striking for fair pay if they can prove a majority of their members want to strike.
50% turnout seems reasonable.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:46, Reply)

But the point is the more governments legislate to undermine the unions, the less likely people are to turn out to vote.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:50, Reply)

That's the unions problem.
If they can't get support from the people they're sure to be helping, they're not great.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:56, Reply)

No it doesnt but a lot of members accept that the voters speak for them without having to vote.
My main point though is that it is a classic Tory tactic to deflect the attention away from the reason for the strike back onto the strikers to avoid having to deal with the cause.
(Bonzodog29 is an unemployed sponge of the worst kind, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:29, Reply)

Too fucking right that a minimum of 50% of members need to vote. Most of these cunts are public sector workers or a version thereof e.g. tube drivers.
Most of the pay/pension structures that the unions are bitching about now weren't enacted by the Tories.
(Set your faces to Stunned Bigly, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:39, Reply)

Oh they probably shouldn't complain then

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:44, Reply)

Well, they probably shouldn't blame people that weren't responsible just because they're Tories.

( Kroney, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:45, Reply)

don't be deliberately obtuse.

(Set your faces to Stunned Bigly, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:05, Reply)

Well I don't understand the relevance of your point.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:10, Reply)

But the tories aren't the unions friends.
Calling it "a classic tactic" doesn't mean anything.
It's the tories perogative to keep unions at bay, and unions job to keep members engaged. That's politics.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:45, Reply)

Except the Tories have the power to change the rules, making it harder for the unions to keep their members engaged.
Look at young AA down there, he's grown up thinking that groups representing the interests of workers are somehow a bad thing.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:52, Reply)

I see.
Well, the government have been voted in by a majority, so that's what the people want from their government. But they're also from a low turn out vote. So, I guess I have to apologise and back track to, if you hold unions to a minimum vote, then you must also hold all elections to the same standard.

I still am not sure about unions, but I can accept that it should be one rule for all.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Fri 18 Jul 2014, 10:59, Reply)

governments may have a majority of MPs but it's incredibly rare that they have a majority of votes.
And that's putting to one side the fact that a 40% turnout is good.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:01, Reply)

I understand that,
The way it works is not ideal.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:13, Reply)

The Tories got about 35% of the vote at the last election.

(Set your faces to Stunned Bigly, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:02, Reply)

That's more than a third,
3 big parties plus independents, makes a majority.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:15, Reply)

The second party got roughly a third as well
Of a two thirds turnout.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:17, Reply)

10.7m voters out of 47.5m registered voters for the Tories.
In a country with a population of 64.1m.
(Set your faces to Stunned Bigly, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:21, Reply)

Unions work to represent the interests of their members
Big businesses have far more influence over a lot of government policy than the electorate.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:03, Reply)

Fair point well made

(Bonzodog29 is an unemployed sponge of the worst kind, Fri 18 Jul 2014, 11:04, Reply)