Ford in shadow of strike threats (From Daily Echo)
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Southampton Transit plant under threat of strike from Penske staff
10:19am Friday 3rd July 2009 in News
Exclusive By Simon Carr, Eastleigh Chief Reporter
Ford in shadow of strike threats
STRIKE threats loom over the Ford factory as more than 100 contract workers vote on industrial action.
A furious pay row has erupted at Penske Logistics which works on site at the giant Southampton plant.
The new dispute comes just months after Ford slashed half its 1,000-strong workforce which led to a devastating fallout with job cuts throughout the contract and supply chain.
Workers are currently voting over whether to take industrial action. If successful a mass meeting will be held to discuss what form this would take.
Unite union boss Ian Woodland said: “Workers are telling me they can’t trust a word management tells them. They have no confidence in how they are being managed and they are being treated in a heavy-handed way.
“I think there is a big morale problem.”
The row started when Penske workers were told they would be working shifts at the Swaythling operation – but there was no longer money for the shift allowances they had previously received. The contractor, which employs 126 workers at Ford, also wanted to push back other pay negotiations – due in September – to January of next year.
An insider at the company – which employs around 126 staff from its Swaythling offices – said the workers had had enough.
The worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “What can you say about the mood in the factory.
“It is at an all-time low.
Pretty bad. We are working alongside Ford workers only earning a fraction of what they get.
“They expect us to do shifts like before but just not get paid for it. It’s disgusting.”
Another said: “They are just taking, taking, taking and we are sick of doing nothing. It feels like we have been banging our heads against a brick wall and we have had enough.
“Most of the men want strike action.”
Penske US boss Randolph Ryerson told the Daily Echo: “We are in discussions with the union to secure a fair, competitive agreement that will enable us to continue providing excellent service to our customer.
“We understand our associates’ concerns and look forward to working towards a resolution.”
Comments(72)
huckit P
says...
11:08am Fri 3 Jul 09
You might wake up tomorrow and find you no longer have that job!
Ancient David
says...
11:10am Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem
says...
11:14am Fri 3 Jul 09
huckit P wrote:That argument never seems to make sense to the malcontents at Ford, and making it tends to attract such well-thought-out responses as "How would you feel if it was your job on the line?" or the favourite "It's easy for all you office workers to sit on your backsides all day making comments it might be you one day think on that get a life zomg!". As if Ford workers in Swaythling were the only people in the history of the universe to ever face redundancy, and other such symptoms of victim syndrome.
Very smart! Job's on the line so what do you do? Strike?
You might wake up tomorrow and find you no longer have that job!
In any case - and please correct me if I'm wrong here - isn't the point of contract workers, that the client - Ford, in this case - can simply terminate them at any point, with the minimum of fuss? I don't see that they have much room for industrial action at all
Southampton boy
says...
11:14am Fri 3 Jul 09
fudez
says...
11:22am Fri 3 Jul 09
“We understand our associates’ concerns and look forward to working towards a resolution.”
For a multi billion pound company it has to be said that they are full of empty promises and good pitches but that is it!
We expect nothing after being lied to constantly and have now come to the end of the road.
We agreed with Penske that our increment pay would be postponed untill first of April, we are now in July and have not seen any signs of them honering the agreement.
I would have to say that Penske have faild to be fair in any offer they have brought to the table and dont look to be budging.
The workers have tried to help matters but the multi billion pound company keeps saying they dont have the money!! (ARE THEY BANCKRUPT?)
The only thing they have left there workers to do is take industrial action against the company, this has been forced upon there employees due to lack of coperation to agree a fair offer
D1RTY TURBAN
says...
11:23am Fri 3 Jul 09
freemantlegirl2
says...
11:24am Fri 3 Jul 09
Lone Ranger wrote:Yep, Lone Ranger is right, look at agency workers in hospitals say, they don't get the same rights and conditions as 'permanent' staff and the agency is the employer...
Quote:-
"We are working alongside Ford workers only earning a fraction of what they get".
Unfortunatelty that is the drawback of being an Agency worker. You get the Agency rate and not the employer rates.
As regards the issue of striking over the pay etc, that may well be a very fool-hardy option to follow as they have only the employment rights of the Agency.
Therfore, as i undersatand it your arguement must be surely with the Agency and not Fords.Although their actions will effect Fords.
Under these circumstances i would suggest that they have every right to withdraw their labour as indeed Fords have every right to dismiss the Agency.
Unless of course i am wrong and i am sure someone will tell me
Same happened to car agency workers in Oxford. They were the first to go..... unfortunately in the current climate the employers usually hold the cards... tough but true.
D1RTY TURBAN
says...
11:29am Fri 3 Jul 09
fudez wrote:Don't seem to be getting much support out here in the real world, do you mate...maybe that's because real people have woken up and smelt the coffee, and Southampton boy has hit the nail on the proverbial head if you do get a new employer..
quote:Randolph Ryerson: “We are in discussions with the union to secure a fair, competitive agreement that will enable us to continue providing excellent service to our customer. “We understand our associates’ concerns and look forward to working towards a resolution.” For a multi billion pound company it has to be said that they are full of empty promises and good pitches but that is it! We expect nothing after being lied to constantly and have now come to the end of the road. We agreed with Penske that our increment pay would be postponed untill first of April, we are now in July and have not seen any signs of them honering the agreement. I would have to say that Penske have faild to be fair in any offer they have brought to the table and dont look to be budging. The workers have tried to help matters but the multi billion pound company keeps saying they dont have the money!! (ARE THEY BANCKRUPT?) The only thing they have left there workers to do is take industrial action against the company, this has been forced upon there employees due to lack of coperation to agree a fair offer
Georgem
says...
11:33am Fri 3 Jul 09
The only thing they have left there workers to do is take industrial action against the company, this has been forced upon there employees due to lack of coperation to agree a fair offer
This smacks of the same logic as the psycho who beats his wife up and says "now look what you've made me do!" when she burns his dinner. You do have another option: seek alternative employment.
southy
says...
11:43am Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:look at it this way, all the work force at refinery at was sack, all got there jobs back, just though the threat off a strike.
The only thing they have left there workers to do is take industrial action against the company, this has been forced upon there employees due to lack of coperation to agree a fair offer
This smacks of the same logic as the psycho who beats his wife up and says "now look what you've made me do!" when she burns his dinner. You do have another option: seek alternative employment.
and fords if they want there jobs to be safe then they aft to do the same, go on strike make mangerment think twice in the future. they have nothing to lose but fords have a lot to lose.
Georgem
says...
11:45am Fri 3 Jul 09
southy wrote:Read the story. They aren't Ford employees. They're agency - ie, temporary - workers. Like it or not, nobody is owed employment. The Ford plant is cutting jobs anyway, what exactly is it they have to lose here?
Georgem wrote:look at it this way, all the work force at refinery at was sack, all got there jobs back, just though the threat off a strike.
The only thing they have left there workers to do is take industrial action against the company, this has been forced upon there employees due to lack of coperation to agree a fair offer
This smacks of the same logic as the psycho who beats his wife up and says "now look what you've made me do!" when she burns his dinner. You do have another option: seek alternative employment.
and fords if they want there jobs to be safe then they aft to do the same, go on strike make mangerment think twice in the future. they have nothing to lose but fords have a lot to lose.
Trumpet222
says...
11:55am Fri 3 Jul 09
southy
says...
11:58am Fri 3 Jul 09
every one should have the right of employment, weather they are employed by the company or an angency. with fords in not just local any more its internationaly, what is needed is to get rid off the high up union member that are in the companys pockets, those guys have nothing to lose any way so striking is not going to hurt them now is it.
thesaint
says...
12:02pm Fri 3 Jul 09
fudez
says...
12:02pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Ray the Don
says...
12:03pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem
says...
12:10pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy wrote:No, Southy. Nobody has the right to employment. Don't be ludicrous
quote""Read the story. They aren't Ford employees. They're agency - ie, temporary - workers. Like it or not, nobody is owed employment. The Ford plant is cutting jobs anyway, what exactly is it they have to lose here?""unquote
every one should have the right of employment, weather they are employed by the company or an angency. with fords in not just local any more its internationaly, what is needed is to get rid off the high up union member that are in the companys pockets, those guys have nothing to lose any way so striking is not going to hurt them now is it.
Georgem
says...
12:13pm Fri 3 Jul 09
fudez wrote:At whom is that aimed? Clarity, please!
The only reason you are leaving these coments is because you dont have a job,the person who has taken over your job was better than you now get down the job center and find a job!!!
southy
says...
12:19pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Lone Ranger
says...
12:36pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy wrote:Southy i think that you will find that 100 agency workers going on strike at Fords will not have the same impact as the 500 at the refinery.
Georgem wrote:look at it this way, all the work force at refinery at was sack, all got there jobs back, just though the threat off a strike. and fords if they want there jobs to be safe then they aft to do the same, go on strike make mangerment think twice in the future. they have nothing to lose but fords have a lot to lose.The only thing they have left there workers to do is take industrial action against the company, this has been forced upon there employees due to lack of coperation to agree a fair offerThis smacks of the same logic as the psycho who beats his wife up and says "now look what you've made me do!" when she burns his dinner. You do have another option: seek alternative employment.
The refinery needs them. Fords do not
Iw61
says...
12:41pm Fri 3 Jul 09
THESE ARE FULL TIME EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR A CONTRACTOR. SOME OF THE STAFF HAVE WORKED THERE FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES.
Glad to see the lazy keyboard warriors out in force this morning. These guys are standing up for themselves and not chickening out at the first whiff of gunshot like you do.You are happy to see rich bankers get bail outs but hard working car workers get redubdancy notices and sh*t pay.
These workers deserve to be failrly recompenced for working the extra shift.
Good luck to these workers.
fudez
says...
12:57pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Iw61 wrote:Well said, I couldnt have put it better myself, just wish these layabouts actually knew the facts before tapping away on the keboard.
LETS GET ONE THING CORRECT. THE ECHO ARTICLE IS WRONG. THESE ARE FULL TIME EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR A CONTRACTOR. SOME OF THE STAFF HAVE WORKED THERE FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES. Glad to see the lazy keyboard warriors out in force this morning. These guys are standing up for themselves and not chickening out at the first whiff of gunshot like you do.You are happy to see rich bankers get bail outs but hard working car workers get redubdancy notices and sh*t pay. These workers deserve to be failrly recompenced for working the extra shift. Good luck to these workers.
southy
says...
12:58pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Lone Ranger wrote:refinery dont employ 500. 99% off the work force in the refinery are contrators. and has with fords according to the echo are the same contractors so yes fords do need them just has much. with out them fords cant work.
southy wrote:Southy i think that you will find that 100 agency workers going on strike at Fords will not have the same impact as the 500 at the refinery.
Georgem wrote:look at it this way, all the work force at refinery at was sack, all got there jobs back, just though the threat off a strike. and fords if they want there jobs to be safe then they aft to do the same, go on strike make mangerment think twice in the future. they have nothing to lose but fords have a lot to lose.The only thing they have left there workers to do is take industrial action against the company, this has been forced upon there employees due to lack of coperation to agree a fair offerThis smacks of the same logic as the psycho who beats his wife up and says "now look what you've made me do!" when she burns his dinner. You do have another option: seek alternative employment.
The refinery needs them. Fords do not
fudez
says...
1:07pm Fri 3 Jul 09
They all have families rent/mortgages and are struggling to live earning under a thousand pound a month who realistically can live with this wage, there for you should support these guys not slate them!!
fudez
says...
1:11pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:do you wear a dust bin over your head?
The only thing they have left there workers to do is take industrial action against the company, this has been forced upon there employees due to lack of coperation to agree a fair offerThis smacks of the same logic as the psycho who beats his wife up and says "now look what you've made me do!" when she burns his dinner. You do have another option: seek alternative employment.
its the same context as what brainless drivel you just submitted
fudez
says...
1:19pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:well clearly it is aimed at you, you moronic baffoon, its easy to mouth off behind a screen, you dont and never will work there because they only want workers not layabouts with nothing better to do than give useless drivel!!
fudez wrote: The only reason you are leaving these coments is because you dont have a job,the person who has taken over your job was better than you now get down the job center and find a job!!!At whom is that aimed? Clarity, please!
Georgem
says...
2:20pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem
says...
2:22pm Fri 3 Jul 09
fudez wrote:Blah blah blah. Yeh, insulting me will make a difference. Calling a random stranger names will, by magic, save your job. I do work, I can pretty much guarantee I earn more than you do, and have much greater job security than you do, and if you think I'm jobless simply because I don't agree with you, I suspect that that is the root of your problem: magickal thinking, not logical thinking.
Georgem wrote:well clearly it is aimed at you, you moronic baffoon, its easy to mouth off behind a screen, you dont and never will work there because they only want workers not layabouts with nothing better to do than give useless drivel!!
fudez wrote: The only reason you are leaving these coments is because you dont have a job,the person who has taken over your job was better than you now get down the job center and find a job!!!At whom is that aimed? Clarity, please!
Georgem
says...
2:23pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem
says...
2:27pm Fri 3 Jul 09
fudez wrote:Why is everyone who isn't you, a layabout? I'm not on strike. I'm at work. Earning a wage. Doing what I'm paid for, not whining about it. And if you're about to say "you're not working, you're commenting on the website" I have this for you:
Iw61 wrote:Well said, I couldnt have put it better myself, just wish these layabouts actually knew the facts before tapping away on the keboard.
LETS GET ONE THING CORRECT. THE ECHO ARTICLE IS WRONG. THESE ARE FULL TIME EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR A CONTRACTOR. SOME OF THE STAFF HAVE WORKED THERE FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES. Glad to see the lazy keyboard warriors out in force this morning. These guys are standing up for themselves and not chickening out at the first whiff of gunshot like you do.You are happy to see rich bankers get bail outs but hard working car workers get redubdancy notices and sh*t pay. These workers deserve to be failrly recompenced for working the extra shift. Good luck to these workers.
http://xkcd.com/303/
You can translate that into a whine about "that's not real work! wah!" if you like, but the fact is, it is, and I'm paid to do it, and I'm employed, and productive, and my taxes will be paying your benefits when you're unemployed. You're welcome
Big Boy
says...
2:27pm Fri 3 Jul 09
As an agency worker I enjoy earning far more than direct employees. I don't get involved in the purile office politics & if the management annoy me I just leave. These Penske people are acting as if they are labourers & can't get a job anywhere else!
Georgem
says...
2:28pm Fri 3 Jul 09
fudez wrote:Ok, please explain to me the exact steps in which you were left with no alternative but to take industrial action? Go on. Amaze me, genius
Georgem wrote:do you wear a dust bin over your head?
The only thing they have left there workers to do is take industrial action against the company, this has been forced upon there employees due to lack of coperation to agree a fair offerThis smacks of the same logic as the psycho who beats his wife up and says "now look what you've made me do!" when she burns his dinner. You do have another option: seek alternative employment.
its the same context as what brainless drivel you just submitted
Georgem
says...
2:32pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Big Boy wrote:Excellent post! This "right to employment" vision is ridiculous. It's usually perpetrated by the same people who despise commerce of any sort, whilst failing to see that it is commerce which provides employment. It's like they think "jobs" will magically be granted by The Job Pixies or something. Southy hates capitalism, but also demands full labour for all. He hasn't yet reconciled that the two go hand-in-hand
Southy, I'm afraid that there is no such thing as a 'right to employment'.
As an agency worker I enjoy earning far more than direct employees. I don't get involved in the purile office politics & if the management annoy me I just leave. These Penske people are acting as if they are labourers & can't get a job anywhere else!
southy
says...
2:39pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy
says...
2:42pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:not bad post, but he forgetting working for an agency means he working if and when needed, and so or later he will be replace to
Big Boy wrote:Excellent post! This "right to employment" vision is ridiculous. It's usually perpetrated by the same people who despise commerce of any sort, whilst failing to see that it is commerce which provides employment. It's like they think "jobs" will magically be granted by The Job Pixies or something. Southy hates capitalism, but also demands full labour for all. He hasn't yet reconciled that the two go hand-in-hand
Southy, I'm afraid that there is no such thing as a 'right to employment'.
As an agency worker I enjoy earning far more than direct employees. I don't get involved in the purile office politics & if the management annoy me I just leave. These Penske people are acting as if they are labourers & can't get a job anywhere else!
Georgem
says...
2:44pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Nobody has any rights whatsoever. None at all.
The typical response to that is "Oh, so you won't mind if I come round and kill you since you don't have the right not to be killed and have your big telly nicked and blah blah blah! ROFLOMGZMESOCLEVERHA
HAHAHA!". Problem is, ultimately, a "right" has to be enforced and granted by some other party. On a smaller scale, in the UK, we have the "right" to health care, for better or worse. But only because, as a society, we club together and come up with what seems like a good arrangement (NI) to allow that to happen. Of course, it hasn't quite worked out as hoped, but it's still pretty good, globally speaking. But is it really a "right"? If it is, then why is the rest of humanity not afforded it? To whom can they complain about this? Nobody, that's who. We're in charge of our own destiny.
You have the right not to be murdered in your bed, apparently. How? Who's enforcing that? We are, ourselves. It's not magically granted by nature, we've consciously decided that murdering each other while we sleep is detrimental to our species. It isn't a "right". We're not, from birth, automatically entitled to it. We subscribe to a social contract that says, in effect, "I pretty much promise not to kill you in your sleep, if you afford me the same promise". A murderer isn't denying someone their rights, he's breaking a social contract. Claiming these things as "rights" is effectively absolving oneself of any personal responsibility of these matters. Think about it. Same goes for the "right" to employment. Those of us who have jobs in the private sector, ultimately, you have your job, not because of some abstract right, but because someone else, at some point, was enterprising enough to take a risk and a gamble, and invest their own capital, to create that job for you. For the public sector, similar processes exist, only more long-winded and historical. None of us have the "right" to employment, or food, or water, or security, anything else. If you disagree, try thinking who the ultimate power is that you'll complain to about your "rights" being violated, in the end. Whatever "rights" you feel are being violated, think them through to the end, exhaust all avenues of complaint, and eventually, you'll be left with some "right" that exists without anyone there to enforce it. And what use will that be?
Cue inevitable backlash
Georgem
says...
2:47pm Fri 3 Jul 09
get your head screw on right georgem i mean that in a nice way
Don't worry, Southy, I know you're not a malicious person! But my head is screwed on. I don't expect anything from anyone else, I don't feel entitled to a thing, I don't feel the world owes me anything. And I feel all the more secure knowing that, thanks.
Oh, sure, I've come to depend on employers paying my wages to allow me to live, but should the whole shebang ever collapse, I won't waste too much time whining and worrying about my "rights", I'll be out catching something to eat thankyouverymuch!
Georgem
says...
2:49pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy wrote:Yeh. And he knows it. Me, I'm currently a permnanent employee. It makes sense to me, in the current climate. When the economy stabilises a bit, I'll be off, self-employed, contract working. Fully aware that it could all be pulled away from under me at any moment. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Georgem wrote:not bad post, but he forgetting working for an agency means he working if and when needed, and so or later he will be replace to
Big Boy wrote:Excellent post! This "right to employment" vision is ridiculous. It's usually perpetrated by the same people who despise commerce of any sort, whilst failing to see that it is commerce which provides employment. It's like they think "jobs" will magically be granted by The Job Pixies or something. Southy hates capitalism, but also demands full labour for all. He hasn't yet reconciled that the two go hand-in-hand
Southy, I'm afraid that there is no such thing as a 'right to employment'.
As an agency worker I enjoy earning far more than direct employees. I don't get involved in the purile office politics & if the management annoy me I just leave. These Penske people are acting as if they are labourers & can't get a job anywhere else!
southy
says...
3:11pm Fri 3 Jul 09
its got to happen sooner or later, you cant give the masses nothing and not expect a kick back from it. and cant rely on the arm forces to enforce a captilist order they will turn on there officers, some thing like what happen in russia in 1918, stop thinking short term and thinking i all jack, start thinking long term and lets get there has quickly has possable and quietly has possable, because the world have nots has got to that stage that they have nothing to lose.
southy
says...
3:17pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:that last part georgem, you be more likey to be trying to catch some thing, if its not there then theres nothing to catch.
get your head screw on right georgem i mean that in a nice way
Don't worry, Southy, I know you're not a malicious person! But my head is screwed on. I don't expect anything from anyone else, I don't feel entitled to a thing, I don't feel the world owes me anything. And I feel all the more secure knowing that, thanks.
Oh, sure, I've come to depend on employers paying my wages to allow me to live, but should the whole shebang ever collapse, I won't waste too much time whining and worrying about my "rights", I'll be out catching something to eat thankyouverymuch!
remember what i said in a past post. its not this reccession to worry about, its the next one because the next one is not going to be a reccession its going to be a full blown depression worse than the one in the 20's
Georgem
says...
3:45pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy wrote:Please point me toward an economic model that has proven to work on a large scale
georgem look at what you said the right when a society clubs together and this is what is happening at fords they are going to enforce it has a society and its not just here in the uk where this is happening its happening world wide, people are getting feed up with a multi fail system, captalistum dont work it keeps letting people down, your coming to that stage where the choice will have to be made and you will have 2 ways to go, a nice quiet social change over or a bloody revolution, every one knows people will only go so far and if that change is not made then they will enforce it, and people defending and supporting the captilist system will be the first to go. now i know whitch one i would like to see, the nice quiet one.
its got to happen sooner or later, you cant give the masses nothing and not expect a kick back from it. and cant rely on the arm forces to enforce a captilist order they will turn on there officers, some thing like what happen in russia in 1918, stop thinking short term and thinking i all jack, start thinking long term and lets get there has quickly has possable and quietly has possable, because the world have nots has got to that stage that they have nothing to lose.
Georgem
says...
3:54pm Fri 3 Jul 09
You be more likey to be trying to catch some thing, if its not there then theres nothing to catch.
Then so be it. My point is, I won't be bleating about any rights violations
Nick Chaffey
says...
4:07pm Fri 3 Jul 09
fudez
says...
4:12pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:I think you don not seem to understand that every one has a right, weather human rights or the right to remain silent it is still a right so your logic gives me proof that either you are under some kind of illusion you live on another planet to the rest of us either way I would think you may need to be sectioned as you might be a danger to society, no rights indeed what an insult.
Here's a controversial view for you, Southy. One that I can already predict several horrified responses to, and the attendant hatred I'll attract as a result. But if you can clear your mind and think objectively, rather than look for things to be offended by, you'll see the logic:
Nobody has any rights whatsoever. None at all.
The typical response to that is "Oh, so you won't mind if I come round and kill you since you don't have the right not to be killed and have your big telly nicked and blah blah blah! ROFLOMGZMESOCLEVERHA
HAHAHA!". Problem is, ultimately, a "right" has to be enforced and granted by some other party. On a smaller scale, in the UK, we have the "right" to health care, for better or worse. But only because, as a society, we club together and come up with what seems like a good arrangement (NI) to allow that to happen. Of course, it hasn't quite worked out as hoped, but it's still pretty good, globally speaking. But is it really a "right"? If it is, then why is the rest of humanity not afforded it? To whom can they complain about this? Nobody, that's who. We're in charge of our own destiny.
You have the right not to be murdered in your bed, apparently. How? Who's enforcing that? We are, ourselves. It's not magically granted by nature, we've consciously decided that murdering each other while we sleep is detrimental to our species. It isn't a "right". We're not, from birth, automatically entitled to it. We subscribe to a social contract that says, in effect, "I pretty much promise not to kill you in your sleep, if you afford me the same promise". A murderer isn't denying someone their rights, he's breaking a social contract. Claiming these things as "rights" is effectively absolving oneself of any personal responsibility of these matters. Think about it. Same goes for the "right" to employment. Those of us who have jobs in the private sector, ultimately, you have your job, not because of some abstract right, but because someone else, at some point, was enterprising enough to take a risk and a gamble, and invest their own capital, to create that job for you. For the public sector, similar processes exist, only more long-winded and historical. None of us have the "right" to employment, or food, or water, or security, anything else. If you disagree, try thinking who the ultimate power is that you'll complain to about your "rights" being violated, in the end. Whatever "rights" you feel are being violated, think them through to the end, exhaust all avenues of complaint, and eventually, you'll be left with some "right" that exists without anyone there to enforce it. And what use will that be?
Cue inevitable backlash
Georgem
says...
4:13pm Fri 3 Jul 09
why should workers have to pay for a crisis they are not responsible for.
Because that's how commerce works. When there's a demand for a product, it sells, and people are paid to build it. When demand falls, production drops, ergo, those carrying out the production are surplus. Simple economics, and crying "but it's not fair" won't change that. Ford doesn't employ them out of some charity. The money comes (came) from sales. Now that those sales are no longer there, the money isn't, either. I don't see how people miss this fundamental truth. It's not exclusive to capitalism, either. No economic model can simply magic a living for everyone out of nowhere.
southy
says...
4:19pm Fri 3 Jul 09
the world will get to that stage where machines will do most off the work, and what work is left will be shared out, every one will work the same amount and get the same, then it left up to each person to get what they want in life. but we will need to go though the stages to get there, and socialist is just one part of that journey off getting there, captilistum was the first part, its now out dated and any one tiring to hang on to it is just greedy, the sort off people who can see what the world is heading into, and dont want change or are to scared of making that change. in the end there will be no choice it will happen, so we would be better to help it and stay in controll off it and guild it along in a smooth way than in a turmoil way, nationalize and co-op industrys are just part off it.
when we had a nationalized industry it was working for us, yes i know it had it minor problems but what should off happen was we should of improved it and made it even better. but some one came along and stared to brain wash people in thinking greed was good when its not its bad, and i dont think i need to say her name.
Georgem
says...
4:20pm Fri 3 Jul 09
I think you don not seem to understand that every one has a right, weather human rights or the right to remain silent it is still a right so your logic gives me proof that either you are under some kind of illusion you live on another planet to the rest of us either way I would think you may need to be sectioned as you might be a danger to society, no rights indeed what an insult.
As predicted. Yawn. Re-read what I posted. Come back and tell me who this magical ghost protecting all your rights is.
You don't have the "right" to remain silent. There simply does not exist a foolproof way to stop you being silent. Ok, let's assume a right to employment. You think you are granted this right by your current employer, say, Ford. Now, tomorrow, if Ford simply disappears, what good is that "right"? Will your landlord or mortgage company accept "right to employment" as payment? Will the supermarket exchange "employment rights" for food? Can you write cheques to utilities, drawn against a bank of rights? No, you can't. So then what? You have a "right" to be employed, but no employer to grant it. So it's a worthless right. Like the People's Front of Judea fighting for Stan (sorry, Loretta) and his right to have babies, even though he hasn't got anywhere for the foetus to gestate; it's meaningless when reality does not agree to back up those rights. Who will you ultimately file a grievance with, when your apparent "right" to employment is not fulfilled?
Blame me and moan all you want, but at the end of the day, your rights are an illusion.
Georgem
says...
4:22pm Fri 3 Jul 09
1) Utopia
2) ????
3) Profit!
Everybody seems to be missing out the bit where - and this is vital, people - nothing is going to just happen out of some cosmic sense of fairness. The world isn't going to give you a job, just because you feel you have the right to it!
Georgem
says...
4:25pm Fri 3 Jul 09
when we had a nationalized industry it was working for us, yes i know it had it minor problems but what should off happen was we should of improved it and made it even better
I somewhat agree with this, Southy. Privatisation hasn't got a brilliant track record, has it? I say, there isn't an absolute rule about it. Sometimes it works - British Telecom leaps to mind, for instance - and other times it doesn't - the trains leaps similarly high, and that's acknowledged by the recent re-nationalising of at least one route, with more to come. There's no use saying "Privatise everything!" nor "Nationalise everything!" because nothing's ever that simple, sadly
Georgem
says...
4:28pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem
says...
4:31pm Fri 3 Jul 09
ome one came along and stared to brain wash people in thinking greed was good when its not its bad,
As with most things, greed in moderation is good. It breeds competition, which is healthy. Competition is a natural phenomenon. The entire idea of life on Earth is based on competition, without it, we'd never have existed, there'd just be some primordial soup. But like most things, taken to excess, greed is destructive. You need to stop thinking in absolutes like this, Southy, they get in the way.
fudez
says...
4:32pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:Well, I would say we all have the right to an opinion we all have the right to disagree and we defiantly have the right to voice our opinion.
I challenge our colleauge, fudez, to list me three absolute rights he thinks he, as a human being, has. And then to tell me what makes him think he has those rights. Not "why I think I should deserve those rights" but why you actually have them. See how many you can come up with, that do not simply exist because it's mutually convenient for human beings to say they exist.
there are three basic rights and I could go on forever but as you seem to have such a vast open mind i wont bother wasting my time!!
Georgem
says...
4:41pm Fri 3 Jul 09
fudez wrote:Please, you're mis-understanding my point here. What you've described there are three basic functionings of humans, that happen independently of anybody else. You don't have the "right" to an opinion, you simply cannot be prevented from having one. In order to exercise your right to have an opinion, all you have to do is have that opinion. There's ultimately no way of anyone stopping that from happening. It's like claiming to have the "right" to have a nose. You don't have a "right", you simply have a nose.
Georgem wrote:Well, I would say we all have the right to an opinion we all have the right to disagree and we defiantly have the right to voice our opinion.
I challenge our colleauge, fudez, to list me three absolute rights he thinks he, as a human being, has. And then to tell me what makes him think he has those rights. Not "why I think I should deserve those rights" but why you actually have them. See how many you can come up with, that do not simply exist because it's mutually convenient for human beings to say they exist.
there are three basic rights and I could go on forever but as you seem to have such a vast open mind i wont bother wasting my time!!
But compare that with your supposed "right" to employment. How do you exercise that "right"? Someone else has to grant it for you, don't they? So what if nobody does? What use is that "right" then? That's what I'm saying. It's all well and good demanding and shouting about the "right" to employment, but since the very existence of that "right" is dependent upon another party, it can be denied, ergo, it isn't a right. It's a privilege, or a favour, or a mutually-beneficial arrangement. Nobody is obliged to grant you it
Georgem
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4:43pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy
says...
4:48pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:george have you ever heard of the venus project, thats basicly how the world will end up like.
why should workers have to pay for a crisis they are not responsible for.
Because that's how commerce works. When there's a demand for a product, it sells, and people are paid to build it. When demand falls, production drops, ergo, those carrying out the production are surplus. Simple economics, and crying "but it's not fair" won't change that. Ford doesn't employ them out of some charity. The money comes (came) from sales. Now that those sales are no longer there, the money isn't, either. I don't see how people miss this fundamental truth. It's not exclusive to capitalism, either. No economic model can simply magic a living for everyone out of nowhere.
and the type of commerce your on about will only fail us time after time again, it a captilist commerce and not socialist commerce, whitch is much smoother running. we are all only small goggs in a much bigger wheel, and the problem with captiist system is it has to many teeth missing in its goggs, and socialist system has much fewer teeth missing giving a much smoother ride, the time is ripe for change now, we must for get the captilist system and move forward onto the next system socialist, even socialist system one day will come to an end and will move onto the next stage toward a utopia world, the world population is growing and jobs are getting less, if we dont change and we stay has a captilist system then only one thing will happen, the world will go into self destruct then every one will lose
Georgem
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4:53pm Fri 3 Jul 09
george have you ever heard of the venus project, thats basicly how the world will end up like.
Pure projection
the type of commerce your on about will only fail us time after time again, it a captilist commerce and not socialist commerce, whitch is much smoother running
Circular reasoning. "My way is better, because it's the better way"
Socialism hasn't worked so far. Show me where it has. Until we can do something about the corrupting nature of power, it's doomed. You're right, in theory - see the recent case of the mega-colony of ants that have taken over a large amount of the world - but then, ants aren't human, and aren't subject to human nature. So the problem seems to be sentience, self-awareness, independent thought. How comfortable are you with removing that from people?
southy
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5:06pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:no georgem evolution would still have happen even with out competition, advancement will happen you cant stop it, and advancement will work much faster with out competition.
ome one came along and stared to brain wash people in thinking greed was good when its not its bad,
As with most things, greed in moderation is good. It breeds competition, which is healthy. Competition is a natural phenomenon. The entire idea of life on Earth is based on competition, without it, we'd never have existed, there'd just be some primordial soup. But like most things, taken to excess, greed is destructive. You need to stop thinking in absolutes like this, Southy, they get in the way.
Georgem
says...
5:08pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy wrote:No it wouldn't. Pretty much by definition. Compare: "survival of the fittest"
Georgem wrote:no georgem evolution would still have happen even with out competition, advancement will happen you cant stop it, and advancement will work much faster with out competition.
ome one came along and stared to brain wash people in thinking greed was good when its not its bad,
As with most things, greed in moderation is good. It breeds competition, which is healthy. Competition is a natural phenomenon. The entire idea of life on Earth is based on competition, without it, we'd never have existed, there'd just be some primordial soup. But like most things, taken to excess, greed is destructive. You need to stop thinking in absolutes like this, Southy, they get in the way.
Georgem
says...
5:10pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem
says...
5:19pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy
says...
5:20pm Fri 3 Jul 09
socialism is an infant and is in its very early days, and has all ready proved to be a better system, than the old out dated captilist system, only got to look back to 1979, we was in a semi state off socialism. with only a small part being nationalized, but that small part keep unemployment down to just below the 1 million mark, and we was coming out of that recession, and look what happen when it was turned back into a captilist system unemployment sky rocketed, we got push back into the recession and went deeper into it, inflation when though the roof, crime went out off controll, corruption became like a norm, all for what a few people greed who fooled a lot off people.
Georgem
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5:35pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy
says...
5:50pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:the only reason why we are here today is because there was no competition at the beging, at the start it was a blend a mixture trials and errors, this bit darwin did not know about, and the bit where darwin talk about competition he was more on about the adaptation to suit the needs to the suroundings, not competition where one will eat or kill another just to survive, the book that he wrote base on the life that was on those islands had no preditors and no competition.
Come on, Southy, I'm dying to read all about how evolution without any competitive element works. Why are there any similarities whatsoever now between any two living organisms? Why have some traits survived and others not, if not through competition?
and this is what humans have got to do adapt move forward to the next stage, and the next stage for us is socialism, we cant afford to be stuck on capitalism it will destroy us in the end if we stay stuck, nature will do the same
Militant Ford Worker
says...
7:41pm Fri 3 Jul 09
You have only got to look at the Lindsey oil refinery workers to see that or the swansea visteon workers who have just got their sacked convenor reinstated after threatening strike action.
If it wasn't for Dagenham Ford workers walking out and threatening a national strike, Ford workers at Southampton wouldn't have got their recent 5% pay rise.
You have nothing to lose except a job that pays little more than the minimum wage and you can get that anywhere - but more particualry you can get more than twice that at Rolls Royce, Chichester who are looking to recruit experienced logistics personnel with auto manufacturing experience and are willing to pay a premium for it.
So if Penski are saying to you 'if you dont't like our pay then **** off' do it!
southy
says...
7:43pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:its not ground breaking, the the back ground off venus project came about back in the early 60's by a bunch off new zeal landers and ozzys. the name venus project is the new part and the people who name it. what they done was to look at this idea from the 60's and brought it up to date, its politics is base on tect advancement and is one kind off utopian, the basic idea is IE:- world pop is 1000 people but there is only enough work for every one to work 10 hours in ther whole life time, then every one do there 10 hours how they wish and when and where. factorys that make stuff would only make enough off one item that the world needs with a small amount off extras once it got to that limit it could swap over and make some thing else. every thing that you need in life is supplyed free with plenty off different choices to match one own taste, this would give you lots off leisure time for you to do has you chose, like reading inventing thing or improving things, if you had an idea you could go to see some one tell them what you need, and you be issued the stuff free, things like this could go towards your work time, there be all sorts off thing you could do with your spare time. the whole world having one set off rules and there be no religion, thats just a rough out line.
I'm more interested in this new groundbreaking theory of non-competitive evolution, to be honest
southy
says...
7:45pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Militant Ford Worker wrote:that is very true
Why threaten to go on strike? Because it tend to work.
You have only got to look at the Lindsey oil refinery workers to see that or the swansea visteon workers who have just got their sacked convenor reinstated after threatening strike action.
If it wasn't for Dagenham Ford workers walking out and threatening a national strike, Ford workers at Southampton wouldn't have got their recent 5% pay rise.
You have nothing to lose except a job that pays little more than the minimum wage and you can get that anywhere - but more particualry you can get more than twice that at Rolls Royce, Chichester who are looking to recruit experienced logistics personnel with auto manufacturing experience and are willing to pay a premium for it.
So if Penski are saying to you 'if you dont't like our pay then **** off' do it!
Vconfused
says...
7:49pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Gave up reading southy's posts after the first few because of the lack of sense and grammar. I did think the thing about Utopia was interesting though. Do you mean Thomas Moore's Utopia - what you are describing sounds like Star Trek. When are we getting warp drive. Laughing about metallic outfits 70s style right now.
fudez
says...
7:59pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Georgem wrote:were in the blue hell did I say anything about the right to employment?
fudez wrote:Please, you're mis-understanding my point here. What you've described there are three basic functionings of humans, that happen independently of anybody else. You don't have the "right" to an opinion, you simply cannot be prevented from having one. In order to exercise your right to have an opinion, all you have to do is have that opinion. There's ultimately no way of anyone stopping that from happening. It's like claiming to have the "right" to have a nose. You don't have a "right", you simply have a nose.
Georgem wrote:Well, I would say we all have the right to an opinion we all have the right to disagree and we defiantly have the right to voice our opinion.
I challenge our colleauge, fudez, to list me three absolute rights he thinks he, as a human being, has. And then to tell me what makes him think he has those rights. Not "why I think I should deserve those rights" but why you actually have them. See how many you can come up with, that do not simply exist because it's mutually convenient for human beings to say they exist.
there are three basic rights and I could go on forever but as you seem to have such a vast open mind i wont bother wasting my time!!
But compare that with your supposed "right" to employment. How do you exercise that "right"? Someone else has to grant it for you, don't they? So what if nobody does? What use is that "right" then? That's what I'm saying. It's all well and good demanding and shouting about the "right" to employment, but since the very existence of that "right" is dependent upon another party, it can be denied, ergo, it isn't a right. It's a privilege, or a favour, or a mutually-beneficial arrangement. Nobody is obliged to grant you it
Have you actually read anything that anyone has written?
We are discussing money not rights, if you could actually read you'd be able to give an intelligent answer.
fudez
says...
8:14pm Fri 3 Jul 09
southy wrote:That was not organized and the employers were not informed making it a breach of contract, Penske have been informed of any actions taken by the employees.
Militant Ford Worker wrote:that is very true
Why threaten to go on strike? Because it tend to work.
You have only got to look at the Lindsey oil refinery workers to see that or the swansea visteon workers who have just got their sacked convenor reinstated after threatening strike action.
If it wasn't for Dagenham Ford workers walking out and threatening a national strike, Ford workers at Southampton wouldn't have got their recent 5% pay rise.
You have nothing to lose except a job that pays little more than the minimum wage and you can get that anywhere - but more particualry you can get more than twice that at Rolls Royce, Chichester who are looking to recruit experienced logistics personnel with auto manufacturing experience and are willing to pay a premium for it.
So if Penski are saying to you 'if you dont't like our pay then **** off' do it!
They are therefore covered so please actually get your facts right!
southy
says...
8:20pm Fri 3 Jul 09
Vconfused wrote:thomas moore utopia is just another kind, but they all head the same way, with the same basic ideas, the only thing is it needs to be kept up to date, and thats what the venus project is, an up to date version.
This is funny. I have been having the same argument about everyone having the 'right' to work with someone on facebook. I would also argue with the right to express and opinion. You don't always have that opinion - for example the law against inciting religious hatred. Rightly too. If you look at the UN Declaration of Human Rights - everyone has these rights so far as they do not impact upon the rights of others.
Gave up reading southy's posts after the first few because of the lack of sense and grammar. I did think the thing about Utopia was interesting though. Do you mean Thomas Moore's Utopia - what you are describing sounds like Star Trek. When are we getting warp drive. Laughing about metallic outfits 70s style right now.
has for the contractors work force i wish all the best off luck and hope they get what they want, they have nothing to lose, but fords and Penske Logistics have a lot to lose.
Kevin51
says...
1:53pm Sat 4 Jul 09
o you have the right to expect payment for work done...are we now a Nation of slaves...and still overpaid...and why do issues such as keeping a roof over your head or putting food on the table attract so many idiots...
Lone Ranger says...
10:35am Fri 3 Jul 09
"We are working alongside Ford workers only earning a fraction of what they get".
Unfortunatelty that is the drawback of being an Agency worker. You get the Agency rate and not the employer rates.
As regards the issue of striking over the pay etc, that may well be a very fool-hardy option to follow as they have only the employment rights of the Agency.
Therfore, as i undersatand it your arguement must be surely with the Agency and not Fords.Although their actions will effect Fords.
Under these circumstances i would suggest that they have every right to withdraw their labour as indeed Fords have every right to dismiss the Agency.
Unless of course i am wrong and i am sure someone will tell me