In message , at 14:13:54 on
Fri, 29 May 2009, Tony Polson remarked:
David Cameron is completely untested - he hasn't managed to sell
anything to anyone yet.

He sold someone the idea he should be leader.
--
Roland Perry

In message , at
20:48:47 on Thu, 28 May 2009, Richard J.
remarked:
Generally some sort of service, with a published timetable, operates
from Gare du Nord to CDG airport so as not to make life too difficult
for the tourists. SNCF even have a dedicated interactive website for
such occasions, www.abcdtrain.com, where you can find out the temporary
timetable for any journey in Ile de France ("Greater Paris").

Somehow I don't see our strikes becoming that tourist-friendly.

But you don't *need* the Underground to get from London's airports[1] to
the centre. If all else fails there is Heathrow Connect, and buses to
several railheads.

A recent survey claimed that only 18%(?) of passengers use rail (from
airports) anyway [I've temporarily mislaid the link] although this may
be higher for Heathrow.

[1] Except perhaps City, if the DLR is also on strike. But there are
buses there too, I'm sure.
--
Roland Perry

On 29 May, 14:52, MIG wrote:
On 29 May, 13:51, wrote:

On May 29, 1:04*pm, MIG wrote:

Cite a successful strike or an example of workers getting what they
ask for? *The management invariably hold all the cards and always get
what they want.

Sorry, how much do tube workers get paid again? How much does the
average skilled manual worker get paid again? Claiming that their
industrial militancy hasn't paid off, whether you approve of it or
not, is just odd.

Senior bankers must have gone on strike an awful lot then.

"Over-payment" or "under payment" would typically result from a market
failure, or a winner takes all system.

The over payment of tube drivers is caused by a market failure, in
itself caused by excessive negotiating power of the unions.

A classic winner takes all system is the market for football players.
There are about 400 premiership places in England and clubs are
desperate for the best.

Banking is a little bit in between the two. Same with senior executive
pay.

On 29 May, 14:20, wrote:
On Fri, 29 May 2009 13:39:05 +0100

Tony Polson wrote:

disgoftunwells wrote:

Indeed, and Mrs Thatcher laid the groundwork carefully.

1980: First legislation
1982: 2nd legislationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_Act_1982
1983: Build up coal reserves
1984: Miners strike

So using that as a basis, how should TPTB engineer a confrontation with
Comrade Crow's mob, and achieve total victory?

Simple. With the majority she enjoyed in the commons she could push through
the sort of legislation that I mentioned in another post legally limiting the
number of strike days per year to a rather low number. Wait for morons in RMT
to break the law then inflict massive fines on said union until they capitulate
or even better it goes broke and is dissolved.

Just say, "if customers are unable to procure similar services at
similar prices elsewhere, then they may collectively sue which ever
party (the company, or the unions) has refused binding arbitration,
since said party is responsible for the strike."

A nice balanced piece of legislation that is aimed at both management
and unions. who could object?

wrote:
Tony Polson wrote:

So using that as a basis, how should TPTB engineer a confrontation with
Comrade Crow's mob, and achieve total victory?

Simple. With the majority she enjoyed in the commons she could push through
the sort of legislation that I mentioned in another post legally limiting the
number of strike days per year to a rather low number. Wait for morons in RMT
to break the law then inflict massive fines on said union until they capitulate
or even better it goes broke and is dissolved.


I asked how it could be done now, in the 21st century. I'm really not
interested in your fantasies about Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, as
she is no longer relevant.


Also pull rabbit out of hat in the form of tucked away clause that if strikes
do continue over the legal period then strikers can be arrested and charged
with public order offences and dismissed from their jobs on the spot. From
what I've heard people are queuing around the block to for tube driver jobs
even when there isn't a recession so LU won't have any problems replacing the
troublemakers.


Fantasy land.

Mizter T wrote:

Ha ha, yes, in the football world that's one of the clashes of the
titans that can't be missed!


True! It cannot even begin to compare with the pleasure of watching (on
Wednesday) the sheer artistry of FC Barcelona's players running rings
round Manchester United players, with the Mancs completely unable to
take the ball off them. Priceless! ;-)

"Recliner" wrote in message
...
About 10,000 Tube workers have voted to strike on two separate disputes
over pay deals and proposed job losses.

The vote, by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union,
was rerun after London Underground (LU) legally challenged a previous
ballot.

Workers will go on a 48-hour strike which will begin at 1859 BST on 9
June and end on 11 June.

The strike is expected to bring havoc to the Tube network, used by more
than three million passengers a day.

The RMT said the ballot result was "overwhelmingly" in favour of strike
action with 2,810 voting for and 488 against.

Earlier LU had said it believed the issues with the RMT could be
resolved without a strike.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8071423.stm




Send for Margaret..........

Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as Recliner
gently breathed:

Somehow, I can't see Brother Crow agreeing to pendulum arbitration, and
it's hard to see the current government agreeing to anything that could
hurt their union paymasters.

True.

But the current government is about to get spectacularly booted out by
the Conservatives, who might be more minded (especially if they thought
they had the support of ordinary Londoners, some of whom might think
that strike-caused disruption was putting their own jobs at risk) to
smash RMT's ability to cause utter chaos in the capital once and for
all.

It's beginning to feel like 1979 all over again, with a chaotic and
shambling Labour administration, beset by problems internal and
external, soon to be swept into history by resurgent Tories. Lets just
hope this time it doesn't lead to a re-run of the Major period ten years
later.

NP: Cybercide - Further.
--
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MIG wrote in news:b38214db-b68f-4b51-bbda-
:

Extreme 1: "workers" get paid loads of money and don't have to do any
work.

Extreme 2: businesses pocket the proceeds of slave labour.

With 1, there's nothing to sell, and it collapses.

With 2, there's no one to buy anything, and it collapses.

I'm all in favour of cooperation, but on this group everyone seems to
think that defeating one group and its interests will result in a
better situation. I really doubt it.

Defeating the odious bully Crow != defeating "the workers".

Pyromancer wrote:

It's beginning to feel like 1979 all over again, with a chaotic and
shambling Labour administration, beset by problems internal and
external, soon to be swept into history by resurgent Tories.


It's beginning to feel like 1997 all over again, with a corrupt, chaotic
and shambling administration, beset by problems internal and external,
soon to be swept into history by a party led by a young, articulate,
privately educated slick PR man leading a party of traditionalist
incompetence that is briefly hidden under a fresh coat of paint for the
purposes of getting elected.