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Argos 3day strike from the 20th Delivery drivers are to strike for 3 days

Why are they striking ? Is it in protest about Boxing Day sales or to support the P.O. strike, or another thing with a view to spoiling children's Christmas's ?

Its a dispute over holiday pay, whether it should be calculated on basic pay or "usual pay" ie including shift allowances, regular overtime etc.

Quite a few strikes in the offing, get ready for the Government to change the law again instead of supporting the majority of the nation in what is fair.

Well, I can't see the support for the majority on Southern Railways either. Absolutely horrendous for most who are trying to get to work. I travelled home on Monday on one line which goes to Gatwick. The train heaved with passengers and baggage off flights etc. on a normal day. It's a pretty bad impression for foreigners landing in UK. apart from anything else.

So I'm not too sure who the majority are. A handful of train drivers or thousands trying to go to work and keep the country moving ?

Take your point Granny but I don't like the way some workers are getting screwed by Big Corps especially the low paid. When I was earning decent money I didn't grumble about working a few extra hours for no pay but my lads just above minimum wage and regulary doing a few hours extra un paid per week in a shop-- which often takes him below minimum wage-- plus messing them around --changing their rotas at last minute, asking them to work days off etc.
Think the Southern rail one is about keeping guards on trains.

I hate Argos. There is no pretence of service there. A wish to examine something before buying is seen as disrupting the smoth flow of cash from you to them and discouraged. Customers have to do everything themselves except finding the items and hurling them contemptuously on the counter. Not that I blame the staff, the whole system has been set up with no consideration of affording work-satisfaction for them whatsoever and it is little wonder that they take minimal effort to disguise the fact that they loathe the place.

Somehow, I don't expect the delivery drivers are any better treated either.

It is cheap, but as often as not, it is not cheap enough to tempt me inside.

Yes Fish, it is the guards. I fully agree with sentiments of those who are caught in the ever decreasing circles of part time hours, and all the rota systems that often won't allow a second job to boost minimum wages. If companies were not given extras for employing part time workers , thus keeping the unemployment figures down, and forced to have a fully employed permanent staff on a regular rota that is staff friendly,it would be a whole lot less being paid in WTC, staff would know exactly what hours they work , would know exactly what pay they would get and know exactly when they had days off to take on other work if needed.
These major companies are employing minimum staff because it saves them money and they know that low wages are topped up by Government. Maybe all the tax payers should join the ranks too, as it's their money that goes towards paying all the benefits that support the major companies that are already paying them low rates. This goes on everywhere, even newscasters on TV are not permanent employees, mind you, they get high wages to compensate.
Let's not forget who introduced minimum wage,more part time hours, and job evaluation. This situation was bound to happen eventually, once every company jumped on the band waggon , because they were directed to do so. Economics that has backfired.

One more point, I firmly believe that such disruptive employment ethics has detrimental effects on the health of individuals who have to toss their world around on a daily basis. No regular meal times, no regular breaks, no regular days work etc. No wonder the NHS is struggling, cancer is also attributed to stress in many cases. However, the lingering strikes to help sort one problem, causes massive stress to many others. How can that be fair ?

Another thing I've been seeing recently is 3 month notice periods in contracts for jobs that you wouldn't class as skilled (I can understand long notice periods in skilled critical personnel). It makes getting another job almost impossible.

3 months notice ? That can't be legal. Would be best not to take a job with such criteria attached to it. Would it work the other way if they wanted you to go ?

UK are apparently in second place throughout Europe as we can buy 2.5 burgers with an hours pay. Yipeee !! Looking at it sensibly, we can see the poor EU countries that are being supported and contributed to by the wealthier member states. Eventually, all workers throughout the EU will be paid the same amount for the same job. All goes towards more movement and everyone on an equal footing. Once the higher paid professionals come under the same agenda, there will not be any ambition left. What would be the point if everyone gets the same. Socialism or Communism ?

The contracts were lop-sided, employer only had to give one months notice!

I guess the contracts are virtually unenforceable, at worst they could only keep hold of your last months pay unless they are prepared to go to court where the fairness could be questioned.

However, the lingering strikes to help sort one problem, causes massive stress to many others. How can that be fair ?

Life isn't fair for the strikers either. that's why they are on strike.

Strikes are as unpopular with the workers too you know, or even more so than the inconvenienced public. They lose money from them apart from anything else. A strike occurs only when all other avenues have been explored, believe you me. The corollary of this is that if a strike occurs, you can be sure that the strikers have a real grievance, although the Daily Mail and other third-rate rags would have you believe that a shop steward snapping his fingers is all that is needed to call one.

Yes, understand what strikes are about and even if we don't agree with the purpose of them, we still have to be part of it. Been there and done that and lost out on my pension because some clot in ignorance, didn't understand the procedures which resulted in a so called 'break in service'

Your remark about the Daily Mail is amusing though Ex. It would appear that the only people who read or quote or lambast the Daily Mail are the ones who tell everyone else what a rubbish, biased, right wing paper it is. So I assume you and friends read it, and as I certainly don't , I'll let you know if I ever do !

Don't need to read the rags to know what utter rubbish that they print.

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