Ferry stike before Tri Series Round 1

[wharfy]

Sorry Wharfy but seeing the strikes in the uk of the 70s.... and the toll on families for decades after doesnt see me share your point of view.
But you have a point also.

Indeed it was a rough time - Maggie CRUSHED the unions and changed all the rules so that Merchant Bankers and Stockbrokers could get all the advantages and wield all the power (and look at the UK now) .
I wasn't in the UK in the 70's but my partner Katie was, it cemented her belief in the value of Unions. I would be quite keen to hear how you remember it next time we are having a beer - I think I've probably hijacked this thread long enough !

[roogazza]

( I used to look after Prime Ministers. )
Remember when the Ferries would strike every Christmas, one year Muldoon told them to get back to work or he'd bring in the Army to operate the Ferries. End of problem.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Well it's the time that the ferry co makes most of its money so it's the obvious time to withdraw your labour.

Do you get a morning tea break at work ?
Do you get tea/coffee sugar supplied ?
Do you get more than 10 minutes for lunch ?
If you get sacked can you appeal to somebody ?
Does your workplace have a Health and Safety programme ?
Just a short list of some of the benefits that people take for granted in NZ - They were all won HARD by union members.
Read some of the history of the labour movement in NZ and see how badly workers were fucked over by (mostly foreign owned) companies.
Workers rights in NZ are being eroded at an alarming rate and unions are one of the few ways to stop it.

Since I am self employed, the answer to your (presumably) rhetorical questions is: No, not usually. But my staff do. Oh yes.

You do see the problem dont you? Sure, from a strict union vs employer stand (and this would be one of the few industries left where that sort of stance is even arguably appropriate: though I would argue even then it is not, though I acknowledge there is a view that it might be.) this is the ideal time to pressure the "other side". But the downstream effects on actual people? not cool.

Ive long had a belief that the Ferry system should be nationalised (not National-ised) and run on the same basis as the Pleece: You have no right to strike, but we will set terms and conditions independent of the union and the employer. Either that or get that Maari dude who fished up the North Island to tow it a bit closer then us whiteys can build a bridge.

[Shaun]

( I used to look after Prime Ministers. )
Remember when the Ferries would strike every Christmas, one year Muldoon told them to get back to work or he'd bring in the Army to operate the Ferries. End of problem.

Politics YUK, But Muldoon was the best Prime Minister I have ever seen in this country

[HenryDorsetCase]

Politics YUK, But Muldoon was the best Prime Minister I have ever seen in this country

um, really?

[duckonin]

Politics YUK, But Muldoon was the best Prime Minister I have ever seen in this country

Totally agree. Muldoon was a no shit bloke. He put the gravy train robbers in their place on a number of occasions. The rest have been figure heads without BALLS.

[Bikemad]

Politics YUK, But Muldoon was the best Prime Minister I have ever seen in this country

well i don't know about that.........you are a ginga after all............but i will say it was the unions that fucked up and dragged out the progress on his "think big" plans thats for sure

[HenryDorsetCase]

Totally agree. Muldoon was a no shit bloke. He put the gravy train robbers in their place on a number of occasions. The rest have been figure heads without BALLS.

Muldoon was a fascist bully. His economic policies were rooted in the 1950's (arguably earlier), he refused or failed to acknowledge the major global changes happening during his tenure (does no one remember the government mandated fixed exchange rates, the inability bo buy cars or bikes except with export dollars, the oppressive control over almost every aspect of society, the white, middle class oppression? ) and then the cunt got pissed one night, called a Schnapps election and lost but then didnt adhere to constitutional convention and tried (and nearly succeeded to bankrupt the country?

Fuck I remember that shit. The man was a prick, and his political legacy is appalling. Rose tinted hi res backwards facing glasses to the contrary.

Don't get me wrong, all politicians are by definition loathsome, but he is the the most loathsome of them all.





flamewar in 3,2, 1 ............

[jasonu]

Politics YUK, But Muldoon was the best Prime Minister I have ever seen in this country

Well there has not been a lot of competition of late. Best of a bad bunch maybe...

[Howie]

For those of you who maybe travelling to Rd 1 of the Tri series from the South Island please be aware that at present the interislander will not be sailing between Sat 1st dec- Sat 7th Dec due to strike action.
This is in mediation and may change.
Strait shipping will continue to sail (lucky cos we are on that)
Pass the word to any racers travelling or friends travelling too.

F**kin unions...

What is this, the goddamn 1970's? Ferry strikes at Christmas! Bullshit.

Those cunts have been pulling the same shit since forever.

Those wankers might get a bit more sympathy if they didn't pick the holidays to make a point. They have been pulling the same shit forever.

Have any of you bothered to actually look at what the dispute is about? Do you know what members of the crew the unions involved represent?
or would you rather just believe the propaganda machine that passes for media in NZ?

The timing is nothing to do with Holiday time!! it is to do with failure to negotiate a settlement, on a contract that has expired and needs to be renewed. and one of the few ways left a collective bargaining group in this country has of trying to get a company back to negotiating when an acceptable settlement hasn't been reached is to with draw there labour.

You can probably thank the pro employer labour relation laws that the current Goverment has put in place for this Action.

I would actually suggest you do your homework before mouthing off at the unions.

[wharfy]

Muldoon was a fascist bully. His economic policies were rooted in the 1950's (arguably earlier), he refused or failed to acknowledge the major global changes happening during his tenure (does no one remember the government mandated fixed exchange rates, the inability bo buy cars or bikes except with export dollars, the oppressive control over almost every aspect of society, the white, middle class oppression? ) and then the cunt got pissed one night, called a Schnapps election and lost but then didnt adhere to constitutional convention and tried (and nearly succeeded to bankrupt the country?

Fuck I remember that shit. The man was a prick, and his political legacy is appalling. Rose tinted hi res backwards facing glasses to the contrary.

Don't get me wrong, all politicians are by definition loathsome, but he is the the most loathsome of them all.





flamewar in 3,2, 1 ............

I agree with you 100% about Muldoon ! No redeeming social value whatsoever..

[wharfy]

Have any of you bothered to actually look at what the dispute is about? Do you know what members of the crew the unions involved represent?
or would you rather just believe the propaganda machine that passes for media in NZ?

The timing is nothing to do with Holiday time!! it is to do with failure to negotiate a settlement, on a contract that has expired and needs to be renewed. and one of the few ways left a collective bargaining group in this country has of trying to get a company back to negotiating when an acceptable settlement hasn't been reached is to with draw there labour.

You can probably thank the pro employer labour relation laws that the current Goverment has put in place for this Action.

I would actually suggest you do your homework before mouthing off at the unions.

You are not really expecting INFORMED opinion are you ? This is KiwiBiker

[jellywrestler]

What do you do for a crust ?

i leave my undies on for more than three days...

[suzuki21]

Indeed it was a rough time - Maggie CRUSHED the unions and changed all the rules so that Merchant Bankers and Stockbrokers could get all the advantages and wield all the power (and look at the UK now) .
I wasn't in the UK in the 70's but my partner Katie was, it cemented her belief in the value of Unions. I would be quite keen to hear how you remember it next time we are having a beer - I think I've probably hijacked this thread long enough !

Unions have a place, but when they dictate the running of a company they should fuck off. Eg - could NZ companies support "if you work untill 50yo you get 90% of your last years wage untill you die (and make sure you do lots of overtime in that last year to get that average up) Go the USA. Twinkies or whatever they are called are a good example, Luckily the union was awesome in negotiations and 18,000 people lost there jobs

[Ocean1]

The timing is nothing to do with Holiday time!! it is to do with failure to negotiate a settlement, on a contract that has expired and needs to be renewed.

I would actually suggest you do your homework before mouthing off at the unions.

Would this so-called homework demonstrate that the agreement has been under negotiation for some time? Would it show that in fact the union's chief strategy from the outset has been a public Holliday strike?

Is there any member of the paying public that's so overwhelmed by the employee's performance that they'd be happy to pay more?