Number of UK strikes hit a 126-year low

[Organ Morgan.]

Lowest number of strikes (79) during 2017 since records begun in 1891 with just 33,000 employees involved.

Has Blighty become a workers' paradise with contentment reaching an all-time high?

- The number of strikes in the UK last year was the lowest recorded to date, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

There were 79 stoppages in 2017, the lowest figures since records began in 1891.

The number of workers involved in labour disputes also fell to an all-time low of 33,000. - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44300117

[jon1959]

The number of zero-hours, non-unionised workers has reached a 126-year low.

Just coincidence.

[Wales-Bales]

The number of zero-hours, non-unionised workers has reached a 126-year low.

Just coincidence.

And a changes to unemployment benefit rules.

[Organ Morgan.]

The number of zero-hours, non-unionised workers has reached a 126-year low.

Just coincidence.

It's called the gig economy for those who prefer not to use the word exploitative. I look in the window of an employment agency shop window whenever I pass and have yet to see a full-time job advertised on any of its cards.

Another record low: UK household saving ratio hit record low in 2017, says Office for National Statistics https://www.independent.co.uk/news/b...-a8279016.html

Savings sliding, household debt rising and unprecedented job insecurity make for lots of foodbanks, homeless people and beggars galore.

[Nick]

Lowest number of strikes (79) during 2017 since records begun in 1891 with just 33,000 employees involved.

Has Blighty become a workers' paradise with contentment reaching an all-time high?

- The number of strikes in the UK last year was the lowest recorded to date, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

There were 79 stoppages in 2017, the lowest figures since records began in 1891.

The number of workers involved in labour disputes also fell to an all-time low of 33,000. - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44300117

Good news - The Trade Union Barons have obviously had their day. Good riddance.

[Wales-Bales]

Good news - The Trade Union Barons have obviously had their day. Good riddance.

When are you going to have your Ebeneezer Scrooge moment?

[cyril evans awaydays]

Good news - The Trade Union Barons have obviously had their day. Good riddance.

And yet we are still less productive than our strike loving, four day a week cheese eating surrender monkeys from across the Channel

[Nick]

And yet we are still less productive than our strike loving, four day a week cheese eating surrender monkeys from across the Channel

That, I have to say, is a somewhat racist comment.

[cyril evans awaydays]

That, I have to say, is a somewhat racist comment.

Which bit?

[Heathblue]

I started work in 1978, did a year in Technical college 1st, so was effectively into a 2nd year of my apprenticeship, the engineering Union (AUEW) as it was known, were on a 2 day strike the day I started work, I think I saw the best and worst of Unions during this time, some dedicated members and some real bad'ns, the bullies always seemed to get their way, whilst the genuine member representatives got swerved. Effectively forced to join on finishing my apprenticeship, (young and in awe of the bullies), I do wholly agree in principle with unions, but they were out of control back then as was the Thatcher Government, a recipe for disaster on two fronts!!!, times change of course, and this zero hour contract nonsense is a disgrace, although it suits some.

[life on mars]

I started work in 1978, did a year in Technical college 1st, so was effectively into a 2nd year of my apprenticeship, the engineering Union (AUEW) as it was known, were on a 2 day strike the day I started work, I think I saw the best and worst of Unions during this time, some dedicated members and some real bad'ns, the bullies always seemed to get their way, whilst the genuine member representatives got swerved. Effectively forced to join on finishing my apprenticeship, (young and in awe of the bullies), I do wholly agree in principle with unions, but they were out of control back then as was the Thatcher Government, a recipe for disaster on two fronts!!!, times change of course, and this zero hour contract nonsense is a disgrace, although it suits some.

I can recall the same good and bad union leaders ,those who cared and the ones who were simply radicals ,mainly single idealistic man willing to live on nothing and happy to strike for weeks, always senior men who owned the best duties and overtime perks .

I can recall workers not affording posh holidays or cars , now most have two to three holidays a year and own more than one car .
Employment law is now strong thanks to European driven laws , and in the main employers are more caring of thier workforce , guess thats why there are less strikes , a more content and better off workforce , with to much too lose .

[Organ Morgan.]

I can recall the same good and bad union leaders ,those who cared and the ones who were simply radicals ,mainly single idealistic man willing to live on nothing and happy to strike for weeks, always senior men who owned the best duties and overtime perks .

I can recall workers not affording posh holidays or cars , now most have two to three holidays a year and own more than one car .
Employment law is now strong thanks to European driven laws , and in the main employers are more caring of thier workforce , guess thats why there are less strikes , a more content and better off workforce , with to much too lose .

I have the impression you're of similar age to me. If your grandparents, great aunties and uncles were like mine then none of the females worked, nor did they need to as their husbands' income provided enough to feed and clothe the whole family and pay the mortgage without the aid of any benefits supplement save for a pittance in Family Allowance for a second and subsequent sprog. Those mothers nurtured their kids, not strangers that cost an arm and a leg, and as far as I'm aware none of them were ever up to their tits in debt. What a contrast to today.

[Eric Cartman]

I can recall the same good and bad union leaders ,those who cared and the ones who were simply radicals ,mainly single idealistic man willing to live on nothing and happy to strike for weeks, always senior men who owned the best duties and overtime perks .

I can recall workers not affording posh holidays or cars , now most have two to three holidays a year and own more than one car .
Employment law is now strong thanks to European driven laws , and in the main employers are more caring of thier workforce , guess thats why there are less strikes , a more content and better off workforce , with to much too lose .

That's a silly way to measure wealth.

People have more foreign holidays because foreign holidays are cheaper. Businesses possess far more computers than the 70's, it doesn't mean that all businesses have loads of money and should be giving more pay to their staff or discounts to their customers does it?

[life on mars]

I have the impression you're of similar age to me. If your grandparents, great aunties and uncles were like mine then none of the females worked, nor did they need to as their husbands' income provided enough to feed and clothe the whole family and pay the mortgage without the aid of any benefits supplement save for a pittance in Family Allowance for a second and subsequent sprog. Those mothers nurtured their kids, not strangers that cost an arm and a leg, and as far as I'm aware none of them were ever up to their tits in debt. What a contrast to today.

Yes your point is well made. Different times , I got folk in my family pleading poverty with 2 cars , a 200k mortgage etc etc , poverty as I touched it was having no food for school and begging a share of my mates sandwiches.

Benefits and income support for my poor mam ,wern't that readily available, went to work on a farm at 14, on the weekends , for pocket money .

[life on mars]

pm sent

Perhaps another war could fix it?

[Eric Cartman]

"Fully agree about the better more efficient provision delivered by foodbanks in France, they're better supported by a number of policies implemented by the French government. As an example of the difference with the UK, Cameron's government refused funding offered by the EU in relation to supporting foodbanks in this country."

So in France foodbanks are better supported by the French Govt - I can imagine the headlines if that happened here "Govt capitulates on FoodBanks" "Govt secretly helping Foodbanks" etc - are the French Govt criticised fro doing this ? - I dont think they are - which proves my point.

You can imagine all you want but you can't subsequently use those imagined realities as evidence to prove yourself right (or maybe you can, this is ccmb after all)

[life on mars]

sorry mate - I know the EU offered money to the UK Govt re food banks - and I guess it was turned down for political reasons (you cant have it both ways - you either want food banks or you dont)

Re point 2 - that is basic politics mate. The Labour party in its original format was a pressure group, same as french farmers. Utopian politics - doesnt work - so 'we' try and govern ourselves as best as possible. The sugar industry for years as been allowed to sell sugary drinks to kids - because of bad science. Fat bad - sugar ok. Now we know this is incorrect so the Govt change it etc etc etc etc

ps - I see today that the unemployment figures in the US are the lowest for 18 years..

Think the UK unemployment is equally low.

[Jordi Culé]

Think the UK unemployment is equally low.

Yet the use/need for foodbanks is at a high. Make of that whatever you will?

[life on mars]

The number's fake. Unemployment rate is 3.8%, working age labour non participation rate (jobless!) is 95.9 million. US official population is 327 million. I said in another thread that if they calculated the unemployment rate as they did until Clinton's admin changed it (in '94, if memory serves) it would stand today at 22%. At the height of the Great Depression in the USA the maximum unemployment reached was 25%.

Unless the whole system is a conspiracy and were living in some type of Orwellian utopia or Trueman Show , I am of the understanding you take employment records from actual data such as HMRC and National Insurance registration , unless your Norman Scott that is .

There is some sunshine about ,honest .

[Organ Morgan.]

Unless the whole system is a conspiracy and were living in some type of Orwellian utopia or Trueman Show , I am of the understanding you take employment records from actual data such as HMRC and National Insurance registration , unless your Norman Scott that is .

There is some sunshine about ,honest .

Chump spoke a lot of truth before he was elected. But he's not about to repeat who created ISIS and who was behind 9-11. Same for the joking unemployment number there. These days he's actually taking credit for what he knows is a fabrication.

19 times Trump called jobs numbers ‘fake’ before they made him look good: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.f6ac0927bcc7

I'll paste his quotes included in the above article as access is denied to those using an ad blocker.

Sep. 7, 2012
“Unemployment rate only dropped because more people are out of labor force & have stopped looking for work. Not a real recovery, phony numbers”

Oct. 19, 2012
"7.8% unemployment number is a complete fraud as evidenced by the jobless claims number released yesterday. Real unemployment is at least 15%”

Aug. 11, 2013
“We can rev up this economy like it should be, not with false numbers like 7.4 percent unemployment. But with real numbers.”

May 31, 2014
“Unemployment is a totally phony number.”

June 16, 2015
“Our real unemployment is anywhere from 18 to 20 percent. Don't believe the 5.6. Don't believe it.”

Aug. 11, 2015
“Then you hear there's a 5.4 percent unemployment. It's really — if you add it up, it's probably 40 percent if you think about it.”

Aug. 30, 2015
“They show those phony statistics where we are 5.4 percent unemployment. The real number, I saw a number that could be 42 percent, believe it or not.”

Sept. 28, 2015
“I hear 5.3 percent unemployment, that is the biggest joke there is in this country. That number is so false.”

Sept. 29, 2015
“The number is not reflective. I have seen numbers of 24 percent. I saw a number of 42 percent unemployment. … That number is so false.”

Oct. 9, 2015
“They say 5.3 percent employment. The number is probably 32 percent.”

Oct. 11, 2015
“Nobody has jobs. … It is not a real economy. It is a phony set of numbers. They cooked the books.”

Jan. 17, 2016
“Look again, you hear these phony jobs numbers? People that gave up looking for jobs? They are considered employed.”

Feb. 9, 2016
“Don't believe those phony numbers when you hear 4.9 and 5 percent unemployment. As high as 35 — as in fact, I heard recently, 42 percent.”

March 12, 2016
“The numbers are phony. These are all phony numbers. Numbers given to politicians to look good. These are phony numbers.”

May 24, 2016
“You hear a 5 percent unemployment rate. It's such a phony number. That number was put in for presidents and for politicians so that they look good to the people.”

July 7, 2016
“The phony 5 percent numbers that we hear about with the unemployment.”

Aug. 8, 2016
“The 5 percent figure is one of the biggest hoaxes in modern politics.”

Nov. 4, 2016
“The terrible jobs report that just came out … you can see phony numbers, 5 percent.”

Dec. 8, 2016
“The unemployment number, as you know, is totally fiction.”

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Nationalise the trains , public utilities , close the grammar schools , give Toby young a good slap