Juddian:
The previous lorry driver’s strike in the 70’s was a bad joke, just as today it was the hire and reward sector paid poor with people having work all hours to make a decent wage up, those in other sectors were already on more than what was being demanded, i was.Now is much the same, if you want better pay and conditions get out of hire and reward, it shouldn’t be hard for the better drivers to find good gigs in the present climate which handily starves the poor payers ** of the better staff so they have to up their game to keep good staff, this has worked all the years i’ve been in the job, the mob i started for on the cars was a poor payer eventually through enough people leaving so they effectively became the training school for half the industry (people started there, learned their game and buggered off to better jobs, me among them) and in due course had to up their pay massively in order to attract and retain.
We all have this capability, it doesn’t need some pointless nationwide action which will only further alienate an already hostile public.
Take a pride in your work, do it well, find that better job and do your best to make it last forever, every good job i’ve had they had no bother paying the money, unionised with pay increases every year (to date), but best for everyone if you give them value for money and try your best not to cost them via damage sickies etc, a profitable successful company can afford decent pay and perks.** and yes i understand those who live in less industrialised areas don’t always have the same opportunities, but these things have knock on effects…just as making the Severn Bridge free has improved the lot of drivers in SE Wales, the wave effect.
I don’t understand what you’re saying in your first paragraph Juddian?
Those in the union, on better rates shouldn’t also strike to help the worse off?
That really is divide and conquer for employers isn’t it.
Let the better employers put pressure on the recalcitrant ones to get everyone on an equal footing.
.
And let’s not sacrifice this holy cow of “free market” bollox that so many seem to believe is a universal truth.
It ISN’T.