Airport chaos for the Olympics?

[Alfie]

There could be chaos in British airports for the Olympics.

Up to 5,500 immigration officials will strike next Thursday in a dispute about job cuts and pay, disrupting nearly 130,000 passengers as they arrive the day before the Olympic opening ceremony.

The striking workers, from the Public and Commercial Services union, will take further industrial action during the rest of the Games by refusing to work overtime.

The Border Force is already under pressure after delays of more than two hours at Heathrow in the run-up to the Olympics.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, said the action is “shameful” as officials drew up contingency plans to draft in civil servants to man immigration desks.

She said: “They are holding a strike on what is one of the key days for people coming into this country for the Olympic Games. I believe it is not right for them to hold a strike. They will risk damaging people’s enjoyment of coming through into the UK.”

During the height of the summer, Heathrow would expect up to 107,000 passengers arriving at the airport, compared with the 126,000 expected on Thursday.

The Border Force is hoping that “hit squads” of up to 500 extra immigration officials from other parts of Whitehall will help to cover the extra demand, but it is unclear how many of them are also union members.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/9413337/Border-force-staff-to-walk-out-ahead-of-Olympics.html

[dutchy124]

Does it ring a bell, every year we have the same old shit. A union holding the Country to ransom. After paying untold billions to pay for the games now these dimwits want to spoil it for everyone. Lock them up and deport the buggers. Leave the gates open, it probably won't make much of a difference as to who gets in, it will just be a lot quicker.

[white fang]

In England every man or woman has the right to withdraw their labour, the BAA are making £800m profit so make them pay, if not close the airports and let no one in, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, so come on let have a revolution, lets have a civil war,  take all the money off the rich, just a few of things I would like to see.

http://youtu.be/K5tItSl_RKc

[Noodles]

Have to agree with some of WF's sentiments there.

The unions got what they deserved from Maggie back in the 80's, times have changed though, and the UK and it's Western counterparts are wallowing in so much greed & corruption it's sickening, I hardly blame a group of workers holding the govt. to ransom. Are MP's taking pay cuts? Or cuts in jobs numbers, or cuts in pension payments, or their allowable expenses?

The rich are getting richer, the middle and poor are not only getting poorer but basically getting it right up the jacksie.

Bob Diamond and Barclays have got away with fraud, if a small businessman committed the same offences he would be locked up and have all of his assets taken away. If you have money, it's moving towards a "you can do whatever the f*** you like" scenario in Blighty.

The words "gold" "silver" "bronze" "summer" and "olympics" amongst others are banned in terms of non-olympic sponsoring businesses using them- 1984....hello?....country's gone bonkers and people are sick of it all, hence strikes...........could be worse to come if the rich push the silent majority too far.

Viva la revolution!

[white fang]

Dam have to take Noodles off the up against the wall gang 

And good luck for the coming season

[Conan]

In England every man or woman has the right to withdraw their labour, the BAA are making £800m profit so make them pay, if not close the airports and let no one in, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, so come on let have a revolution, lets have a civil war,  take all the money off the rich, just a few of things I would like to see.

http://youtu.be/K5tItSl_RKc

I never understood this mentality, you think its easy becoming wealthy? Most people go to their 9-5 jobs with no risk, minimal stress compared and can usually go home and spend time with family after work.

Making your own business you take a lot of risk, everything can go belly up. Most wealthy business men/women that I know worked there ass off to get to that stage and sacraficed alot. Past 5 years of my life I had two phones glued to me and barelly had a social life, sacraficed a lot! Now I'm semi relaxing in Thailand.

To boot, the top few percent of the population employ the rest and pay most of the taxes, but lets take even more from people who decided to make something out of themselves(financially)?

Anyone born in Canada/USA/UK etc has a golden platter of opportunities layed out for them, anyone can decide the road they want to take.

[white fang]

I never understood this mentality, you think its easy becoming wealthy? Most people go to their 9-5 jobs with no risk, minimal stress compared and can usually go home and spend time with family after work.


Why whats wrong with that? so the boss makes all the money and keeps the workers poor? children down pits and up chimneys? pay the worker.

If your self employed? You are not paying the right tax anyway, if you are, sack your accountant.

Two phones, yeah done that, no socail life done that, sacraficed a lot, yeah done that, gone out on strike when the union was fighting for the workers, to get a decent wage to live on, yeah done that.  As I used to tell all the men at work, the union got us all we have now, from MEL? I will tell you what that was Minimum Earning Level, the goverment topped my wages up, 48 hr week now 35 hr week, so that we could spend more time at home. % pay raises yeah, final salary pension schemes, sick pay,

Without the unions we would still tipping our hats, and being deported.

UP THE WORKERS

If you have worked for yourself and made a few bob well done, if not join the union and fight for your rights.

[HighwayStar]

Unions...........responsible for the downfall of Britian!
There are a alot of people out of work who would be glad of these peoples jobs. Sack the bloody lot of them.

[sushi]

Only thing responsible for the downfall of Britain........Greed, Greed, Greed!

Perhaps if the government weren't trying to screw over pensions, conditions, employment rights etc. in nearly every sector (apart from their own of course) then maybe the PCS wouldn't be forced into such a drastic action. I believe they are doing it now because the know they have an advantage, if they waited until after the Olympics (TM) the government would ignore them.

I used to be a government worker and I'm still in contact with a lot people and they are being treated like crap at the moment, whole departments being told they're being sacked and offered new contracts with disgraceful terms and conditions compulsory working over holidays including Xmas at standard rates of pay.  I would suggest people spend a bit of time working in the public sector before marking everyone off as work shy layabouts, wanting strike at the drop of a hat, the vast majority of workers are professional, dedicated committed and hard working.

The border agency is in an appalling state and I have no confidence in Theresa May to sort it out, they may as well get it over with and sell it to G4S!!

The Tories are using the financial crisis to shred the public sector, finishing off Maggies Thatchers work!!!

[Teessider]

Thatcher   Bankers responsible for the downfall of Britain.

Let's get rid of them. Those lucky enough to have jobs in Cameron's austerity Britain pay high taxes on income then 20% VAT on anything they spend. Meanwhile millionaires get tax cuts (if they bother paying any) and seemingly have all the benefits of responsibility with no repercussions far failure or dishonesty.

[white fang]

I love it, lets put them all up against wall 

Make your list here

MPs
Bankers
Judges
lawyers
Bent coppers

Line them up and I will pull the trigger

[Conan]

My response was strictly speaking to take take more from the wealthy and give to others.

If a business man started a company, took all the risk and put in all the capital, why should the employee make as much as the owner? Now of course the employee makes the business too and need to be properly compensated, but equally... I don't think so.

As far as taxes I wasn't speaking on loss of business owner himself, but in general of what it does for the country.

And for the record I want to make clear I realize many businesses etc. treats their employee's unfairly and sometimes something has to be done. It just seems so many people are upset at people who made it and think they owe everyone, I don't get it. On the same token, if someone isn't happy with their employer why not find one that values you; probably much more opportunities down that road long term.

PS: I also dont want it to seem like another farang thinking he is hi so rich, I'm far from what I consider "rich" but still have another 30 years before I should retire, much can happen , bad or good; but if at the end of the day if I'm unhappy with my situation I just have to look in the mirror to find who's responsible.

I never understood this mentality, you think its easy becoming wealthy? Most people go to their 9-5 jobs with no risk, minimal stress compared and can usually go home and spend time with family after work.


Why whats wrong with that? so the boss makes all the money and keeps the workers poor? children down pits and up chimneys? pay the worker.

If your self employed? You are not paying the right tax anyway, if you are, sack your accountant.

Two phones, yeah done that, no socail life done that, sacraficed a lot, yeah done that, gone out on strike when the union was fighting for the workers, to get a decent wage to live on, yeah done that.  As I used to tell all the men at work, the union got us all we have now, from MEL? I will tell you what that was Minimum Earning Level, the goverment topped my wages up, 48 hr week now 35 hr week, so that we could spend more time at home. % pay raises yeah, final salary pension schemes, sick pay,

Without the unions we would still tipping our hats, and being deported.

UP THE WORKERS

If you have worked for yourself and made a few bob well done, if not join the union and fight for your rights.

[HighwayStar]

Barely 11 per cent of PCS union members at the Home Office voted in favour of the walkout in protest over cuts to jobs and pay freezes. That amounts to just 1,800 people out of 16,000 potential voters.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175529/Border-strike-threat-Olympics-Union-set-paralyse-airports-thousands-arrive-London-2012.html#ixzz21NwGf

A strike needs the backing of the public, a political party and above all the support of a majority of it's members, this potential strike it appears has neither of the above. If the public sector workers feel so hard done by the should try being self-employed, they may realise how good they've got it.

[white fang]

I think you will find under Tory rules they can only ballot the workers that are going to strike, so if the union was 1 million strong and only 10,000 going to strike they will need 51% of 10,000. So that rubbish about only a few voted to stike is the tory press working hard to destroy the unions.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/TradeUnions/Tradeunionsintheworkplace/DG_179203

[Conan]

Barely 11 per cent of PCS union members at the Home Office voted in favour of the walkout in protest over cuts to jobs and pay freezes. That amounts to just 1,800 people out of 16,000 potential voters.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175529/Border-strike-threat-Olympics-Union-set-paralyse-airports-thousands-arrive-London-2012.html#ixzz21NwGf

A strike needs the backing of the public, a political party and above all the support of a majority of it's members, this potential strike it appears has neither of the above. If the public sector workers feel so hard done by the should try being self-employed, they may realise how good they've got it.

Exactly.

[angsta]

Barely 11 per cent of PCS union members at the Home Office voted in favour of the walkout in protest over cuts to jobs and pay freezes. That amounts to just 1,800 people out of 16,000 potential voters.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175529/Border-strike-threat-Olympics-Union-set-paralyse-airports-thousands-arrive-London-2012.html#ixzz21NwGf

A strike needs the backing of the public, a political party and above all the support of a majority of it's members, this potential strike it appears has neither of the above. If the public sector workers feel so hard done by the should try being self-employed, they may realise how good they've got it.

Did you just quote The Daily Mail (The Daily Hail) in an argument on the unions?? You lost me right there i'm afraid.

[HighwayStar]

Quote (The Sun news paper)

FINALLY, London 2012 has kicked off with two tremendous victories for Team GB.


Our women footballers got the ball rolling in perfect style with a 1-0 win over New Zealand.
 

But an even more significant result was the defeat of today’s plans for a strike by immigration staff.
 

Union boss Mark Serwotka claims the walkout was abandoned after jobs talks with the Home Office made “real progress”.
 

Rubbish. He backed off because the public saw the strike for what it was — a cynical ploy to embarrass Britain as visitors flood in for the greatest show on earth.
 

Mr Serwotka is the latest in a long line of union barons who have attempted to sabotage London 2012 for their own tawdry political aims.
 

Thankfully they have failed. But not without winning themselves one dubious prize.
 

The contempt of Britons, young and old.

[angsta]

That seems to be the way this thread is "progressing".