JMC wrote:

Anyone who feels the need to complain and strike about pay, T&C's etc should be forced to go self-employed and contract themselves to their ex-employer now 'customer'.

Self-employed or employed ......a 'contract' would still apply

DG wrote:

Is your perception of every person who is employed a lazy sod?

Don't be silly DG. My experience of employees comes from the smaller end of the SME's which form the backbone of the UK economy. There are a number of lazy sods out there (typically unionised) who would rather skip grafting for their / their employers benefit, and would prefer to take the money for as little effort as possible.

These employees typically know their 'rights' but bear few of the responsibilities that are supposed to go with them Furthermore, they have no comprehension of why the unions were a necessary institution or the struggles that brought them into being. They see their membership simply as a means to beat their bosses with a stick for their own selfish ends. Typically, it's the small employers who bear an disproportionate level of the responsibilities - both for themselves and their employees.

It would certainly be fair to say that my views are tainted. I always looked after my staff and rewarded their efforts - some said too much I found that the more you give, the more they want, and they soon forgot how comparatively well off they were versus people working the same type of jobs in other small firms.

The final straw for me was an industrial tribunal. Without going into details, my wife and I had two years of publicly funded hassle because an employee decided they could take time off without warning for about three weeks on the trot. This was the only employee that I ever 'sacked' and it isn't something I took pleasure in. However, this person decided that a tribunal would work in their favour and was a free shot at getting something more for nothing. I was one of only six employers that year who won their case. It didn't stop me feeling 'hard done by' and my appetite for employees was lost.

I'm known for cutting off my nose to spite my face..... Disgusted with the imbalance in rights / responsibilities, I shut down the business (£4M turnover), paid out all the redundancies which left me broke and vowed to be totally self-reliant in future.

To answer your questions - No, I don't think they are all lazy sods, but I do think they should generally be more responsible about their employment rights safety net. As far as my current employees are concerned....... what makes you think I have any?

 The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom
Founder member of Club FFRRV
Club Orange, Mint or Fruit
Club Walnut Sniffers
 

rogue wrote:

i had to sit on the personnel committee for my local school and ensure that some "mediocre" teachers got money for basically turning up.... end'eth the sermon.

Been there, done that, pi55ed me off. But what pi55ed me off more was the head teacher's fixation on making sure that "differentials were not eroded" - in other words she and her deputy would get pay rises JUST to ensure they were paid more than the highest paid teacher FFS!

 Steve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)  

DG wrote:

in reality we all want more for ourselves

Don't assume to speak for all on that. I don't especially want more, I simply want to maintain what I have worked for. If you offered me £1M to take a job tomorrow I'd tell you (politely) to go away. It's a throw away phrase but there is more to life than money and I reckon few of us actually need more. It was a revelation to discover some time ago that when you don't have anything left to dream about life is a lot less interesting. I'm not suggesting that I'm vastly wealthy (I don't have a butler ), but I don't want or need a butler. I dream about an Aston Martin Volante and could probably have one tomorrow, but the dream is a lot nicer than the reality probably would be. Just don't take my Disco away

 The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom
Founder member of Club FFRRV
Club Orange, Mint or Fruit
Club Walnut Sniffers
 

JMC wrote:

... form the backbone of the UK...

Thats what our fracking government needs

JMC wrote:

I don't especially want more..

I do

JMC wrote:

Just don't take my Disco away

simon wrote:

JMC wrote:

... form the backbone of the UK...

Thats what our fracking government needs

... sad fact of the reality is that it's all much of a muchness no matter who is in power...jubilation of another party in place is relatively shortlived...especially when the 'government' realise that their plans are full of holes and they are not actually 'in power'..... the grinding cogs of the Civil Service and interpreters of the Law are

DG wrote:

.. sad fact of reality is that it's all much of a muchness no matter who is in power...