How has the Great Strike of 2011 affected you?

[Johnnytheboy]

Brushing aside Daily Mash silliness about having to come up with a new definition of inactivity to define public sector workers doing less than their normal nothing, how has anyone on PH had their lives change by the public sector strikes today?

As far as I can determine I have avoided sending any of my staff to affected buildings; driving about in Dorset today there seem to be a few more kids and parents milling about.

Anyone had to take a day off work? Anyone striking?

[AAGR]

In a way, it's made me feel mildly happier about David Cameron's tactics:

IF they all strike, more than 500,000 workers will each lose - say - about £100 pay each.

THAT totals about £50 million.

And THAT's a start to reducing the Public Spending Deficit.

More strikes please ....

[TankRizzo]

Although sadly one could also argue that the lost productivity from people having to stay home and look after their children more than nuclears that figure...

[thinfourth2]

What strike?

I never noticed

[fido]

TankRizzo said:

Although sadly one could also argue that the lost productivity from people having to stay home and look after their children more than nuclears that figure...

That could be partially offset by chlld-minders, who i presume are cheaper than teachers, and working-from-home arrangements where possible.

[madala]

......half of the public sector workers do SFA anyway so I don't think it makes much difference.....

[Sticks.]

AAGR said:

In a way, it's made me feel mildly happier about David Cameron's tactics:

IF they all strike, more than 500,000 workers will each lose - say - about £100 pay each.

THAT totals about £50 million.

For quite a lot it'll be about half that fwiw.

[speedchick]

3 out of 5 years at my son's school have been told to stay off, he on the other hand was at school for 6.45 this morning for a trip down to London.

With regard to the wages not paid today to the strikers, what exactly happens to that? Will it stay in the coffers to be used up elsewhere (to justify why the councils etc need the money) or will it go into plugging some of the hole in the deficit?

[Welshbeef]

speedchick said:

3 out of 5 years at my son's school have been told to stay off, he on the other hand was at school for 6.45 this morning for a trip down to London.

With regard to the wages not paid today to the strikers, what exactly happens to that? Will it stay in the coffers to be used up elsewhere (to justify why the councils etc need the money) or will it go into plugging some of the hole in the deficit?

Will it just not be the local councils making a saving vs their budget??

[page3]

thinfourth2 said:

What strike?

I never noticed

+1.

[Haighermeister]

Local DVLA office is shut, meaning no plate transfers going ahead, meaning 2 customers not picking up cars tomorrow as promised, meaning I'm in for an earbashing.

[Gogoplata]

How has the Great Strike of 2011 affected you?

Well there was reduced traffic driving in to work this morning! I'm looking forward to my drive home this afternoon!

[Kwai Chang Caine]

Just been out and about in Birmingham CBD in the car. I'd totally forgotten about the strikes, not having any children & avoiding council workers at all costs etc.

Anyway, the roads are super busy. I suspect the shops will be doing a roaring trade today!

Loads of Police about too.

[speedchick]

Welshbeef said:

speedchick said:

3 out of 5 years at my son's school have been told to stay off, he on the other hand was at school for 6.45 this morning for a trip down to London.

With regard to the wages not paid today to the strikers, what exactly happens to that? Will it stay in the coffers to be used up elsewhere (to justify why the councils etc need the money) or will it go into plugging some of the hole in the deficit?

Will it just not be the local councils making a saving vs their budget??

I did wonder that, so if say my local council makes a saving of say £10k today, then when it comes to budget time next time round, they get told 'well you didn't need as much as you got, we are cutting the budget from central funds' and then we get the council crying about how they can't afford everything and they need to close libraries, parks, put council tax up, etc etc etc (again, we go through this charade every year here)

[captainzep]

Currently having lunch in Westminster.

There's some blowing of whistles. The occasional fairly restrained and polite blowing of an air horn and some people mooching around below with placards.

And a million police.

And what sounds like both Airwolf and Blue Thunder on practice strafing runs 30 yards overhead.

But the Tuna is lovely.

[Johnnytheboy]

speedchick said:

3 out of 5 years at my son's school have been told to stay off, he on the other hand was at school for 6.45 this morning for a trip down to London.

As I pointed out in another thread, some union-sympathetic heads are making no attempt to introduce contingencies meaning more children could still attend school, so as not to dilute the effect of their staff striking. In my opinion that is scandalous. You're either a manager or a 'comrade', but not both.

[Puggit]

Son's school is shut as a handful of teachers are on strike and Health+Safety decrees it so. Mrs Puggit doesn't work so she's taken the kids to Legoland (which apparently is doing very well, thank you).



Wait... You mean it's not just teachers on strike?

[speedchick]

Johnnytheboy said:

speedchick said:

3 out of 5 years at my son's school have been told to stay off, he on the other hand was at school for 6.45 this morning for a trip down to London.

As I pointed out in another thread, some union-sympathetic heads are making no attempt to introduce contingencies meaning more children could still attend school, so as not to dilute the effect of their staff striking. In my opinion that is scandalous. You're either a manager or a 'comrade', but not both.

I guess the head has done what he can, as they have made sure that the two years in are 10 and 11 (they actually move up to the new year after the May holiday), so they have brought in the kids that are on GSCE courses.

[Tsippy]

Not really noticed it apart from the non-stop BBC coverage of 'the people rising up'

Only difference here is that the town centre is busy with shoppers, so I guess most of those 'striking' are treating it as a day off?

[TankRizzo]

Tsippy said:

Not really noticed it apart from the non-stop BBC coverage of 'the people rising up'

Only difference here is that the town centre is busy with shoppers, so I guess most of those 'striking' are treating it as a day off?

Ah, glad I'm not the only one to notice that the reporting of the strikes from the BBC is..erm...somewhat one-sided.