Comments on: Gordon Brown and the Unions http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/09/10/gordon-brown-and-the-unions/ Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Wokingham Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:42:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Cliff http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/09/10/gordon-brown-and-the-unions/#comment-5882 Cliff Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:10:13 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/09/10/gordon-brown-and-the-unions/#comment-5882 The Labour government only seems to worship money. If I ran a union, I would not suggest members take strike action with all the bad press that it generates and loss of pay, but I would suggest that the Union stops funding Labour until they put the workers needs at the same level as the needs of the bosses of big business. I have never been a Union supporter and indeed cheered when our Maggie sorted them out during the early Eighties, however I believe that too many dodgy company bosses are taking advantage of the situation and keeping shop floor workers' pay too low. Especially using imported workers that can afford to work for much less. How could one afford to live on the Labours flagship National Minimum Wage in Wokingham for example? Brown would say take the job and the state will make the money up...Is this not the state funding dodgy companies? Many bosses seem to believe that as long as they pay the minimum wage, the job is a good one. Paying the minimum wage actually sayes to the worker, you are worth next to nothing and I begrudge paying you this amount and if I could get away with it I would pay you even less. I firmly believe the National Minimum Wage artificially keeps pay down. I agree that public service workers need to have some sort of productivity deal attached to their earnings. I also think that government should accept their own review body's finding and pay the money to the workforce. Percentage pay rises do not really help the lower paid staff as fifty percent of nothing is still nothing whereas three percent of a fat cat's salary is a substantial sum. The Labour government only seems to worship money. If I ran a union, I would not suggest members take strike action with all the bad press that it generates and loss of pay, but I would suggest that the Union stops funding Labour until they put the workers needs at the same level as the needs of the bosses of big business.
I have never been a Union supporter and indeed cheered when our Maggie sorted them out during the early Eighties, however I believe that too many dodgy company bosses are taking advantage of the situation and keeping shop floor workers’ pay too low. Especially using imported workers that can afford to work for much less. How could one afford to live on the Labours flagship National Minimum Wage in Wokingham for example? Brown would say take the job and the state will make the money up…Is this not the state funding dodgy companies?
Many bosses seem to believe that as long as they pay the minimum wage, the job is a good one. Paying the minimum wage actually sayes to the worker, you are worth next to nothing and I begrudge paying you this amount and if I could get away with it I would pay you even less. I firmly believe the National Minimum Wage artificially keeps pay down.
I agree that public service workers need to have some sort of productivity deal attached to their earnings. I also think that government should accept their own review body’s finding and pay the money to the workforce. Percentage pay rises do not really help the lower paid staff as fifty percent of nothing is still nothing whereas three percent of a fat cat’s salary is a substantial sum.

]]> By: Tony Makara http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/09/10/gordon-brown-and-the-unions/#comment-5856 Tony Makara Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:42:05 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/09/10/gordon-brown-and-the-unions/#comment-5856 John, I remember you saying to watch for wages. You were dead right. Gordon Brown is now in a jam because he has not thought this through. Yet another Brown blunder. As you say pay should be related to productivity and performance. This situation demonstrates that the plastic chancellor now premier is not quite the economic guru that pretends to be. If Gordon Brown wants to earn some credibility he should begin by retracting his ridiculous claims that we are heading for full employment. I seem to remember Gordon Brown and Tony Blair speaking about how we were "On the verge of full employment" back in 1999 during the Labour party conference. Politicians need to be honest with the public and stop making unrealistic promises. Gordon Brown is treating us with utter contempt. John, I remember you saying to watch for wages. You were dead right. Gordon Brown is now in a jam because he has not thought this through. Yet another Brown blunder. As you say pay should be related to productivity and performance. This situation demonstrates that the plastic chancellor now premier is not quite the economic guru that pretends to be.

If Gordon Brown wants to earn some credibility he should begin by retracting his ridiculous claims that we are heading for full employment. I seem to remember Gordon Brown and Tony Blair speaking about how we were “On the verge of full employment” back in 1999 during the Labour party conference. Politicians need to be honest with the public and stop making unrealistic promises. Gordon Brown is treating us with utter contempt.

]]> By: Brian Tomkinson http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/09/10/gordon-brown-and-the-unions/#comment-5852 Brian Tomkinson Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:06:37 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/09/10/gordon-brown-and-the-unions/#comment-5852 You regularly raise important issues in a thoughtful and constructive way but I fear you are wasting your time when Cameron is publicly supporting charging for parking at supermarkets and introducing a Happy Planet Index!! The man seems determined to ensure that this disastrous man Brown and his cronies stay in power forever. You regularly raise important issues in a thoughtful and constructive way but I fear you are wasting your time when Cameron is publicly supporting charging for parking at supermarkets and introducing a Happy Planet Index!! The man seems determined to ensure that this disastrous man Brown and his cronies stay in power forever.

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