Would you cross a picket?

neil_18_

Seeing as some BA staff crossed the picket today...

Would you ever cross a picket?

I dont know if i would.

From one side, you may really need that days wages to get by.

On the other hand, you dont want your colleagues hating you and treating you like crap after it.

I searched to find a thread on this, couldnt find one.

starbelgrade

Whenever the public sector strike, I do my best to pass as many of their picket lines as I possibly can. Mostly they don't do anything about it because it's "not in their job description" to do so.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Fcuk them to be honest, if it's not your belief then why the hell would you strike? If they bully you for it, then report them

arybvtcw0eolkf

starbelgrade wrote: »

Whenever the public sector strike, I do my best to pass as many of their picket lines as I possibly can. Mostly they don't do anything about it because it's "not in their job description" to do so.

Which P.S. picklines did you pass?.

To answer the OP, depends on what the picket line was there for tbh.

Coriolanus

If I didn't agree with the strike, I'd pass it. That said, if it was a union strike and the union as a whole voted for it, I'd pretty much be obliged to quit the union I guess. Ethically I mean, not that I'd be forced out.

calex71

The Union is there to serve YOU not the other way around which seems to be the case in my view in a lot of recent cases.

I'd have no problem crossing a picket to get a days pay if I believed the strike to be unjustified. If I pay my union dues and they should respect my decision.

This isn't the school yard where you have to do what teacher tells you without question, those who go out and strike and don't want to are the biggest fools imo.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

I would very much depending on the circumstances

Some pickets are noble but still get passed. Remember those fine ladies who picketed outside Dunnes (I think) for months because they refused to handle South African prodce because of Aparthaid. And this in the 80's, great women. But people laughed and passed...

Then you have some ****ty public sector strikes (not all, but some) that pretty much no one will pass because in all fairness you would be treated with outright hostility.

I would like to think I'd break them if I really disagreed with them and needed to break through. But big crowds can be pretty intimidating...

neil_18_

Josephine Young Pepperoni wrote: »

Then you have some ****ty public sector strikes (not all, but some) that pretty much no one will pass because in all fairness you would be treated with outright hostility.

I would like to think I'd break them if I really disagreed with them and needed to break through. But big crowds can be pretty intimidating...

Especially if you had to work with bitter people who would intimidate you for the next 10years.

starbelgrade

Stetson Rotten Bank wrote: »

Which P.S. picklines did you pass?.

None. I've better things to be doing with my time.

pawrick

I voted yes to this as I have already done this in the past but it would depend on if I agree with what they are doing or not.

If I was on a picket I would not see a problem in others using their own judgement in this regard also. Once people on either side of a picket show some respect to one another let them off.

neil_18_

starbelgrade wrote: »

None. I've better things to be doing with my time.

Didnt you just say you do your best to pass them?

starbelgrade

neil_18_ wrote: »

Didnt you just say you do your best to pass them?

Sometimes I make stuff up.

merengueca

Yes, too many times strikes are called on the strength of the unsilent minority. Ballot participation rates below 60%, result for strike just scraping above 50% (as in the current planned strike action with Network Rail). Minor level intimadation from the big men on the picket planned already... just wondering how many of the Union Reps shouting and hollering next to the burning braziers plan to share with their 'brothers' out there that they aren't loosing a days pay as amazingly many already had annual leave submitted for the likely weekend of action. So just the pawns, sorry members, who are loosing out on pay.

Sorry if this sounds a little hard line but I'm actually seeing guys about to loose serious amounts of money by taking action that can't actually win. If agreement with the company couldn't be found there are more disruptive methods of industrial action (work to rule etc..) that could be more effective and not as harmful to the membership.

arybvtcw0eolkf

starbelgrade wrote: »

Whenever the public sector strike, I do my best to pass as many of their picket lines as I possibly can. Mostly they don't do anything about it because it's "not in their job description" to do so.

Stetson Rotten Bank wrote: »

Which P.S. picklines did you pass?..

starbelgrade wrote: »

None. I've better things to be doing with my time.

Are you not contradicting yourself so?.

I mean, if you can state that;

Mostly they don't do anything about it because it's "not in their job description" to do so

that would lead me to believe you have infact crossed P.S. picket lines!..

Or did you expect to post something which would prove popular with the public sector hater's and gather a ton of 'thanks'?.

Its this sort of idiotic posting which is proving higly devisive and causing tensions to run high around here.

People in both the private sector AND public sector or hurting, no need to stir things further.

calex71

merengueca wrote: »

Yes, too many times strikes are called on the strength of the unsilent minority. Ballot participation rates below 60%, result for strike just scraping above 50% (as in the current planned strike action with Network Rail). Minor level intimadation from the big men on the picket planned already... just wondering how many of the Union Reps shouting and hollering next to the burning braziers plan to share with their 'brothers' out there that they aren't loosing a days pay as amazingly many already had annual leave submitted for the likely weekend of action. So just the pawns, sorry members, who are loosing out on pay.

Sorry if this sounds a little hard line but I'm actually seeing guys about to loose serious amounts of money by taking action that can't actually win. If agreement with the company couldn't be found there are more disruptive methods of industrial action (work to rule etc..) that could be more effective and not as harmful to the membership.

here here .

I am very much pro-union but they just seem to be fighting for their own position these days and getting their voice heard at the expense of members :mad:

neil_18_

starbelgrade wrote: »

Sometimes I make stuff up.

Em, ok?

orourkeda

Yeah.

If necessary.

The Pontiac

neil_18_ wrote: »

I searched to find a thread on this, couldnt find one.

Here's one, and it's even got a poll. Only four months old too.

orourkeda

<Ollie> wrote: »

Here's one, and it's even got a poll. Only four months old too.

They couldnt spell the would bit right though.

just-joe

Passed one to get into college a while ago, was quite funny because I saw alot of lazy people from different parts of college, who get paid too much already sitting around and complaining... And if I'm right they were striking over pay-cuts... ridiculous.

Sharpshooter

starbelgrade wrote: »

Whenever the public sector strike, I do my best to pass as many of their picket lines as I possibly can. Mostly they don't do anything about it because it's "not in their job description" to do so.

Stetson Rotten Bank wrote: »

Which P.S. picklines did you pass?.

To answer the OP, depends on what the picket line was there for tbh.

starbelgrade wrote: »

None. I've better things to be doing with my time.

neil_18_ wrote: »

Didnt you just say you do your best to pass them?

starbelgrade wrote: »

Sometimes I make stuff up.

starbelgrade, do not post in this thread again.
It's plain to see that you are trolling.

If you post again here I will ban you.

Joey the lips

Generally nope... Unless it was at an entrence to a hospital.... Or brothal.

Coriolanus

Joey the lips wrote: »

Generally nope... Unless it was at an entrence to a hospital.... Or brothal.

I wonder if prostitutes wear their uniforms, the way the nurses etc do. Might get a bit confusing though, people walking by and wondering why the nurses, the guards, the army and all the librarians are striking at the same place?

stovelid

In most situations, never.

Unions are problematic for me as I was brought up to always support unions and never to scab or pass a picket and it's something I almost never do 't. It's something fundamental to my upbringing.

My main problem is that I view unions primarily as a means for protecting low-paid and vulnerable workers and secondarily as means of preventing all workers (even the highly paid) being screwed over certain basic rights. However, the situation where a union is basically a means of labour aristocracy riles me. Well-paid, unexploited workers using punitive union action to advance their own labour interests (say, taxis) or preserve stuff such as clearly untenable wages (say, hospital consultants) when the country is downgrading as it were.

That said, a further problem with the downgrading argument is that it's clear (not least from anecdotal evidence that I hear and my own recent experience) that many stable or even profitable employers are using the recession poor mouth to try and roll back wages and conditions.

Mrmoe

I would definitely cross a picket line but it would depend on the circumstances and whether I agreed with it or not. Generally I think most strikes are unnecessary and are generally there to justify a unions existence. I think some unions actually do a disservice to their members.

OutlawPete

No.

mail4liam

I'd pass a picket, I wouldn't let anyone distort my right's for someone's mis conduct.
Saw a situation about 20 years ago, a friend of mine did the same he worked in a place with about 60 shift staff, about 20 of them passed the picket. none of the strikers never spoke to him or his family since, ?

They never got what they went on strike for , Who were the fools?

Agent J

As a general rule i wouldn't.

However secondary pickets or stuff which is designed to block as many people as possible i wouldnt have the same regard.

An aim with a strike should never to be to intentionally piss off as many people for the sake of it. A few years ago the Public transport went on strike by refusing to collect fares for the day. Brilliant idea to get the public onside....

RayM

I wouldn't pass a picket, and I find it a bit depressing that so many people (claim that they) would. Whether I agreed or disagreed with the cause of the striking workers, I think I'd be able to accept that they didn't take their decision lightly, and I wouldn't feel comfortable about pissing them off for the sheer hell of it.

kryogen

depends on the picket tbh

grenache

Again it depends on the picket for me also. I have crossed one in the past.

Dave!

I would yeah

Some ****epipe students in UCD were striking a while back when I was there

Unfortunately I wasn't in on the day, but if I was I would have strutted past them and got my f*cking education

They were actually hastling some people who did pass the picket if I'm not mistaken !

OutlawPete

Dave! wrote: »

Some ****epipe students in UCD were striking a while back when I was there

Unfortunately I wasn't in on the day, but if I was I would have strutted past them and got my f*cking education

They were actually hastling some people who did pass the picket if I'm not mistaken !

The Anti-Fees protest?

Dave!

hmmmm not sure, I thought they just put on a bit of a protest for that? They actually went on strike for a day last year for somethin

Coulda been fees though

Either way all lectures weren't cancelled and I want my edumacation

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Students striking? How can a student strike? Skip class maybe, but they can't go on strike

Dave!

Yeah well it was coordinated class-skipping

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0321/1224243200942.html

It was against fees it seems

Elenxor

No I could never pass a Picket, I suppose I'm just an old Trot at heart.

keefg

I'd have no problem crossing a Picket, they don't look all that tough :cool: :pac:


But seriously, I probably wouldn't cross a picket if it was where I worked but I'd have no problem (for example) going into Boots if I wanted something and their staff were picketing outside.

perri winkles

I remember when schools and universities were striking. I was going into the library to study, had exams in a few weeks.

I was asked not to cross the picket line, I asked them if they would mark my exams easier because I had one less day to study? As if!

Dudess

I wouldn't.

stovelid wrote: »

However, the situation where a union is basically a means of labour aristocracy riles me. Well-paid, unexploited workers using punitive union action to advance their own labour interests (say, taxis) or preserve stuff such as clearly untenable wages (say, hospital consultants) when the country is downgrading as it were.

Plus there can be cases of "run with the hare and hunt with the hounds" - unions not being a million miles away from management and not really looking out that much for the little guy.
Today, unions don't seem to offer the same kind of protection as they did in the 70s - although back then, unions could be right bully-boys.

Elenxor

If you picket, it will turn septic.

gsxr1

they should be happy to have a job in this climate. You get no where in life if you are the type who strikes every at excuse.

Dudess

Well striking at all doesn't mean you're also the type who strikes at every excuse. Yeah, those of us who have a job at the moment have a bit of luck on our side, but does that give employers the right to take advantage of the recession and breach employees' rights?

DubMedic

It depends on the picket and what the purpose is.
That said, I have yet to cross one.

.

taibhse

Why have people got this mentality that there are only public sector unions? There ARE also private sector ones, who do look after their members but are not always out on strike and let me tell you if they didn't exist things would be a lot worse for a lot of workers.

Do you think employers freely decided by themselves to pay a minimum wage or certain breaks, holidays or other things that were fought hard for?


MANY employers are now using the recession as an excuse to drive down terms, conditions and wages for workers and they would happily walk over anyone to make a quick buck and don't give a toss if you can feed your family at the end of the week or not.

Helix

im a civil servant (well was before i took a career break), didnt join the union, and was fortunately sick the one day they actually had a strike where i was meant to be in

so never had to cross a picket, but i wouldve done that day if i wasnt ill

bnt

I did cross a picket line, years ago. I was an apprentice at the time, didn't belong to a union, and I've never joined one. About 90% of the factory were out on strike, but we 10% kept the place going and were proud to do so. (Before anyone calls me a "scab", I should point out that this was South Africa in the 1980s, where unions were organised along racial lines.)

I've never been asked to join a union, and I probably wouldn't if I had a choice (if it wasn't a closed shop).

bazza1

Strikes can be contentious issues with long lasting repercussions. I'd like to think that I would pass a picket if I did not believe in the reasons for striking. Often, strikes are instigated by minorities who carry the vote at low polling strike ballots. Please be sure to vote your conscience at these ballots so that everyones opinion is covered in the result. Then, if the vast majority of your colleagues are in favour of a strike, you can be better assured that your interests are at the heart of the matter.

danman

I have passed pickets in the past, and I had no problem doing it. I'd do it again.

The pickets were there on behalf of BATU, the brickies union.
They were some of their many strikes during the Celtic Tiger.
Unbelieveably, they wanted more and more money.

They ended up buggering themselves though, designers now try to have as little brick and block on projects. They were the first trade to start loosing jobs, and they'll be the last trade to start picking up work in the commercial building sector.

I would quite happily walk past more pickets, if I don't believe the strike is justified.

Mike 1972

Too few options on this poll TBH.

In general I wouldnt but I wouldnt say there are absolutely no circumstances under which I would ever do so

BillyBoyBad

Sharpshooter wrote: »

starbelgrade, do not post in this thread again.
It's plain to see that you are trolling.

If you post again here I will ban you.

Is this not After Hours?

Seriously learn how to take a joke, life would be boring without them :rolleyes: