6000 reminded me that the strike continues.
I don’t fully agree with the idea of bargaining councils (although I concede that without them some employees would exploit their workers). I don’t fully agree with the idea of a minimum wage (although I concede that without them some employees would exploit their workers).
It annoys me immensely when certain sectors of the economy strike. Specifically the sectors that deal with Health and Education. If some auto factory workers would like to strike cause they want more money, that is another thing entirely than when health workers strike. Someone not getting their brand spanking new car is completely different from someone’s surgery being threatened when the scrub sister and the radiographer were forcibly removed from theater.
Two things come to mind when I hear news like this.
In our economy right now 8.6% amounts to a big increase. I personally know a number of people who have received between 0 and 6% increases for the past 3 years. I have been lucky during the last 3 years and received a nice increase due to a promotion and another due to a significant change in job description, but I fully expect, when increase month rolls around in a month or 3′s time, something lower than what these workers are being offered right now. That alone irritates me.
But add to it the propensity of striking workers in this country to turn violent, and the irritation turns quickly to disgust. That the army has to be called in to calm things down at a hospital, that a school has to employ additional security guards so that teachers from other schools don’t interfere with their students. That people, is unacceptable.
To my mind the purpose of a strike is to let the employer know that you are valuable, that without you things would not work so well, and as a result you are worth more money than you are currently being offered. So by all means don’t show up to work (if you feel you have to strike at all), picket the access roads, make a noise, fine. Shut down your place of work by not being there, not by stopping other people from being there. To intimidate and assault people who have no bearing on your case in any way, that is barbaric (especially if you stop people from receiving medical treatment).
Union leaders should be held accountable for the actions of the union members. If a group of protesting workers interrupt surgery and the patient dies, then we are talking about murder for the people who interrupted the surgery and culpable homicide for those leading them.
Harsh I know, but when is enough enough.
Teachers… Everybody knows that teachers earn crappy salaries. You knew you were going to earn a crappy salary before you became a teacher. You didn’t get into teaching because you want to make a stack of money, you got into teaching for one of two reasons, you wanted to make a difference in the lives of kids, or you had no choice in the matter and it was literally the only thing you could do. So when you don’t like the money… remember it was not about the money to begin with, or if for you it was a last choice thing, well you still don’t have any choice, deal with it.
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