Can’t believe what I just heard/watched (politics related)

[MsBananaHammock]

twitter.com/james_80_/status/1185187195461820417
A labour politician has asked the House of Commons to be financially compensated for having to “work” on a Saturday 😡 I think this is a real slap to the face to all the hard working parents who work all the hours they can get to make ends meet. (Copy and pasted from the parliament.uk web site;) The basic annual salary for an MP from 1 April 2019 is £79,468. MPs also receive expenses to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having somewhere to live in London or their constituency, and travelling between Parliament and their constituency.
AIBU to say they should be thankful for the salary they already earn?

[GCAcademic]

I have to go into work other Saturday at the moment because of open days and offer-holder days. I don’t get a penny of overtime, or a day off in lieu, nor do I earn anything like £79,000. This is life when you have a professional job. There are other jobs available where you can clock off at 5.00 on Friday.

[TheSpottedZebra]

YABU to be so under-informed and to get your 'news' from frothers on Twitter.

[Doobigetta]

Was it Jared O’Mara, by any chance?

[Iggly]

YABU

It’s overtime.

[Passthecherrycoke]

I think they are making quite a good point. Why shouldn’t everyone be compensated for working weekends? Just because your employer is shit doesn’t mean everyone should accept theirs being. If you have the power and the security of employment why not?

[seaweedandmarchingbands]

I think if you have to work outside of your usual hours you should be compensated accordingly, or it quickly becomes the norm because nobody has any incentive to place limits on what they can expect from you.

[barnun]

I’ll be blunt, as statements from politicians go that’s one of the more believable ones from the last week, let alone the last four fucking years.

[Passthecherrycoke]

Meant to say good for her. Especially publicly making the childcare point

[CalamityJune]

There was a thread about this earlier.

I made the point then too that I actually think it is important in any industry that requiring an employee to come into work do to extra hours on a day that they would normally not be in work, should mean that the employee is compensated.

This is not about doing voluntary overtime or picking up extra shifts which is within the worker's control.

It shouldn't matter whether you are an MP or a bus driver or a checkout assistant, you shouldn't be made to work on your days off without reward. If they accept such standards then why should other industries do different?

[Readytogogogo]

It's not a race to the bottom. Agree that MPs pensions etc are ridiculous compared to other public servants, but really don't think this is the hill to die on. If you work outside your normal hours, you should be compensated.

[CalamityJune]

@GCAcademic if such days are not covered in your contract why can't you make a similar point about lack of compensation for this extra work and request TOIL or over time payments? Why should others put up with crap conditions just because you do? The MP makes a good point in my view.

[PerkingFaintly]

It's Chris Bryant, and he's talking about the Commons nursery not being open on Saturdays.

He doesn't have children, doesn't stand to benefit, and is making a point about childcare provision for workers.

As he says, he usually works Saturday anyway.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/chris-bryant-rhondda-parliament-mp-17111401

Mr Bryant said: "People may not be aware that I have no children myself so I was not seeking anything for myself. There is normally a nursery in Parliament which is paid for by MPs.

"Sadly it cannot be open today. I have always campaigned for free childcare for all as they have in Sweden and am proud parents in Wales now have 30 hours of free childcare a week for three and four-year-olds.

"I have also campaigned for additional protections for all our emergency workers.

"All I was seeking was that MPs who have childcare responsibilities should not be disadvantaged compared to other MPs.

"I also believe that good employers should provide high quality childcare for their staff".

[PerkingFaintly]

I mean, you can agree or disagree with him re MPs' terms of employment and remuneration, but at least be arguing about what he actually proposed, not what's said in the OP and the frothy thread it linked to.

[ilovesooty]

If it's Chris Bryant he was making a point about colleagues needing childcare as the creche doesn't open on Saturday. He doesn't have children himself.

[ilovesooty]

Sorry x post there.

[NeverTwerkNaked]

It's not just the MPs, a whole host of people work behind the scenes to enable Parliament to sit

[ChocoIateandTea]

It’s like gps though not working weekends and ooh services being woefully inadequate
There’s no reason why they couldn’t open half days at weekends to ease the burden on a and e but they won’t

[Chivers53]

Meh, a lot of people get paid a lot more in the city, sometimes for less work, and occasionally from the public purse. I find it more atrocious that people aren't paid overtime than the fact that people are, the fight should be to bring everyone up rather than down (ie fight for everyone to get paid overtime where it is due, rather than stop people getting it who currently do).

[onefootinthegrave]

YABU, if someone is asked to do extra hours outside their standard ones, they should be paid or get TOIL. No matter who they are!

[Benjispruce]

Compensate all the teachers and doctors who work way over there time every single week!!!!

[Benjispruce]

*their

[Benjispruce]

Shocked that came from a Labour MP!

[feebeecat]

Interesting. Government are currently pushing through with plans for civil servant to work 8am - 8pm and Saturdays, for that they can have a mighty 1% pay rise. And are regularly told, you had prior warning to make provion regarding child or other caring responsibilities.
Can't say I'm particularly upset at them having had to work an extra day

[MrsMaiselsMuff]

@Benjispruce You'll be less shocked if you took a minute to read the full story (see Perking Family's posts above).

[GrouchoMrx]

How many other fools in the UK believe everything they read on Twitter?

Just over 17.5 million, seemingly.