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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think ppl should be picketing energy prices not striking in their jobs.

71 replies

Goldandpurplezebra · 17/02/2023 23:07

Just that really.

I think all these strikes are misplaced. Where is the uproar and picketing about the energy prices?! Is it happening and it's just not making the news?

I think the major increase in all these strikes is really because of the energy prices soaring. So people have less money in their pockets.

OP posts:
Coffeellama · 17/02/2023 23:08

YANBU but I don’t think the energy companies would care about us picketing against them, it doesn’t disrupt them does it. Or anyone else really.

BCBird · 17/02/2023 23:11

I.a bit clueless on the economy buy I have wondered why can't there be govnt intervention re soaring prices. The money the govnt is giving people to help has got to be paid from.somewhere,hasn't it?

PriamFarrl · 17/02/2023 23:12

How and where?

Original poster
Goldandpurplezebra · 17/02/2023 23:15

@Coffeellama picketing to get the government to step in with a better cap. The government should not be giving us these grants they should be capping the energy companies. The government seem to be scared of the energy companies...and maybe so because they have more money and more power :(

OP posts:
Coffeellama · 17/02/2023 23:17

Same answer though, the gov don’t care! It wouldn’t work.

Ceryneianhind · 17/02/2023 23:17

Off you go then?

Or did you want someone else to organise it?

SpringingIntoSpringAgain · 17/02/2023 23:18

@Ceryneianhind that's a good point!

ichundich · 17/02/2023 23:19

The government should cap energy and fuel prices and / or increase the windfall tax for energy companies. How can it be that Shell, BP and Centrica are making record profits, while so many people and businesses are struggling due to high energy costs!

PriamFarrl · 17/02/2023 23:19

Ceryneianhind · 17/02/2023 23:17

Off you go then?

Or did you want someone else to organise it?

That’s what I was about to say. People are always very quick to say that ‘someone should do something’ but they are never that someone.

Reclaimtheoutdoors · 17/02/2023 23:20

Goldandpurplezebra · 17/02/2023 23:07

Just that really.

I think all these strikes are misplaced. Where is the uproar and picketing about the energy prices?! Is it happening and it's just not making the news?

I think the major increase in all these strikes is really because of the energy prices soaring. So people have less money in their pockets.

This is a good point. Today my monthly direct debit has went up from £60 to £300 a month. I live alone. Fuming.

mumyes · 17/02/2023 23:20

Goldandpurplezebra · 17/02/2023 23:07

Just that really.

I think all these strikes are misplaced. Where is the uproar and picketing about the energy prices?! Is it happening and it's just not making the news?

I think the major increase in all these strikes is really because of the energy prices soaring. So people have less money in their pockets.

Totally support the strikes, but Jesus why are people not fucking REVOLTING about energy costs. Centrica & others post RECORD ALL TIME profits, and no one barely comments.

Batshit crazy!

Quveas · 17/02/2023 23:22

High enregy prices are not the be all and end all of struggles. Why can't people do both? People could fight for their wage rises. And you could go fight for reduced bills since you obviously don't care much about wages.

Nellodee · 17/02/2023 23:22

In the public sector, whatever the rate of inflation is, the tories will award us below that. They have done this for year after year after year. Even if there had been no rise at all in energy prices, they would still be slashing our real terms pay again.

Exasperatednow · 17/02/2023 23:30

It wouldn't be picketing, it would be demonstrating which the government are on the verge of making illegal. People should be demonstrating about that.

Demonstrating takes a lot of organisation and you risk getting a criminal record nowadays. Striking is legal.

I also can't help thinking there's a degree of misogyny going on. If these public sector jobs (teaching, nursing etc) were largely done by men they would be better paid.

Grumpybutfunny · 17/02/2023 23:30

Nellodee · 17/02/2023 23:22

In the public sector, whatever the rate of inflation is, the tories will award us below that. They have done this for year after year after year. Even if there had been no rise at all in energy prices, they would still be slashing our real terms pay again.

This this this I just want to be paid the equivalent of what someone in the private sector with my qualifications and experience would be paid. I looked last night and compared to when the pay deal was award in 2004 I have in effect took a 13k pay cut!

A combination of the log burner and solar panels means we have paid less this year than last. A lot of it is also ideological, I'm happy to pay more for anything that isn't Russian at the minute, the companies know this so they put up prices vs buying cheap Russian gas. EDF are sending me letters about being green and nuclear which sells.

bikiniisland · 17/02/2023 23:48

I think all these strikes are misplaced.

I'm not sure you completely understand the concept of a strike.

Sparklesocks · 17/02/2023 23:52

People can feel dissatisfied with many things at once. Surely the world isn’t so simple that we can only care about one issue?
And your living is often going to push to the top of that list as you need your wages to survive.

CatchYouOnTheFlippetyFlop · 17/02/2023 23:53

I think all these strikes are misplaced

Oh do you now 🤣?

You must have a job where your terms and conditions and wages/pension has not been slowly eroded year on year. Lucky you.

There are so many things to be up in arms over and energy prices are just one of them, but it is up to union workers whether they feel strongly enough that their livelihoods are going to shit, whether they want to fight against it.

BashfulClam · 18/02/2023 00:04

The Ofgem cap only allows energy companies to make 1.9% profit from different nested energy’s. Those profits are not from energy bills. The cap has to allow for profit or you run the risk of the companies going bust as we saw a short time ago with smaller companies. This means moving customers, which is expensive, and buying extra energy at higher rates which then increases the prices.

donquixotedelamancha · 18/02/2023 01:00

To think ppl should be picketing energy prices not striking in their jobs.

How does one picket an abstract concept?

Badbudgeter · 18/02/2023 01:03

I think that’s a a fair point edf has posted losses in France as they have price capped. They made 1.2 billion in the uk though.

Stompythedinosaur · 18/02/2023 03:13

It is possible to both campaign against energy prices and for those of us not on a fair wage to campaign about that.

Striking has a legal framework and protection, you can't just organise a secondary strike against a company you don't work for, that isn't legal.

Striking has an impact in terms of withdrawing labour. I can't see any reason why an energy company will especially care about a picket outside.

MeganTheeScallion · 18/02/2023 03:21

How does one picket an abstract concept?

Share a strongly worded Facebook post. Or something.

beguilingeyes · 18/02/2023 04:50

We are governed by a man who is richer than the King. What makes you think he gives a rats arse what we pay for energy?
I'd love to know how to picket energy prices.

The strikers are doing it for all of us, IMO. How much longer can our standard of living get worse and worse.

KangarooKenny · 18/02/2023 07:58

I agree about the lower price cap. The energy companies currently still get their profit while the government takes money from the tax payer to fund the help, and we pay high prices. Doesn’t seem right.