Strikes at the National Grid, Powercuts?

[TorcherQueenie]

Just seen this They're talking of going on strike at Unite which works for the national grid. So can we look forward to nights with no electric or Central heating?

I'd expect there are some caveats in the electricity companies' contracts... rather like the fire brigade, air traffic control and other essential services ... that mean strike action is heavily restricted and does not mean a cut off in supply.

this makes interesting reading

Thanks arentfanny Its really fascinating to read how it really was for other people.

I do hope so Chil1234 I'm just going by what happened during the 70's especially worried for those who have essential medical supplys running off there mains.

**Their

The UNITE union is led by Red Len, who is essentially a communist, and who believes there is no such thing as an irresponsible strike.

The union leaders are a clear and present danger to our social fabric. Whilst Margaret Thatcher made admirable progress in restricting the reach of the Marxist tentacles of the union bigwigs, the union laws need urgent updating.

In particular, union bosses (and perhaps union members) should be held directly responsible for the entire financial consequences of any strike - to be determined impartially - say, by ACAS. And it should be legal to fire strikers for not turning up to work. Strikebreakers brought in to replace irresponsible strikers are usually more motivated, and make better long-term employees anyway.

Ah, LFN, that balanced right wing opinion again!

As I'm now 50 I remember the power cuts - luckily we had a coal fire so we were quite cosy and could boil a kettle, and we weren't vastly into watching tv.

I also remember that what followed was Thatcher - people evidently really didn't like being inconvenienced by the Unions and having the economy undermined by the 3-day week.

If the same thing was tried now, when we're all so much more dependent on electricity (tvs, computers, shop tills ....) and the economy is in poor enough shape to start with, I really think it would go down like a ton of bricks. So if Red Len wants to ensure Labour either becomes unelectable or else disassociates itself from the Unions, he should carry on.

GrimmaTheNome You speak of Thatcher as if she was a bad thing, rather than Britain's salvation.

Every Labour government in history has left Britain on the brink of bankruptcy. Not a very good legacy, really.

Actually, if the consequence of a few union strikes was strengthening Cameron - giving him the steel of Mrs Thatcher - then I could do without my computer for a few days. Sadly, though I think he has the guts, I think his vanity won't let him take on the unions - he craves Guardian approval too much. I just hope he doesn't turn out as weak as Heath or Major.

I am not impressed with the early signs. He seems to be giving in to the EU on a weekly, if not daily, basis - and if he say "no" to van Rumpy, how will he say "no" to the likes of Red Len?

I'm not much younger than Grimma and I can remember the three day week too. As she says, we weren't so reliant on electricity then.

I'm in agreement that the unions did have too much power in the 70s but I also believe that the workforce, in general, now has so little power that strikes or the threat of them is almost the first port of call rather than the last resort. I also believe that many workers are continually let down by their unions as much as by their employers.

Not that any of this pontificating is answering the OP or anyone else...

LFN - Some of what Thatcher did was necessary. Not all. (and the poll tax idea was just bloody stupid).

But I'm quite sure that Red Len thinks she was a very bad idea indeed. So perhaps he should think through the consequences of disruptive industrial action.