Finance Ireland Share Discussion Threads

[katsuman] 01/11/2002 02:15

Hi Sparky, well done you guys. Met a few on the ferry to Roscoff earlier this month, kept the beer-mats by the way. Very good. The beer your guys drank on that crossover, were all paid for by fellow travellers.

To put your dangerous job in perspective:

I'm ex Royal Navy, submariners were paid an additional allowance (which we all referred to as "danger money"), I was not a submariner, in fact known as a "skimmer" in their language (above the surface). I sincerely believe you are entitled to the same. Call it professional if you will, again I agree.

There is another reason, I have lived in my house now for 15 years. I have a neighbour who is a retired fireman (he suffered a fractured skull whilst fighting a fire in a house, I think some 20 years ago. The bathroom ceiling collapsed, and the bath crushed his skull). He told me that he works one day per week, at a desk somewhere, as that is all he can handle. He is paranoid. The main reason was (not so much now), that from 38 houses, some 50 people, nobody spoke to him (their perception was waster, can get a full time job if he wants etc), the fact is, he cannot possibly do so, I should know, my profession is about understanding his problem.

Well 6 of the 50 do give him the time of day, the other 44 annoy me (on the QT).

I think the man, like you, deserves a decent payrise, don't you? Obviously you do.

"A" and his wife have never been abroad for a holiday. We are trying to encourage them to do so (somewhere warm for the sake of his health), your efforts, I am sure will enable that to happen. Good luck to you, and hopefully for "A"

BTW, prior to the skull fracture, "A" had a thick black full head of hair, he lost all through the shock. His hair has never returned.

You deserve it, sure that Prescott will be influenced by your professional status and demands.

Rgds

[jaxaxe] 31/10/2002 22:23

sparky
you ought to be gutted-like a cod and the same goes for the rest of your recalcitrant blood thirsty mob of blackmailers.The sight of what was once Britains finest behaving like football hooligans-blowing whistles and bellowing anti government chants is sickening.
The country is sick of seeing you,do the public a favour and all put your resignations in:

[bigboyo] 31/10/2002 20:40

give em 40% -- u know they are worth it

[snowmann] 28/10/2002 18:34

Disgraceful if fire brigade gets away with the threat of unprofessionally risking innocent lives to keep ridiculous hours and conditions of employment .

If you want professional pay act like professionals .

Public opinion will not support the inevitable death of innocent people in strike action for 40 % .

[sparky999] 28/10/2002 18:26

Bain irrelevant to Pay Talks

The Fire Brigades Union wish to make clear that Sir George Bain and his discredited review are completely irrelevant to the Fire Service Pay talks.

Meaningful negotiations will be taking place later this week between the Fire Brigades Union and the National Fire Service Employers on the issue of PAY in the fire service. The talks are only taking place as the Deputy Prime Minister has forced the Fire Service employers back to the negotiating table.

The FBU’s Pay claim has not changed and remains a claim for a professional wage of £30K for the professional job our members do.

FBU General Secretary Andy Gilchrist said “We have suspended our first two strikes to allow meaningful talks on PAY to take place with our employers. We have said all along that the Bain Review is a distraction in this dispute. Our position on Bain and his discredited review remain. We will not be discussing the outcome of his review and he will not be attending any talks with the FBU.

No figures have been discussed by any party and our claim remains at £30,000 for a Professional Firefighter and Emergency Fire Control Operator, with full pay parity for our retained members and a new pay formula for the future.






Rumour has it they may offer a no strings 21%

5% now and 16% in April 03 back dated to nov 7th 02.

[sparky999] 27/10/2002 10:27

It sounds like the government has slackened the purse strings to local government.How much is anybodies guess.

We are 21% behind what we were in 1977 according to the governments own figures.How they make up atleast that is upto them.I would still not rule out a strike.

[bomfin] 27/10/2002 09:06

Mick p,
That sounds reasonable for now. Gilchrist appears to me as someone with a chip on his shoulder. He is way out of his depth and gone about things in totally the wrong manner. Nearly everyone I have spoken to are annoyed by the firemen's attitude. It is a demanding attitude which doesn't fit with public service. It will always be a public service job as fires and profit don't go together.
You don't serve the public by hitting them over the head with a brick. That's about how subtle Gilchrist is. It is also a problem in UK that people don't know how to serve each other and don't see value in it. Perhaps Maggie is to blame somewhat for that by saying society doesn't exist but we will be much happier as a nation when we start caring for each other being more neighbourly etc. Some will mock but that really is how to make a better country/world. Some of the young are on a hedonistic splurge at the moment but the higher number of elderly who remember the war time spirit when all pulled together will hopefully become more vocal and ask a return to those standards in peacetime.
Very important to find value in who we are, who others are and what we do.
bomfin

[mick p] 27/10/2002 01:11

Well it seems even Gilchrist has got the message,

Nobody gets 40% or 20% or even 10% in a year anymore.....

Bet on this......12% over 2 years with a review into working practices...

Allowing for inflation etc ..... about 4.5% a year

Fair deal I reckon.........

Sparky, I wish you good luck and health but I will never again regard FF as a reliable public service, your union has managed to downgrade you in the public eye........you will always be viewed with a certain amount of distain in the future.......a shame imho, you deserve better from your reps...........

[jaxaxe] 26/10/2002 15:00

Bigboyo,
I think the onus is on the FBU to explain why they think that they are so very special enough to deserve a 40% pay rise.
Perhaps its because - now and again they have to put out fires and may get injured in the process.(thats what they are paid for,just as the life boat men are for saving lives at sea...a far more risky job,even you should be able to realise that..and its less paid)!
The firemen say that over the years their job has become more technical with newer equipment ...id have thought that newer and better equipment would have made the job easier.But of course they have to learn the new skills to use the equipment.....just as a butcher has to learn how to use a new bacon slicer...or a mechanic has to learn about the new technological marvels in engine diognostics....The butchers and mechanics arnt screeming for 40%....most butchers that I know cut themselves regularly..must cost their employers hundreds per year for those little blue plasters.
Lets be frank:The whole world and his dog knows that the FBU are trying it on-but to use sept11 as a spring board for their claim was a terrible and hurtful thing to do...the public saw through it,even some of the FBUmembers voiced their disgust at Gilchrist for doing it.
Now the FBU are saying to John Prescott,we want to save face and get back to work - will tou help us please;thankfully John is helping them to do just that.
I rather think it will be a long-long time before the silly greedy fire mentry it on again!

[bigboyo] 26/10/2002 14:21

spongy2

is the name a refernec to your spongy brain ? LOL

articulate reasons why firemen do NOT deserve 40% rather than union bashing

[spongy2] 25/10/2002 18:12

Not only their General, it gets worse the lower down the scale you go, some of the union reps are straight out of the 'Little Red House' 1970's style,
Very nasty.

[stewjames] 25/10/2002 15:54

leedslad, why don't you get a better paid 9 to 5 job now then? Don't try and tell me job hunting doesn't fit around your shifts!

[jaxaxe] 25/10/2002 14:52

Leeds lad,
dont worry,Andy Gilchrist is gong to get you all mde redundant very soon;remploy will be snowed under with your lot soon.....

[leedslad001] 25/10/2002 14:45

i wont need to get paid for sleeping i will earn enough working 9 to 5 not getting out of bed in the middle of the night, come on make us all redundant please. Then privatise.

[jaxaxe] 25/10/2002 14:33

Leeds lad,
.....but you wont get paid for sleeping,no sick leave perks,no snooker,no inflated pension,no moonlighting.Saint Georges crypt will be full of your lot soon!
jax.

[leedslad001] 25/10/2002 14:28

jerry2
great idea give me my pay off, ile be gone tommorow to a better paid job working 9 to 5

[thegreatgeraldo] 25/10/2002 14:04

Sack all the firemen... I'm sure the insurance companies would come up with something just as good , but much cheaper... in fact free to the govt.... we'd simply pay thru increased insurance premiums.... you'd imagine the insurance cos would also give cash incentives to stop buildings burning down

on the police v firemen debate.... sleeping policemen save lives , sleeping firemen don't ;-)

[jaxaxe] 25/10/2002 13:14

Privatisation looms very strongly....Group4 are already putting in tenders...the sooner the better.
JAX.

[gerry2] 25/10/2002 12:05

Yes !
Give them a 33% Pay rise !
On condition that a one in three must volunteer to take redundancy or early retirement .
Then if they get one third to volunteer ?
Go ahead with the plan .
And as a bonus .
The fire department Will Save third of the wages to pay for the redundancy and early retirement packages .
At no extra Cost except a reduction in man power witch the unions can argue about over manning levels the following years .
I am sure the firemen would jump at the Chance .
Everybody Happy.

[studmuff1n] 25/10/2002 07:49

GG How many fire fighters have a degree? Very few!
If it were a degree reqirement career, I would be more generous but it isn't. The the labour market is about supply and demand like any other and the whole lot of them could be sacked and replaced quite easily. Yes training would take some time but there is no shortage of candidates.