Is fireman Sam going on strike too? (FBU (Fire Brigades Union))

Member Name: michaird

Product:	FBU (Fire Brigades Union)
Date:	25/10/02 (378 review reads)
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Is this the right category? Do categories even matter any more? Does anyone care? is there anybody out there? Oh well, lets crack on.

Every night for the past week or so the new has been filled with reports on the impending firefighters strike, each report annoys me more and more with the bickering and pieces on how the country is going to tackle the problem.

At work in-between playing on the Internet, bitching about our boss and the occasional bit of work, we also have some rather heated topical debate. Recently our debates have been on the demands of the nation's firefighters.

Now I'm big liberal lefty and I'm happy to admit it and the person (we'll call her Kay) I do most of my arguing with is a natural conservative and is also happy to admit it. You can imagine we have fun.

So, should the fire service be asking for a 40% pay rise?

'No!' says Kay, 'its far too much money, that's an outrageous demand.'

'I don't think so' I reply 'I think it's far more outrageous that they are underpaid by 40%'

'It doesn't work like that' argues Kay 'Being a fireman is a vocation, you go into the job knowing that you wont be paid very much and you shouldn't whine about it later on'

'Rubbish!' I dismiss her 'For one, there's no such thing as a vocation in modern society and second, why should people be penalised for wanting to help people?'

'They're not penalised'

'They are' I say 'by paying low wages people who do a job that's for the public good and they cant simply leave and go to another company you are penalising them, simply treading all over them'

'That's ridiculous, they're not being trodden on, besides they earn plenty'

What, £22000? You earn more than that, do you think you add more value to the country? Are you say


ing you're worth more, would you be happy with that plus 3% p.a for the rest of your career?

No, but I'm different.

Why?

Because I'm a professional, I've put in years of training and have worked hard to get where I am.

So are they and you have to be very highly trained.

Yes but they spend most of their shift sitting around anyway.

Oh yes, they also spend time training, cleaning, maintaining equipment and keeping in shape. When they're not doing that they're going into burning buildings to stop people dying. Would you do that?

No, but that's their job. That's what they signed up for.

Yes, and we should pay them properly for it.

Well it would be nice if the country could afford it but they cant. Would you be prepared to pay more tax for their pay rise?

Yes.

Oh, right, well I wouldn't.

Well it'll only work out to a little bit each month.

That's not the point.

What is?

They shouldn't be going on strike, it a danger to the public.

I agree

What! I thought I'd never hear you say that.

Well I do, but what can they do. They know there's no other way.

Well they should give in, you can't hold a country to ransom. It put the public in danger and that's not right.

Yes I know, but why doesn't the government give in, the threat of a strike should have made them realise that they can't cope without the fire service and that they are worth the money the want.

But they can't afford it.

Hmmm, they don't seem to worry too much about that when they award themselves pay rises.

But there aren't as many of them, its not comparable.

I suppose, but I still think it's a bit hypocritical of them.

Well what do you suggest them clever clogs.

I dunno, maybe a deal to incr
ease pay over the next few years, something like 10% pa for four years. That would be more sensible and easier to budget.

Hmm, I don't think they'll go for it.

I don't think they'll think of it.

Ha, probably,

I don't think they should be on so much money anyway.

Really?

Yeah. Like a said, it's a vocation.

Well, when your house is on fire and a fire fighter goes into you smoke filled house and pulls your daughter from certain death I hope you're willing to say to his face that you don't think he's worth the same amount of money you get for shuffling papers all day.

You're just being silly now.


So, who do you think won the argument?

(Ignore that ratings, they're crap)

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