Newry Traffic Chaos

No doubt if we were all shopping down here, someone would start up the argument that Public Servants are overpaid because they can afford to shop down South while poor private sector workers are forced over the border because of their low pay.
 
truthseeker said:
I did hear from several sources that pubs and clubs in Dublin City Centre were jammers on Monday night. They may not have been strikers though
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Of course not. We'd be pubbing and clubbing up North, depriving the Government of revenue .
 
Caveat said:
Fair enough but the key difference is maybe that those posters are not striking in order to prevent a cash strapped government from making cuts.
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So you're saying that it's alright to shop in the north as long as you're happy enough to take a pay cut.

On the other hand, if you've already lost a day's pay in support of what you believe (with the prospect of more to come), you have a duty to shop locally even if this is more expensive.

And then some people give out about public service attitudes?
 
liaconn said:
No doubt if we were all shopping down here, someone would start up the argument that Public Servants are overpaid because they can afford to shop down South while poor private sector workers are forced over the border because of their low pay.
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I think this may be why there was some raised eye brows. It doesn't matter where the shopping happened, it was the fact that it appears quite a few went shopping when it is a strike.

Now there's nothing to say they can't, but someone must see how that looks? We're told about the huge support for the strike, how people are scared and fear what the government will do, their anger, etc and then some, a few, several, many, whatever, treat it as a day off and head off shopping.

Hospital services were cut back, gardai not issuing fixed penalty notices, benefits not paid etc and we "see" people who supposed to be on strike shopping.

Whether it was one or hundreds, I'm sure you can see why some may have an issue with the concept.
 
People can shop where they like and the people on strike could have hopped on their private jets and over to Paris for all I care.

Its a media story. The one thing about strikes I never really understand is that would it not have been more effective if every staff member spent the normal 8 (or about 4 in the public sector ) hour working day clogging the streets. Why do shifts?
 
Staples said:
So you're saying that it's alright to shop in the north as long as you're happy enough to take a pay cut.
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Er No.

Look, all I'm saying is (and that's if it did indeed even happen on a large scale) that there was a large irony in this - do you not agree? and it certainly doesn't look good for PS and unions alike.

Personally, I think anyone can and should shop where they like (I do, and most of mainland Europe does).
 
Sunny said:
would it not have been more effective if every staff member spent the normal 8 (or about 4 in the public sector ) hour working day clogging the streets.
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What effect to you reckon the strikes are trying to achieve?
 
Complainer said:
What effect to you reckon the strikes are trying to achieve?
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I have no idea. I didn't need any public services yesterday so I didn't take any notice. Would have noticed more if 250,000 had actually stayed on the streets rather than do a couple of hours each.
 
Caveat said:
Personally, I think anyone can and should shop where they like (I do, and most of mainland Europe does).
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Then why can't you leave it at that? These people sacrificed a day's pay (whther you agree with the rationale or not) and, having served their strike notice, have every right to do what they want with the day.

What would you have them do? Stay at home knitting?
 

No, but I would expect more than come up with a rota so no-one had to be on the streets for more than a couple of hours. I suppose it is Winter.
 
Sunny said:
The one thing about strikes I never really understand is that would it not have been more effective if every staff member spent the normal 8 (or about 4 in the public sector ) hour working day clogging the streets. Why do shifts?
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Clogging the streets. Yes, if only we'd throught of that.

Doubtless, Biffo would have looked down from his office and said "Forget about the empty schools and hospitals. It's worse than we thought. These people are clogging the streets. JUST GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT!!!"
 

So you are proud that schools were closed and people couldn't get hospital appointments while the people on strike could only be bothered to actually show their anger in short shifts? Basically the public sector took an unpaid days leave. Good luck to them.

By the way, I know some strikers who stayed out for their full shift. I don't agree with them but I admire them
 
Sunny said:
I have no idea. I didn't need any public services yesterday so I didn't take any notice.
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So why do you make comments about what they need to do to be more effective, when you have no idea what 'effective' means?

Sunny said:
Would have noticed more if 250,000 had actually stayed on the streets rather than do a couple of hours each.
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Getting noticed by passers-by was not one of the primary objectives of the strike.
 
Complainer said:
So why do you make comments about what they need to do to be more effective, when you have no idea what 'effective' means?


Getting noticed by passers-by was not one of the primary objectives of the strike.
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Effective is the right word if that is what you are implying.

So what was the primary objective?
 
Sunny said:
Effective is the right word if that is what you are implying.
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I'm not implying anything. I'm asking why you make comments advising the strikers how to improve their effectiveness, when you don't know what effect they are trying to achieve.

It is like giving someone directions before asking them where they are going.

Sunny said:
So what was the primary objective?
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To send a clear message to Government that the public sector is not going to accept even more cuts.
 

If you're going to discredit your own argument with leaps of logic like this, ther's hardly any point in the rest of us getting involved.
 


So thats why the head of the trade union came out and said there had to be adjustments in pay in 2010??? Clear message alright.
 
Staples said:
If you're going to discredit your own argument with leaps of logic like this, ther's hardly any point in the rest of us getting involved.
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Why, it's true. If you are making a stand, make a stand. Don't just announce you not coming into work, walk up and down for a couple of hours with a placard and then head home to the warmth.
 
Sunny said:
So thats why the head of the trade union came out and said there had to be adjustments in pay in 2010??? Clear message alright.
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That's not what he said.

Sunny said:
Why, it's true. If you are making a stand, make a stand. Don't just announce you not coming into work, walk up and down for a couple of hours with a placard and then head home to the warmth.
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I'm always curious about why people who object to something feel obligated to pontificate about how to do it better. You object to people striking and picketing, but you keep rabbiting on about how they can strike or picket better! Perhaps when you've had a few years at running strikes (as opposed to slagging them off), you might actually know something about how to improve them. This is the real hurler on the ditch (at the rugby match).
 
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