Consultation periods

The coalition government is determined to help their industry friends ensure that things get better for them. There has been a number of changes designed to help companies manage change and the most severe one is the reduction in periods for consultation from 90  to 45 days for outfits where more than 100 employees can be affected. There will be more of these changes coming in soon so watch out!

Help to buy scheme

The help to buy scheme could be a good idea if there were more controls attached to it and the government had the funds to underwrite the programme. But as it happens what is being done is a repeat of what thw USA did a few years ago when banks were encouraged to lend on houses up to 100%

The housing market is extremely volotile and what is a solid investment today will be a useless one in a few months time. Governments that put themselves in a position where they gurantee mortgages will have to find a way to pay out the debt when a lot of people will be in nagative equaty and lose what they have. A repeat in other words of what happened in the USA in 2007 which led to the world recession??

Big brother 2013

I think those who put themselves forward to take part in the big brother parade are either very brave or desperate wannabes. They allow the producers of the 'programme' to force them into situations where they will have to fave major stress, become the victims of bullying or be the bullies themselves.

From occasionally watching the 2013 series I would say that  Dan, who was correctly evicted from the house last night, is a spoilt wannabe who ends up bullying people and this was shown clearly during the 6 or 7 weeks he managed to be in there. I don't know if people who put themselves through such an ordeal deserve a medal or need therapy. At the end of the day a fraction of the population watches channel 5 and a smaller number big brother so these people will not be remembered in a few months time...

East Enders in trouble

The producers at the BBC has just realised that the formula they use for East Enders isn't appealing to many. Anyone could have told them that years ago. I used to occasionally watch it but haven't for at least a year. The only story they have not covered yet ( am sure they will) is the affect of ear wax on pink flamingos from the Fiji islands! They must do more to cover this!

The reason people are switching off is because the stories they use are absolutely ridiculous. They try to bring in every aspect of every possible connection in society and they use boring writers to support what they are trying to show.

People are tired of the 'lets try and fit in everything and everyone in the story line' formula. There is nothing natural or entertaining about what East Enders are presenting. I have no doubt the bosses at the BBC will switch the whole none sense off soon and if they did they will be doing us all a great favour! What a lot of total rubbish!! Get rid of it.

Big brother 2013

Delighted that that  Dan is up for eviction and doesn't even know it. He should start being nice to people in the house and not show how fake he is we might then like him more? Hope he is voted out and faces the reality he can then decide whether talking down to people like Dexter is acceptable? I hope he didn't behave like that when I was paying for his salary to be a police officer??

Royal baby

Great news for the parents its always fantastic when a couple give birth to their first baby so well done the mum and dad. On the other hand the media frenzy is not justified and they will do well to remember that all men are born equal none are more equal than any other! Royalty and what comes with it is part of fantasy and we have evolved away from all that.

Royal baby

First of all congratulations to William and Katie hope that the baby will be healthy and they are all happy.

The media have gone in a frenzy making statements such as the whole country and the world is celebrating etc. This is of course part of the fantasy and the fiction. I know more than 200 people and not many of them are out celebrating. This does not mean that the birth of a child is not an important event. It is to the parents, their family and friends.

At the end of the day the majority of people in this country want to have a Royal family and whilst this is more to do with the need to have a permanent soap opera the fact remains that the PR men and women driving the fantasy have won the argument. I have no objections to having a few royals who are a substitute to the vile politicians we have but at the end of the day all men are born equal none are more equal than others.

Job Creation: Lessons from Abroad

 Touchstone Extras pamphlet
This Touchstone Extras pamphlet looks at the international experience of
employment change since the recession, at how the British experience compares
with other countries and at the lessons we can learn from this comparison.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-22389-f0.cfm

Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy

The Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy and the City of Rochefort are being faced with an important decision. They can either allow Lhoist Industrie to deepen their limestone quarry and expand their operation until 2045, or protect the purity of their water. Sign the petition asking for a solution that will preserve the quality of the water and Trappist beer!

The Abbey is internationally recognized for their Trappist Rochefort beer, which is produced with water from the very aquifer that would be disturbed. The aquifer also supplies drinking water to the town. The worst case of this operation would mean the draining of the aquifer, and putting the town and the abbey in a terrible position.

Please sign Care2 member Victor's petition to protect the purity of Rochefort's water and the integrity of a world-renowned beer.

Big brother 2013

I wonder whether it is good for our democratic system to allow for appalling programmes that deliberately provoke situations and turn people who are put in a controlled environment into figures of hate? This is the formula with the big brother series.

People from different walks of life, all wannabes, are brought in and provoked into the extreme so that their fellow house mates start bullying them then the public starts to hate them which is followed by their eviction?  Very Gladiator in the Coliseum arena situation! This is surely not acceptable or civilised? Democracy should allow us to express ourselves and say and do what we want but it should also come with a degree of personal responsibility!!

ETUC: Turkish government must end repression

Replying to a letter from Faruk Celik, Turkish Minister of Labour and Social
Security, seeking to excuse recent events, Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary
of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) reiterated her deep concerns at
the totally disproportionate use of force by the police during the events in
Istanbul in early June. She also voiced her concerns over the continuing
violation of human rights and attacks on trade unions and professional
associations in Turkey.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-22382-f0.cfm

Visit Greece in 2013

Proud to say that 6 of my close friends have or will be visiting Greece this summer and here is why..

MP's pay reforms

MP's are obviously needed and they do a similar job that local Councillors do. Councillor get much less than MP's but, in my opinion, are much more involved and do a better job.

I think that the number of MP's should be doubled and their salaries halved. That way they will have more time to spend with their constituents and will not be coming into the job because they see it as a career opportunity.

MPs Pay

Well the body appointed to look at MPs pay has recommended a pay rise of 11 per cent. Theses people must be from the planet zanusi given that other public sector workers doing real jobs were only offered 1% what a ridiculous situation!! Who are these people on the review body? Need to investigate and expose them!

Europe and the UK

The reality is that in an ideal world a United Europe would be something to near perfect. But practical considerations mean that the UK is not ready to embrace the massive surrender of cultural sovereignty required to achieve this goal. A non elected European court telling us that vile murderers can not be kept in prison for atrocities they have committed is just not acceptable. We have the right to decide what is best for this country and not let some Euro person dictate to us.

Jon of the Rogers and Ed Miliband

Glad that Jon of the Rogers wrote to Ed Milliband calling him a career politician. He should have gone further. I wouldn't waste the ink ( literally) in my pen so won't bother writing but it is obvious that Ed and morons like Ed Balls are simply in it for a career. They couldn't have made it as solicitors or anything else so they became experts in hot air and became MP's. They should remember that the Labour party was created by the TUs and not the bankers!!

Big brother chanel 5

I don't of course watch big brother on channel 5 as I have better things to do with my life, I have, however and on a few occasions managed to catch up with what is going on.

The latest stuff revolves around some egocentric wannabes who obviously don't have any mirrors in their house. A pathetic whimp called Dan who apparently used to be in the police force ( God help us all!) They all think they are something they are obviously not and they moderate their behaviour playing to the camera. Nothing unusual about that. But what I find disturbing is the obvious way channel 5 are manipulating these vulnerable people some of whom need therapy. I think a lot of what happens borders on psychological cruelty. The television regulator should look into this practise where people are encouraged to openly bully others ( like Dan has been doing ) for our entertainment? This is not morally right at all. Some say that if people are watching it then it must be good but that is very similar to the argument used by the Romans when they threw gladiators to the lions? Was that right?

Cruelty to animals

White lions look gorgeous, but they are usually inbred and suffer from severe health problems and high mortality rates. But that hasn't stopped two wildlife parks in Britain from breeding five white lion cubs this year -- and charging zoo visitors hundreds of pounds to pet them.

And if the health risks from breeding them weren't bad enough, the zoos reportedly took their parents from a South African farm that bred lions specifically to be hunted.

The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums has ruled there is no conservation value in keeping white lions. If we must keep lions in captivity, we should be doing it to educate people about the importance of conservaton. Instead, we're subjecting baby lions to years of suffering for our own entertainment.

Tell British zoos to stop breeding white lions immediately.

MPs Pay

Another long debate on Question time last night about MP's pay. I think this dead horse has been beaten enough. It is obvious to many of us that whilst there are some good MPs around there are also many who do very little to nothing and their contribution to the development of society is as relevant as my input into what the Royal family wear to go to bingo.

One thing remains clear though there are a lot of career politicians who see the job as an opportunity to become celebrities or have a good job. They are not there because they will contribute much towards the political evolution of the country. So my view is that they should be put on 25k a year and then see how many want to do it. I don't believe that producing hot air justifies being paid 70k a year, no way!

TUC International Development Matters Issue 123

IDM - Monthly newsletter reporting international development matters and issues
affecting trade unionists around the world. Including reports, statements,
interviews and events.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-22326-f0.cfm

Visit Greece this summer

Visit Greece this summer and experience the warmth of the country of the 12 Olympian Gods

MP's pay

The debate about how much MPs should be paid has started again and the proposal in complete opposition to what's happening with all others in the public sector is that they should get a huge pay rise! What on earth is going on and how can these people who are just experts on producing hot air ( there are exceptions to this of course) justify this idiotic idea? Put them on 25k each and the impose performance related pay if they want more. Unbelievable!!