UK: Highest long-term unemployment

Maxinquaye · May 29, 2011

I've been waiting and/or hoping that the unions in the UK would get off their collective arses and take the opportunity and make some gains with the current government, because they couldn't be arsed when their people was in Nr 10.

Not that I hope that the economic situation would endure for this because it's the people that count, after all, but there's every opportunity for the unions to go back to the roots and get off their dependence on the government.

But, I guess not, which is part of what makes me despair a bit about my friends on the other side of the North Sea. With the clowns in No 10 these days, any message of cooperation and unity would be a positive one. Well, apart from putting Bliar and Brown back there, or any of their current cronies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13498998

The number of people unemployed for more than a year has reached its highest level since 1997, according to a report.

The IPPR political think tank's analysis of official data suggested there were now 850,000 people who had been jobless for at least 12 months.

The total had been taken to "worryingly high" levels, the IPPR said.

mirandashell · May 29, 2011

But you have to remember, the unions don't have anything like the power they used to have. There isn't much they can do.

And when there is that many umemployed, people get scared for their own jobs. They don't want to rock the boat.

movieman · May 30, 2011

mirandashell said:
But you have to remember, the unions don't have anything like the power they used to have. There isn't much they can do.

And what do people expect them to do? Demand higher wages so that they can watch even more jobs go to India and China?

For the last decade the British economy was based on easy credit and public sector expansion. The easy credit has dried up and the government is broke, so neither are viable options for the future.

Maxinquaye · May 30, 2011

mirandashell said:
But you have to remember, the unions don't have anything like the power they used to have. There isn't much they can do.

And when there is that many umemployed, people get scared for their own jobs. They don't want to rock the boat.

They do have power. They don't have power over government policy, and they shouldn't have. They should stay out of trying to have government ministers in their pockets, because governments are not good for unions.

But they do have a quarter of the working population on their rolls. If one believes in freedom of association, and if one believes that an individual own one's action (which includes one's labour) then they have all the chance of increasing that share. A lot. And a lot of things could be repaired over time that have been destroyed by governments since the days of Thatcher.

scarletpeaches · May 30, 2011

I despise unions with all the fire of a thousand suns.

movieman · May 30, 2011

scarletpeaches said:
I despise unions with all the fire of a thousand suns.

I don't know; doing homework by candle-light back in the 70s because the power workers were out in sympathy with the coal miners who were out in sympathy with British Leyland workers who wanted another six tea-breaks on each shift seemed like quite an adventure at the time.

And the recent British Airways strikes provided hours of free entertainment.

mirandashell · May 30, 2011

Hmmm.... that's when it went bad.

But lets not forget. A lot of what we take for granted now had to be fought for by the unions. Sick pay, health and safety regulation, paid days off, maternity and paternity leave.

All things I thank the unions for.

Yes, it all got out of hand in the 70s. But human endeavour always does eventually.

But the unions are needed as a balance to the government. Especially the Tories. We let them run unchecked and we'll be back to the 1930s.

UK: Highest long-term unemployment

Maxinquaye

That cheeky buggerer

mirandashell

movieman

Maxinquaye

That cheeky buggerer

scarletpeaches

movieman

mirandashell