Does it?

What happened to democracy and freedom of choice?

True. A similar paradox arises when large companies and multi-national corporations demand tax breaks and employ tax avoidance techniques.

Those companies demand a well-educated, healthy and secure workforce while simultaneously trying very hard to avoid paying for the welfare policies that will provide them with such a workforce.

No-one forces people to work for a particular company. Last time I checked, slavery was still illegal.

I really cannot understand this feeling that the employee is somehow "entitled" to anything.

I've always been very simple about these matters. I go to work, I get paid. If I believe this is a good arrangment I stay, if I believe it isn't, or believe I could get a better one, I move.

It's not rocket science. I've never had a chip on my shoulder, never thought the world owed me a living. The last 3 years are a classic case - a wage freeze, coupled with inflation is effectively a pay cut. I have two choices- to stay in the current role or to leave.

As for the employer, well they will pay the employee whatever is needed to maximise profit. And why shouldn't they? They are the ones taking the risks, they should make the decisions.

?

When i look to join a company, i look at the pay, terms/conditions etc.
If i'm not happy i look elsewhere.
Why would i join a company i wasn't happy with and then moan and strike when i knew what i was getting into.
Quite recently my company went on strike about not getting the 6% pay rise it asked for, when companies are shutting left right and centre and people are taking pay cuts i personally found it vulgar asking for 6%.

I was quite happy to not get a rise at all, my opinion, my right.

Besides i don't go to work to make friends, if i upset people who disagree with it so be it, my life, my mortgage, my principles and i can easily look at myself in the mirror.

I personally think you're a wa-k-r if you feel the need to force your way of thinking on to me, there's a name for people like you and i didn't think it was anything to do with socialism, unless it's the Hitler form of socialism you subscribe to?

i'm confused. thatcher created a load of wage slaves? how did these people pay for stuff before they became slaves? where did they live? how did they live?
or are we just in "waaahhhh, she's a woman and she's a tory" territory. again.

Contempt, even better. My work is done.

Oh he's making it up as he goes along. Wounded service man, where on earth did you get that from ?? Dope.

You must be a teacher. No wonder our kids can't read and write, Tony Blairs legacy. Plus 2 wars he got into, and you have a pop at Thatcher, hypocrite !

BT were making a profit when they were sold off for peanuts.

I could only be a hypocrite if I'd praised Blair for his legacy or even voted for him. Neither happen to be the case.

And Blair gets plenty of criticism on here.

You wanted people to think you were contemptible?

You understand what contempt is, yes?

Every post you ever make, whatever the topic, makes you look like a complete w@nker.

What's your point?

Do neither of you pay any attention to the unemployment figures? Or do you just not understand what they mean?

While some highly skilled workers in a handful of sectors might be able to pick and choose employers, or waltz out of one company and straight into the same job at another, the situation is very different for the vast majority of ordinary workers. If they don't like the job they're in they have two options - put up with it or join the 'shirkers' on the dole. That's where the Unions come in.

The other thing you might consider is that things change over time. You might be perfectly happy with wages and conditions when you joing, only to find at some point down the line that they change for the worse.

Honestly, given the number of times those on the right exhort people to 'live in the real world' you'd expect more of them to have at least some passing familiarity with it themselves.