TFK Capitalist Thread

A cynic might say the union make up those numbers to make it seem like the members are unified.
If they came out and said the vote was 55/45 it would be very easy for the employers to implement some sort of divide and conquer scheme.

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Yeah - there’s a lot more going on here than is being revealed.

SIPTU are making a big play of the new entrants thing but they were happy enough with the proposal initially to take it to the staff. They’ve also similarly pulled the ladder up in lots of other sectors over the last couple of years so it’s hardly a red-line issue for them.

They seem very keen to try and drag in external parties - presumably they know the figures that Transdev are operating on and know that extra money into the contract from the public purse is the only way they can get a better deal. The Dept/minister can’t do that though surely, for contractual/tendering reasons as much as for political ones.

They’re hoping Transdev fold and the Government have to run it so they can get the semi state T&Cs. They keep pulling in Pascal Donohue but it’s nothing to do with the government.

Sure if they’re comparing with Irish Rail - it’s a basket case with continued massive subsidies.

If the business is being transferred, it’s reasonable to think emloyees, their T&Cs and their accrued years of service could / would be TUPE’d. One for the lawyers, I guess.

But if it’s a case of a lost contract why would the winners of the new tender be obliged to take on the workers of the company that previously held the contract?

Yeah - it’s probably not clearcut either way. Any way - if the Luas stops in the meantime, there might be no employees left to TUPE!

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The union can’t just make up numbers like that. Most union ballots are conducted by outside independant companies like PWC.

Sure you can’t have lads plucking figures out of their arses just like that…
Capitalists couldn’t do that, could they, now maybe the scumbag, leftie, bearded, socialist, union leaders can, but not the captains of industry that are so lauded here every day.

I’m not overly familiar with the proceedings so I’d appreciate enlightenment. As I see it

  1. The Govn put out a public tender to provide the service
  • Transdev won the tender.
  1. The union has an issue withh Transdev. This has not been sorted. The general (Dublin) public are inconvenienced.
  • The service is threatened / ceases.

To my mind there must be a break in the service that was to be provided by Transdev. Therefore at some stage this contact is broken and the Government sue the fuck out of Transdev. They then have 3 options . Re -Tender - Go to who was second on the list - or provide the drivers themselves.
I am not one in general who likes privatization of public services but if the Government decision is that’s the way to go well then they have fuck all choice but to ride this out and fuck Transdev (and their employees) out and start again. The workers contract is with Transdev so the workers can try and sue Transdev if they want. What the unions seem to want is the Government to step in and offer to break the conditions of the contract and up the pay of the workers (That is assuming Transdev are not going to do it). The Government cant do thi sor else there wont be a shed built with government funding without a strike.

Am I missing something?

Why would Transdev have to recognise SIPTU? Was that a part of the deal? No employer in their right mind is going on take on a relationship with a trade union voluntarily.

I believe in Government funded contract there is a union only workers clause in the contracts. A throw back to the Partnership (or earlier) deals struck between Charlie/Bertie and the Unions.

is there anything the private sector doesn’t fuck up?

Is LUAS not a PPP?

transdev mate- its transdev fooking up here

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SIPTU has messed up big time here.

It’s almost as much of a mess as when the ASTI (I think it was ) members voted for wage cuts for new teachers. What a mean spirited thing to do.

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Looks like Transdev are going to end up with a serious case of tender dysphoria.

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It must be very difficult as a business person to be forced to engage with these Union individuals

There are very good employment laws in this country and the value of unions in this day and age is not clear.

If you take over a business that already recognises a union you have no choice but to do so also. Will put many off for sure

Not really.
When have the industrialists ever lost more than the workers?
The fact is that the service contract was up for renewal. I would think that there is a power struggle here in the union at some level. The head boys went into the talks originally and appeared happy with the deal. They got a kick up the arse when they went back to the drivers. Remember the other grades (ticket collectors and control staff ) approved the deal. I would think that there is something else behind this. Internal union power struggle?

The big redistribution of wealth? The rich hold assets, the poor have debt?

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/families-squeezed-out-in-2bn-property-firesale-34652963.html