h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There's obviouslty no point in continueing this debate as Mycroft's sole aim seems to be in making his fellow researchers fall into traps that by some miracle they should see coming.

I do not consider that saying one thing and expecting your fellow researchers to leap to the (admittedly) obvious conclusion and then revealing the second part of the argument in order to score cheap points helpful or in the spirit of the guide.

RFU? Leave those rugger boys alone, they did a good job on Saturday against the Aussies. Are you sure RFU is the correct TLA?

Liam.

It can't be the real RFU. Otherwise film of pickets in England would be 'exclusively live' on Sky and we would get a delayed broadcast on ITV later. However, Scottish pickets would be live on BBC unless they were picketing in England. Welsh pickets would only be available on BBC Wales and we would have at least five sets of negotiations going on at the same time.

Yes but think of all the great injuries. Blair doesn't like Gilchrist, so he elbows him while the ref isn't looking or rakes him in the mawl. Top stuff

Liam.

Blair hasn't got the bottle to be involved in the mawl himself, . He'd send in Prescott who'd rake someone on his on side by mistake.

*Pictures Blair with a sick-note from his mum and linament and bandages on his knee*

Liam.

At last this thread has got round to some meaningful suggestions for resolving the dispute...

Is this going to turn into a Mr T. versus thread?

Woohoo!

Ok: Mr T. versus Andy Gilchrist

Liam.

Hey it's only up to 110 posts as well. The war in Iraq thread is still debating whether Saddam or Bush is most like Hitler, after over 2000 posts...

Yes but is mr Gilchrist the new che guvara?

Oh most definitely not!
How can you compare someone who looks like that Corkhill bloke* out of Brookside with the hero of the Revolution?!


*Can't remember, it's been a long time. Might not even be Corkhill.

Well compare him to his bolivia years, the government and press out to get him as he desperatly charges around the countryside trying to avoid defect, while "two Jags" attempts to make a martyr of him.

No but seriously, I think Mr Gilchrist would have Mr T, he would spray him down with a powerhose like a sucker while saying "I pity the fool who takes on the FBU"

I was thinking more in terms of suitability for monochrome posters for the walls of students in the coming generations.
Poor sods. Still, they probably won't be able to afford posters if Mr. Blair gets his way!

If Mr blair has his way they won't be able to afford to be students.

Apparently the management has offered a 16% payrise, and the government intervened to prevent it.

I think 16% sounds about right, the Union should accept it and the government should get it's finger out and allow management to give them it. Blair has got to stop this obsession with not being seen to be "weak" in front of the Unions. He hasn't given them their 40% demand, so the Daily Mail can't accuse him of caving in. Anyway, most people I would imagine support a raise in Firefighter's wages. We all want to avoid more strikes, so Blair should dig out that spare backbone he so rarely uses, risks the Sun and Mail publishing some nonsense about how the whole thing is a return to the Labour Party of the 70's (which no one will believe, anyway, except the Mail readers who want to) and give them the 16%.

Gilchrist has already stated that effectively 16% was what they would settle for.

Is that with strings though? Or does he agree with 16% only if they get to keep all current terms and conditions?

The suggestion has been made here that they get the payrise now and discuss changes to terms and conditions later, but once they have their money what is the incentive to agree to any changes (or will they be used as leverage in a further wage claim?).

People here did not believe that the second part of the two-stage wage offer would actually happen, and thought that the employers would go back on their word. But the same standard, why should we believe that the FBU will agree any changes after they have got what they want?

There is no guarantee of anything in this world, except that Gilchrist, for the time being, holds the whip hand. Until such time as the strike holds solid (and the news that the Government has been meddling in the negotiations again will hardly have the rank and file rushing back to the tenders, will it?), then he can continue to negotiate from a position of strength.