Quote Mintball="Mintball"You mentioned unions so let's respond to that.
Now, perhaps you'll answer the question of how much a "supposed socialist" should expect in pay. You didn't last time and dodged around it by providing half a definition of socialist, as though that came close to answering the question you won't answer. It didn't.
Perhaps this time you'll root out the book of pay scales for "supposed socialists".
Interesting to see that you think that a union should not try, as an employer, to act the way that it expects other employers to act, but to actually behave, as an employer, in a way that it fights against. In other words, you want it to operate double standards.
And trade unions have elected general secretaries, so the membership do have the chance to do something about it. That's called democracy.
On Npower: if it's struggling so much that it wants to take jobs away from this country so that it can pay much, much lower wages in a country where the cost of living is much lower, then it is entirely apt to ask if the boss is chipping in with moves to reduce the wage bill – because that's all it is. And after all, if profits had fallen, it would illustrate a bit of failure at the top, wouldn't it, probably more so than among those back-room staff who are set to lose their jobs?
Clue: Npower is not struggling – it made £176m in operating profits in the first part of this year alone.
Such big corporates are greedy – and as a result of their greed, people get shafted. But then you'll be squealing for the people who are chucked out of jobs to be finding work instantly or having any benefits slashed, because obviously there are loads of jobs out there etc.
And as for the 'politics of envy', you do pretty well yourself: whinging and whining about how your boss won't give you a pay rise, but complaining also at any group of workers who dare to fight for one – oh dear, they should put up and shut up, just like you.'"
Once again you are very particular about which points that you choose to respond on!!
I have never complained about my bosses giving me a pay rise - so please don't misquote me. I have a choice - no body forces me to work for them if I was so unhappy I would find another job - and there are plenty of jobs out there if you look hard enough. As you quite rightly say that's democracy!!
NPower is doing what any responsible company should do - it is looking to maximise returns for its investors. Perhaps if the union were prepared to engage in process improvements and cost reduction ideas then shifting stuff to India might not be quite the attractive proposition it is? The problem is the union cannot engage for fear of setting a position in one chapel that could be rolled out to others - sad really, the members are just pawns in a bigger game. My wife worked at Morrisons and her whole department was transferred to Wiprow in India so we have so experience of this. She found another job - one of three she could have taken - as did virtually everyone in her department - there is work out there it is a myth that there are no jobs.
In 2012 NPower made 320m on a turnover close to 7bn so 5% is that excessive?
I ask again - what do you consider a reasonable return for any commercial enterprise to make.
You want a rise in the living wage - I agree - so why not swap employers NI for increased minimum wage?
Finally the reason I don't respond is not because I can't fight my corner it is because I have a life that doesn't solely revolve around spending every waking hour on a message board - unlike some.
