2005 Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Nothing like opportunism British Gas Engineers anounce 5 24 hoour strikes starting in December. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deano Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Guess who's gona get the blame when there are gas shortages? Not our bad planning, its those bloody strikers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Landlady Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Don't suppose it will affect their service levels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leemo Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Nothing like opportunism British Gas Engineers anounce 5 24 hoour strikes starting in December. Oh dear. What are there demands? Wouldn't want a pay hike fuelling inflation now would we? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005 Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 Oh dear. What are there demands? Wouldn't want a pay hike fuelling inflation now would we? Pensions Apparently it is in protest about possible changes to their pensions. See what the government started when it gave into the nurses over retirement age - now everyone will be demanding better pension provision. It's like the 1970's all over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deano Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Actually, I did a temp agy electronics contract with them some years ago. Easy life or what, I was used to being a used and abused slave elsewhere, but there. The day call out guy used to play games and spin round in his chair (on £25k a year) just in case he was needed for an hour. Everyone got a day of that every fortnight, I couldn't believe it. I so wanted a permanent with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Landlady Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Actually, I did a temp agy electronics contract with them some years ago. Easy life or what, I was used to being a used and abused slave elsewhere, but there. The day call out guy used to play games and spin round in his chair (on £25k a year) just in case he was needed for an hour. Everyone got a day of that every fortnight, I couldn't believe it. I so wanted a permanent with them. You've got a dodgty connection there mate - every other word is cutting out try holding the computer neared to the phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockdoctor Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 If BG gas engineers go on strike a lot fewer boilers will be unnecessarily condemned and replaced, so it's actually good for customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILikeBigBoobs Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 (edited) British Gas Engineers anounce 5 24 hoour strikes starting in December. Good for them ! Time the workers in the UK started standing up to their employers! Edited November 29, 2005 by ILikeBigBoobs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_d_uk Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Good for them ! Time the workers in the UK started standing up to their employers! Maybe they could also stop calling them engineers as well. Overpaid component replacement mechanics at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhifoe Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Maybe they could also stop calling them engineers as well. Overpaid component replacement mechanics at best. Indeed. I read an IEE article recently that said Britains best known engineer is a car mechanic on Coronation Street. The state of Engineering can easily be summed up by the former GWR railway works near my house. Half of it is now a shopping centre and the other half has been demolished and replaced by 2,000 barrat boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeowner595 Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 According to the Union rep on R5 on Mon lunchtime, it's because BG have closed the final salary pension scheme to new members, and are seeking to reduce the benefit to existing members. This is after the engineers agreed to further fund the pension fund with additional employee contributions so this didn't happen. A review of the pension fund is scheduled for next year, which was when any decisions of this nature should have been agreed upon. The engineers are prepared to call off the strike if any major changes were made at the formal review. Further, unlike many final salary schemes of this nature, the fund is adequately funded. BG weren't available to comment... So it did sound as if BG are reneging on past agreements and trying to pull a fast one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guy_Montag Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 According to the Union rep on R5 on Mon lunchtime, it's because BG have closed the final salary pension scheme to new members, and are seeking to reduce the benefit to existing members. This is after the engineers agreed to further fund the pension fund with additional employee contributions so this didn't happen. A review of the pension fund is scheduled for next year, which was when any decisions of this nature should have been agreed upon. The engineers are prepared to call off the strike if any major changes were made at the formal review. Further, unlike many final salary schemes of this nature, the fund is adequately funded. BG weren't available to comment... So it did sound as if BG are reneging on past agreements and trying to pull a fast one. That is what is being reported on PM, interview with BG, he said something like "the people going on strike are not going to be affected, just new people joing the scheme", so I salute those strikers for helping not their current colleagues, but their future ones. My parents (retired) were just saying this weekend that they have a great life & feel sorry that I probably will not when I retire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing Bear Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Don't suppose it will affect their service levels! hehe, right on. pity it's not their call centre staff or their accounts staff that are going on strike. might get some decent service then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Favre Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Everything explained here on the GMB website GMB Basically British Gas 2 years ago agreed that if engineers increased their contributions from 4% of wages to 5% ( an increase of 25% of engineers contributions) the final salary scheme would be open to new members. They are now reneging on this and claiming that the scheme is unviable when infact it is one of the best funded pension schemes in the UK. To add a point BG also attempted to deny that they had agreed to keep the sheme open if engineers increased their contributions. British Gas 2 years ago also closed the final salary scheme for office staff after they voted NOT to increase their pensions contributions, their pensions scheme is now further into the red than it was two years ago and in the background of all of this BG are attempting to reduce member benefits also. Engineers are therefore afraid this will happen with their pension scheme and dont want the final salary closed to new engineers causing the same problems with office staff pensions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad'un Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Indeed. I read an IEE article recently that said Britains best known engineer is a car mechanic on Coronation Street. The state of Engineering can easily be summed up by the former GWR railway works near my house. Half of it is now a shopping centre and the other half has been demolished and replaced by 2,000 barrat boxes. Here's one for you: I have often wondered - why are Engineers called "Engineers" when they mainly deal with electro-mechanical stuff. Why are Mechanics called "Mechanics" when they deal solely with engines??? I mean, what the ****? - The things which keep me awake at night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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