Journalists have been happily bashing Trade Unions now for years. You've seen the sort of thing - headlines and editorials telling us that "the looney left" are at it again, inconveniencing railway passengers or leaving bereft parents with nowhere to take their kids when they go to work. Trade Union leaders have been hounded, had their home addresses given out, given the title of "Red" this or that and had fun poked at them for not having cut-glass accents. The BBC were not much better, continually harping on about "the winter of discontent" and accusing them of being "socialists" - apparently the worst of all crimes. All this has apparently been forgotten as BBC journalists now find that their jobs are at risk. Suddenly unemployment has ceased to be a "price worth paying" and Trade Unions, at least theirs, are heroically striving to save the country from a fate worse than death - not enough news coverage. Where will we all be without the continual stream of drivel that accompanies such events as Royal Weddings, Prince Philip coming and going in and out of various hospitals and the interminable coverage of endless football and cricket matches? Perhaps we might get some real news for a change - you know, things like why Iceland is doing better than most countries after jailing the bankers and politicians who bankrupted their country. Perhaps we might get a little more sympathy for the poor, disabled and unemployed instead of an endless stream of "Would the Minister like to tall us all how wonderful he is?" Perhaps, but somehow I doubt it.
Tuesday 19 February 2013
Journalists Decide They Like Unions After All.
Journalists have been happily bashing Trade Unions now for years. You've seen the sort of thing - headlines and editorials telling us that "the looney left" are at it again, inconveniencing railway passengers or leaving bereft parents with nowhere to take their kids when they go to work. Trade Union leaders have been hounded, had their home addresses given out, given the title of "Red" this or that and had fun poked at them for not having cut-glass accents. The BBC were not much better, continually harping on about "the winter of discontent" and accusing them of being "socialists" - apparently the worst of all crimes. All this has apparently been forgotten as BBC journalists now find that their jobs are at risk. Suddenly unemployment has ceased to be a "price worth paying" and Trade Unions, at least theirs, are heroically striving to save the country from a fate worse than death - not enough news coverage. Where will we all be without the continual stream of drivel that accompanies such events as Royal Weddings, Prince Philip coming and going in and out of various hospitals and the interminable coverage of endless football and cricket matches? Perhaps we might get some real news for a change - you know, things like why Iceland is doing better than most countries after jailing the bankers and politicians who bankrupted their country. Perhaps we might get a little more sympathy for the poor, disabled and unemployed instead of an endless stream of "Would the Minister like to tall us all how wonderful he is?" Perhaps, but somehow I doubt it.
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Trade unions, just another special interest group. It's an economic fact that unions contribute to unemployment.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. They've also been responsible for such inequities as limited working hours, getting rid of child labour, paid holidays, health and safety in the work place and protection against arbitrary sackings. Evil, poor evil. Unless, of course, you've had the experience of being sacked because you objected to the sexual advances of a 70 year old Managing Director? Unfortunately back then, in 1972, there was no protection against such things and, at the age of 18, I found myself relegated to the ranks of the "scroungers" in our society. Tell me, are you a professional idiot or merely a talented amateur?
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