Tuesday 18 March 2008

Brass Neck at Northern Rock

The general secretary of the trade union Unite is reported to have said (Telegraph):

"If there are any redundancies we will be seeking redundancy pay rates equivalent to the highest in the EU. In France it can cost up to 10 times more to make [a] worker redundant than in the UK."

As well, shareholdings "held by employees [are] to be treated differently from those of private individuals, the institutions and hedge funds". "As the shareholding was received as part of their remuneration package, it should be treated as deferred wages."

Over £100 billion of our taxes having been put at risk by this incompetent, financially illiterate bank and its employees and still they have their hands out rattling their trade union special interest agendas as if there is coincidence with the general good, or even paramountcy over it.

Still, it might be considered, just, within the remit of a trade union. At least he's not mouthing off about taxation rates or social spending.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

He's doing his job and setting the bar high.

I don't know how many staff members at NR are Unite members, but do you really believe the average wage-slave there was responsible for the serious decisions made that led the bank to this pass?

I once worked for a large financial institution, and worked bloody hard too. There was more chance of a butterfly causing a tornado than of me exerting any influence over the choice to enter a given market.

hatfield girl said...

Just doing his job...

Anonymous said...

You'll have to be less cryptic, sorry. Do you think he has exceeded his role, or do you believe no such role should exist?