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Conservative blogger: Ministers should announce that they plan to use anti-terror law

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highdyke

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From the conservative home blog site: A financial services lobbyist suggests that the rail unions should be treated as terrorists for causing economic damage! No irony there. What are people's views?

The ongoing crisis at Southern Rail has brought misery and economic hardship to hundreds of thousands of people. When taking into account the knock on impacts for families and businesses the impact of highly-paid transport union members going on strike is felt by millions of people.

This isn’t just a problem for the capital; already the belligerent leadership of the RMT is threatening to mobilise its members to strike on the Arriva Rail North franchise despite an above-inflation pay offer. If it goes ahead, millions more in the great cities of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield will feel what it’s like to live under the yoke of Mick Cash and his generously pensioned members who feel able to dictate lavish remuneration and holiday entitlements out of all proportion to the demands of their jobs.

On the other side are the commuters who pay for all of this. Many are paid far less than the average train driver and they certainly don’t get five, six or seven weeks or more of annual holiday. The anger that ASLEF, the RMT and TSSA are stoking is palpable whilst the Secretary of State laments the fact “I don’t have the power to order people back to work.” Like all good Conservatives though, Mr Grayling knows it’s folly to call for new laws when you have existing ones that will work just as well.

To deal with the crisis in our transport network, which now threatens to engulf the country, the Government can take a leaf out of Alistair Darling’s book. It should state its intention to list ASLEF, the RMT and TSSA as proscribed organisations as per the terms of the Terrorism Act 2000. It would not have far to go for justification; the President of the RMT is on the record calling for the destruction of capitalism and admits to working to “bring down this bloody working-class-hating Tory government.”

Meanwhile the actions of these unions more than meets the demands of the act that actions are terrorist in nature if they “involve serious damage to property” or “create a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public”. The tens of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions in lost revenue and productivity since these strikes started is a direct attack on the economic health and property of the nation.

Whilst today’s scenes at London transport hubs only confirm that the transport unions have no concern for public safety – only in lining their own pockets. That they will endanger public safety to make their point puts them beneath contempt.

The ramifications of joining the ranks of Ansar Al Islam and ETA should be clear even to the most unreasonable trade union leader. What is also clear is we don’t need more laws with anti-strike provisions. We need the Government to bring the transport unions to heel and to do so using the powers and precedents from previous moments of national crisis.

http://www.conservativehome.com/pla...rror-laws-to-proscribe-aslef-and-the-rmt.html
 
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O L Leigh

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Thanks. I needed a good laugh.

Union activities are covered by their own set of legislation. So far the rail unions have not broken any laws, otherwise the courts would have ruled in GTR's favour.

O L Leigh
 

anme

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I suggest ignoring the writer following the principle of not feeding the trolls.

However, these Thatcherites must be utterly terrified right now. The fact that train drivers have good terms and conditions *and* they have strong unions might well be noticed by the wider public. In the new climate of populism, how long before trade unions start to grow again and win similar improvements in terms and conditions for their members working in other industries?
 

highdyke

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I'm still formulating my opinion, it may take a while as I'm still laughing.
 

Blamethrower

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I don't see what's funny about it.

Surely this is someones attempt to use his influence to improve the situation for the long suffering commuters

Why are you laughing at someone that is trying to help?
 

Marklund

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I don't see what's funny about it.

Surely this is someones attempt to use his influence to improve the situation for the long suffering commuters

Why are you laughing at someone that is trying to help?

It's a trades union dispute. Not the Siege of Sydney Street :roll:
 

WelshBluebird

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I don't see what's funny about it.

Surely this is someones attempt to use his influence to improve the situation for the long suffering commuters

Why are you laughing at someone that is trying to help?

It is laughable because it is totally and utterly ludicrous.
Strikes are perfectly legal, just because you do not like them does not mean you get to say they are terrorism.

However it is also a serious warning to anyone who doesn't mind OTT anti terror legislation because "it doesn't affect me". Even though there are meant for specific cases there is often nothing in law to prevent governments from doing a fairly massive power grab and misusing these laws for other (less well supported) reasons.
 

NSEFAN

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It is laughable because it is totally and utterly ludicrous.
Strikes are perfectly legal, just because you do not like them does not mean you get to say they are terrorism.

However it is also a serious warning to anyone who doesn't mind OTT anti terror legislation because "it doesn't affect me". Even though there are meant for specific cases there is often nothing in law to prevent governments from doing a fairly massive power grab and misusing these laws for other (less well supported) reasons.
There would be some irony in abusing anti-terror laws to prevent the supposed abuse of strike laws. :lol:
 
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highdyke

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Why are you laughing at someone that is trying to help?

I agreed with Simon Jenkins article yesterday, become we do need a grown-up conversation about the trade disputes act if problems cannot be resolved - in truth, I felt a bit right wing saying it.

It does illustrate however, even moderates like Jenkins don't consider the current laws fit for purpose, and the Unions should be worried about that.

For the more loony types on either extreme, with all the tracking of the internet that goes on, it does prove people need to be careful what they wish for and say. They may have nothing to hide, but we don't know what will happen or what sort of government we'll get in!
 

WelshBluebird

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For the more loony types on either extreme, with all the tracking of the internet that goes on, it does prove people need to be careful what they wish for and say. They may have nothing to hide, but we don't know what will happen or what sort of government we'll get in!

This isn't even about loony types though. Governments misuing and abusing anti terror legislation is a very worrying thing. I don't see why you have to be on either extreme to be worried about that. Especially given the laws that are currently being passed.
 

fowler9

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I don't see what's funny about it.

Surely this is someones attempt to use his influence to improve the situation for the long suffering commuters

Why are you laughing at someone that is trying to help?

Meh, if striking was banned the long suffering commuters would just get home on time and have longer to complain about the way their company works and the way they are treated by their employer.

I have no time for people who just sit there and take it and then ask why nobody does anything.
 

bb21

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Why are you laughing at someone that is trying to help?

There is trying to help, and there is "trying to help".

He's either a fantasist or a troll. Just because you earn mega bucks does not make you a brainy person with the ability to think logically, but I guess it gave him his 15 minutes of fame.

I got a call from the villagers this afternoon. They are missing someone I believe. :lol:
 

vrbarreto

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There is trying to help, and there is "trying to help".

He's either a fantasist or a troll. Just because you earn mega bucks does not make you a brainy person with the ability to think logically, but I guess it gave him his 15 minutes of fame.

I got a call from the villagers this afternoon. They are missing someone I believe. :lol:

The village full of someone's is missing THEIR special someone I suspect...
 

KTHV

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I didn't know Astradyne had started writing a blog :D


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

FordFocus

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I just mentioned this to a friend of mine who is a strong conservative supporter and he just burst out laughing.

Fantastic reading, it could almost be satire.
 

kevconnor

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It reads like something that could come from Private Eye. But those who have said it are right that it identifies the real issue of improper use of Anti-terror legislation. It is worthwhile to remember the quote from Benjamin Franklin, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
 

Agent_c

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...and then people wonder why we laugh at them when they say "if you have nothing to hide, there's no problem".

As soon as the tools of tyrany are built some idiot will try to use them.
 

fowler9

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If people really want to see what civil unrest looks like then ban strikes, put up with what you are now and see what kicks off in a few years time. That isn't a threat from me, I am a physical coward, it is a prediction of what will happen.
 

Driver365

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Thanks. I needed a good laugh.

Union activities are covered by their own set of legislation. So far the rail unions have not broken any laws, otherwise the courts would have ruled in GTR's favour.

O L Leigh

I believe we know each other old chap....Unable to be as great as we were on the old WAGN routes of which we were both part of albeit different sides but I'm sure you will appreciate the un-workable situation on GTR and also here
 

Busaholic

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When you appoint Christopher Grayling MP to take charge of transport this is the mood music that will play in the background. By contrast, such as IDS and Norman Tebbit are dangerous lefties.
 

E&W Lucas

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When you appoint Christopher Grayling MP to take charge of transport this is the mood music that will play in the background. By contrast, such as IDS and Norman Tebbit are dangerous lefties.

Thre is a huge difference between Tebbit and the likes of Grayling or this blogger. He had been a full time BALPA official. He had a faily humble background, and made the most of the opportunities offered to him, such as becoming a pilot through his National Service. He knew unions from the inside, and acted in a way that allowed them to function, but made it harder for them to be hijacked for political purposes.
Subsequent legislation has had the aim of putting unions out of business. This is purely ideological, from a political elite that increasingly has zero experience of the real world of work.
 

Tetchytyke

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Still not as mental as half the clowns on the Tory back benches...

You'll have to try harder than that, Mr Penny, to win the "biggest Tory twazzock" award. Philip Davies is knocking it out the park.
 
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