Thread: This emphasises the Problem

We look at GM , many problems but one was union intransigence although they have bent a bit now

Just seen on the Beeb that Goodyear are closing a factory

they are now producing about a third of tyres compared with 3 years back

Goodyear can make them cheaper in other countries

The French workers ?? have 29 hour weeks , so management in an effotr to keep the plant open asked for a re-negociation of the working contracts to make the plant viable

The Unions refused saying it would have a negative effect on their lives

So the plant is to close

No worries the workers will be supported by benefits fron the French Government

My question is how the FCK can you compete in this world with so many restrictions

Assholes

go back further ,

too big to fail is the original lie

British Leyland clusterfuck

Successful buisness ways has to be a shared model. Management and Unions....both need to heed the responsibility for survival.

Originally Posted by chassamui

British Leyland clusterfuck

Even after government subsidies, partial ownership, and eventually Asian takeover. Perhaps less the market, but more of a way of doing business.

Somone removed a post from here. Any one know why?

needed it to hold up my fence

^

Boom, Tsch

the unions do not care about the company, only getting more out of the company. if you cannot get rid of the loafers the only unionized companies that can survive are monopolies and municipal workers

when I meet a guy who belongs to a union the first thing I think of is lazy bum. not always true but many times yes

Originally Posted by DrAndy

needed it to hold up my fence

I hope your fence falls down from too many people sitting on it, especially as it was made of old Rover employees.
No of(fence) tended

Originally Posted by jim1176

the unions do not care about the company, only getting more out of the company. if you cannot get rid of the loafers the only unionized companies that can survive are monopolies and municipal workers

when I meet a guy who belongs to a union the first thing I think of is lazy bum. not always true but many times yes

First time I agree with you. BG will not.
There are enough labour laws today, I see no reason for unions. Just added headaches and costs for both the company and the employees.
This is from 2005:
(GM) is saddled with a $1,600-per-vehicle handicap in so-called legacy costs, mostly retiree health and pension benefits.
Why GM's Plan Won't Work

Form 2007:
Ford, according to its annual report, paid $70.51 per hour in wages and benefits to its hourly workers last year. The company, as well as Chrysler Group and General Motors Corp., will seek to reduce costs to around $48 per hour, about the average hourly cost incurred by Toyota, Honda and Nissan Motor Co., company officials have said.
The costs then would be comparable to Asian automakers, who pay similar wages but have far lower pension and health care costs and make thousands of dollars more per vehicle than the three Detroit automakers.
Wheels.ca - Auto talks target labour costs - Canada's Most Trusted Auto Resource

Don't just blame the unions, blame the politicians and the bosses

They have all got stuck in a timewarp and cannot understand modern times

In the mean time the patient is dying and everyone is wagging the fickle finger of fate at someone else... Unions served their purpose for workers rights 100 years ago, but today it's a case of the tail wagging the dog...

Remember the bad old days at Austin Rover in the 70s/80s

Apart from Piss Poor management (Stokes immediately springs to mind)

The Union intransigence was a major factor in the Companies failure

We all remember "Red Robbo" Robinson , a lettuce was more red than he

He wound the "workers"?? up ,they responded in their death wish strikes ( funny thing whilst the guys were on strike he or his wife had a shop round the corner from the Austin)

Finally just before the end the unions saw a bit of sense but then asked for government money to be injected to keep the corpse from rotting

GM thats your fate you are looking at

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

First time I agree with you. BG will not.

You are slow but learning

The unions BG speaks of are trade unions which provide a pool of skilled worker to draw from so they have some benefit. The auto workers are a cancer to capitalism.

Unions can be quite unreasonable, but so is management

so it's stupid union vs stupid management ? who win ? nobody and the company closes, maybe it's better

Most government bail outs end up in failure or just lead to greater incompetence.

The British government continues to prove itself thoroughly incompetent and yet it takes control of one of the countrys' most important financial institutions.

Does history teach us nothing:
Failure: Btish Leyland
Greater Incompetence: British Rail

Originally Posted by Muadib

Unions served their purpose for workers rights 100 years ago, but today it's a case of the tail wagging the dog...

But the tail is an integral part of the dog ... unions are parasitic ...... more like fleas wagging the dog

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Unions can be quite unreasonable, but so is management

so it's stupid union vs stupid management ? who win ? nobody and the company closes, maybe it's better

For once (maybe twice?) I agree with you Butterfly.
One cant survive without the other.
Whether it be the incompentant CEOs on obscene salaries and unearned bonuses or workers wages and conditions, the developing nations are taking over production and profits since they can do the job cheaper in these days of globalization.

What we are seeing is a movement of wealth from developed western nations towards developing nations. Something we are all going to have to get used to.
Basically, we have priced ourselves out of the market with our development in standards of living and now the poorer countries are coming up behind us to take over the profits of being productive.

Originally Posted by jim1176

Originally Posted by Muadib

Unions served their purpose for workers rights 100 years ago, but today it's a case of the tail wagging the dog...

But the tail is an integral part of the dog ... unions are parasitic ...... more like fleas wagging the dog

Most of the worst parasites have already left the dog with big bonuses paid for by the taxpayer.