Democracy

[j.sabourn]

#44... In 1957 when I first went 3rd. mate I was on 37 pounds 2/6d per calender month. The BOT rate would of been about 32 pounds a month, therefore an AB would probably have been on about 30 pounds a month, but I was on contract and no overtime or A articles as it was then known. If one had read the Articles of Agreement as per BOT ruling one would have found that the shipowner was only obliged to let a seaman leave 50 percent of his salary to his wife as an allotment. A lot of the decent shipowners waived this clause, however a lot didn"t. There were a lot of marriages at sea did not last, and in a small way this would or may have been part of the reason. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

HI John.
I have my wage slip for the British Builder which I joined 8th Nov 1955 as an AB at 32 pounds per month, after 10 months and 12 days paid off with 46 pounds, but something I never noticed before. at the bottom of the slip is an amount Less Nat Ins 52 pounds 16 shillings and one penny and a subsistence allow of 50 and a half pence = 10 pounds 2 shillings which brings it to the grand total payoff of 108 pounds 19 shillings and
8 pence didn't know I was so rich at the time.
Cheers des

[happy daze john in oz]

HI John.
I have my wage slip for the British Builder which I joined 8th Nov 1955 as an AB at 32 pounds per month, after 10 months and 12 days paid off with 46 pounds, but something I never noticed before. at the bottom of the slip is an amount Less Nat Ins 52 pounds 16 shillings and one penny and a subsistence allow of 50 and a half pence = 10 pounds 2 shillings which brings it to the grand total payoff of 108 pounds 19 shillings and
8 pence didn't know I was so rich at the time.
Cheers des

Now Des from what I hear the British Builder mostly now comes from Poland!!!!

[Jim Brady]

I remember 1957 galley boy on £12.2.6d per month,I was told the captain was on £113.0,0.d per month I just tried to imagine being on that kind of money.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[j.sabourn]

#62... Des believe tanker rates were slightly higher than dry cargo for some reason, there was also this east of suez bonus which I never saw as was 1972 or thereabouts when I was on J.I.J. tankers so was probably all consolidated by then. Those days you mention could get a pint and a packet of cigarettes and still get change from a ten bob note, probably a night out with Mary as well. Cheers JS

[cappy]

#62... Des believe tanker rates were slightly higher than dry cargo for some reason, there was also this east of suez bonus which I never saw as was 1972 or thereabouts when I was on J.I.J. tankers so was probably all consolidated by then. Those days you mention could get a pint and a packet of cigarettes and still get change from a ten bob note, probably a night out with Mary as well. Cheers JS

mary ses you never paid .....your promises to come back later wre like pie crusts .......easily broken......regards cappy

[j.sabourn]

Cappy I stood on the North Shore singing, I cant get to my true love if I would de, the waters of Tyne stand between me and she, and here I must stand with a tear in my ee, so lonely and heart broken my true love to see. Notice the Scottish accent. The tear was in my eye and not elsewhere. Had also heard the Mechanics was full of queer fellahs so wasn't in any hurry to get across, in any case there was a force 2 gale forecast so didn't want to get wet. Gave the 2 bob I owed to the ferry skipper, hope you got ok. Cheers JS

[cappy]

aye mary sed you could charm the birds from the trees .....with your silver tongue......and wait till i see that bleedin ferry man ....he only gave me nine pence......hope your well ......cappy

[John Arton]

See the TUC are up in arms regarding the latest piece of union legislation proposed by the government calling it an attack on the workers basic right to strike.
What is this legislation calling for that so attacks democracy?
Well for a union to legally call for strike action
1. At least 50% of union members must vote in a secret ballot
2. The vote must have a 40% majority in favour of the strike
3. Companies affected by strike action have the right to use agency workers to keep going
4. Restrictions on the use of social media, picketing etc. promoting strike action and/or abusing members who refuse strike action
Frankly I cannot see these as an attack on democracy especially points 1 and 2 as this ensures that any strike called is supported by its union members and is not just the result of the union bully boys wishing to make political statements (Think scargill when he took the orgreave miners out on an illegal strike that led to the devastation of the mining industry)
As for point 3 I would hazard a guess that many companies would be wary of employing untrained and unskilled agency workers plus where are all these agency workers going to be found and would they be happy to go into work and face possible abuse etc. from the striking workers.
Point 4 again is valid as many union members have been both verbally and physically abused when they have either voted not to strike , refused to picket or even voiced an opposing view to that of their union.
Members of my wife's family were told in no uncertain terms "we know where you live", that if they refused to come out on strike during the miners strike they would have to bear the unpleasant consequences.
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Blair making loads of dosh again
Tony Blair receives 1 million pounds per year as an "advisor" to the Zurich banking group, which controls/owns the Dunbar bank. This bank is being accused of bully boy tactics by a number of small companies that banked with it, saying that they have been bankrupted by its tactics in calling in its loans to them.
On BBC North East and Cumbria two brothers who had a successful small building company were bankrupted by this Dunbar bank and now work as jobbing builders with all their employees having to be dismissed due to their company going bankrupt. They were running a successful company and on the advice of their bank manager had with his consent had taken out a large loan with the bank in order to finance a building project, purchasing land to build much needed housing on. The bank suddenly called in the whole loan and they were able to repay all but £60000 of it, which would have been manageable to pay back had the bank allowed them to carry on trading but the bank insisted they wanted all their money back which meant their only recourse was to file for bankruptcy putting all their employees out of work.
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Mr. Corbyn
Well what can you say. His chancellor says we should honour the IRA. He will re-nationalise the railways etc. as those industries when nationalised where shining examples of efficiency and customer service ----yeah, as if. This will be paid for by printing money.
His defence secretary will take us out of NATO and scrap trident nuclear submarines.
He is also calling for more mass immigration from Syria etc.
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I see Merkel plus other European countries are now closing there borders realising that they just cannot cope with them all flooding in from Syria, Afganistan, North Africa etc. All well dressed with the latest mobile phone and the majority being young single males.
The Queen of Jordan was on T.V. today saying exactly what most of us on this site are. Jordan per head has the most migrants of any country and as a result has seen a dramatic drop in living standards with all its services being overwhelmed by the mass immigration.
Cameron was in the Lebanon visiting the camps there and speaking sense saying that we should be improving conditions in those camps in order that eventually the migrants can return home (which most said they want to) rather than allowing them en mass to wander into Europe. By the way Britain is the sole biggest contributor in terms of money and other aid to all these camps of any country in Europe and the World.
Here ends the news of today as seen by me.
Rgds
JA

[cappy]

JA agree with all .....god forbid this walking donkey ever gets power ....and the fat berstards backing him have any say in the running of this the best country in europe to live in......but i now feel the labour party as we k new it is in its dying days and perhaps UKIP may come as a good opposition .....as for theSNP still out on that one stay or go .....regads cappy