AndrewJB wrote: ↑Sun Dec 22, 2019 1:47 pm
So when Johnson said “we will increase the living wage to £10.50 per hour” (this was announced at conference, and was in their manifesto), adding a caveat afterwards isn’t going back on a promise in what Orwellian way? You are accusing me of peddling a conspiracy when I’m just stating a fact. The standout feature of the new employment bill (of which little detail was provided) is that they’re going to ban rail strikes. Not forcing rail companies and workers into binding arbitration to resolve issues, but taking away some of the bargaining power of the workers. If we take the Tory Party as a whole, they’ve cut workers rights since coming into power in 2010. Working class people are sensible to worry about working rights being eroded by Johnson, and seeing him walk away from a previous commitment will only add to their fears.
On the environment the Tories has the weakest platform of all the parties, and Johnson didn’t even attend the leaders debate. It’s safe to infer that the environment is not high up on the list of Tory priorities, and not unreasonable to foresee them capitulating to US demands that the issue not figure in negotiations on a free trade deal.
Taking all the evidence into account - including Johnson’s history of campaigning passionately on issues that he suddenly drops when no longer politically expedient (Heathrow runway, campaigning on the bus with a slogan he had no intention of honouring, die in a ditch, and now the minimum wage) - it’s not me scaremongering, but you clinging to a fairytale.
Ha ha.. Brilliant..
Lets break this down..
Increasing the living wage to £10.50 per hour..
Pre-election manifesto states.....
"In our first months, we announced an increase in the National Living Wage to two thirds of average earnings, currently forecast at £10.50 an hour, and widened its reach to everyone over 21. That means an average pay rise of £4,000 per year for four million people by 2024."
If you read the manifesto, you can easily understand that based on a forecast and the important bit is 2/3rds of average earnings will determine the minimum wage.
Post election Queen's speech
"My Government will bring forward measures to support working families, raising the National Insurance threshold and increasing the National Living Wage. To ensure every child has access to a high-quality education my Ministers will increase levels of funding per pupil in every school."
There has been no promise broken there as far as I can see. I maintain that you are trying to spin your facts in a way that misrepresents a- what was promised and b- what has been committed to.
They are going to ban rail strikes....
Good - Unions have far too much power. They are run like we are still in the industrial age. They give no regard to putting joe public at a massive inconvenience at the drop of a hat.
If you think trying to pull the wider public into their issues is a good thing to gain leverage then I'm glad that banning train strikes is going to happen. Trains are a necessary public infrastructure that needs to remain running for productivity purposes and to allow people to get to and from work. These policies are for the few and not the many in reality and a blunt tool which is all too often used because its the easiest way to cause outrage and pressure on companies
Workers protections should be about ensuring that the laws set out the required standards and expectation of employers so they are not taken advantage of etc. Disputes should be settled via courts and use of properly constructed law. Having a bill on this will allow politicians on both sides of the house to look to drive up standards here. Remember that conservatives have been elected on one of the main promises being to get Brexit done. By having workers rights stripped out of the brexit bill, I can only see this being a positive to allow some of these conservatives to be able to not be restrained by the thought of this having an impact on their ability to deliver this.
Workers rights are important and we have seen lower employment, increased minimum wage, lower taxes to those who earn the least, a focus on ensuring employees get pensions so they can look to have a better retirement - forcing additional cost on employers with having to contribute to these.
I would like to see what you mean by in the round how workers rights have been decimated/reduced since 2010.
The other points raised - as you say are inferred by your opinion which I can't change so would be happy to see where we get to with the above points but my opinion is that Labour have an equal record as most politicians will have a record on of going back on things they have said they will do..
Fiscally responsible, fully costed manifesto anyone? Whats that - we can win a few million votes by borrowing £58bn for WASPI women.. Yeah OK..
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