O/T The Price Of Coal 1977 BBC Drama

[KerrAvon]

Well tell me where the tories show empathy towards ordinary people.I'm all ears...but you can't because their policies are basically all geared up to serving the ruling classes of this country, neigh the world. You criticise Labour but you don't defend the tories because you know you can't.

The Tories can defend themselves. It's not my job to do so.

Where do you stand on empathy for people on ZHCs who want to be on them, because it suits their circumstances, but face being denied that option should Labour get in?

[rolymiller]

So you can attack Labour but not the tories? So why not say I cant comment on Labour policy they can defend themselves in the same way?

The picture is becoming clearer of you. You hate Labour but don't want to admit to being a tory because you know you couldn't defend their policies. Think MMM was right when he questioned your integrity. Be honest. Be like GM put your maggie avatar up and start defending em or shut up about the labour party.

In your line of work is it easier to attack than defend? I wouldn't fancy taking you on to defend me in a case. Something you need to work on perhaps?

[rolymiller]

Another assumption! They never stop. If you scroll up the thread, you will see that I mentioned hearing about The Price of Coal when I was at school in 1977... That probably mean that I lived through the miner's strike...

The press and TV certainly reported the mass picketing and intimidation of people who refused to do what their union told them to do. They also reported the mass picketing and intimidation of people in other industries i.e Orgreave. They also reported the actions of Messrs Hancock and Shankland who dropped a block of concrete onto a taxi taking a working miner to work, killing the driver.

As an authority on empathy, perhaps you could indicate whether you think NUM members should have been given that national ballot that the Union's constitution entitled them to? And how do you feel about NUM members having to take the union to court to stop it misapplying their funds? And how do you feel about working people being exposed to the intimidation of the mass picketing.

Finally where do you stand on empathy for the family of the taxi driver killed by Hancock and Shankland? Perhaps you should have been brought in as an empathy consultant at the pit where they worked; when they were convicted of murder (later reduced to manslaughter on appeal), their colleagues downed tools and walked out.

Where do you stand on police brutality? Casually ignored...

[KerrAvon]

I didn't see any mob apart from the police mob. Then again how would you know you weren't there. Its naughty to guess you know.

Your most spectacular assumption yet.

The contractors that I worked for did a lot of work at Hadfields. What gave you the right to try to involve the people who worked there in your dispute - to try to stop the people who worked there from earning the money to pay their mortgages and put food on their tables? Where was your empathy for them?

I'm guessing you weren't on the line on the days when the miner's turned up to try to assist in the intimidation of Hadfields employees?

[rolymiller]

Blimey, Roly, for someone who doesn't like assumptions, you do make an awful lot.


As for working 9-5... Really? You try picking up a brief that you have never seen before at at 7pm knowing that you have to be completely on top of it for the trial starting at 10am the next day, with someone's liberty riding on it. I will make an assumption of my own, which is that you would struggle with the pressure.

Yes I have had pressurised jobs in my life a lot more difficult stuff than your line of work and for a lot less pay and perks. Come on you have worked yourself a steady number relatively and good for you but some people don't have such luck.

[rolymiller]

Your most spectacular assumption yet.

The contractors that I worked for did a lot of work at Hadfields. What gave you the right to try to involve the people who worked there in your dispute - to try to stop the people who worked there from earning the money to pay their mortgages and put food on their tables? Where was your empathy for them?

I'm guessing you weren't on the line on the days when the miner's turned up to try to assist in the intimidation of Hadfields employees?

...and yet you still weren't there. I hope you don't make things up in court...

[KerrAvon]

So you can attack Labour but not the tories? So why not say I cant comment on Labour policy they can defend themselves in the same way?

The picture is becoming clearer of you. You hate Labour but don't want to admit to being a tory because you know you couldn't defend their policies. Think MMM was right when he questioned your integrity. Be honest. Be like GM put your maggie avatar up and start defending em or shut up about the labour party.

In your line of work is it easier to attack than defend?

I can 'attack' anyone I choose. That's my choice. I just decline to wear blinkers and blindly follow any party.

I have never voted Tory in a general election and never will as long as my current MP is the Tory candidate.

I assume you mean prosecute when you say 'attack'? In my opinion, the best advocates are those who do both. They are two quite different jobs - prosecuting is about building a case, defending is about demolition. Prosecuting also requires 'fairness', whereas defending is more 'no holds barred'. I'm easy either way, but sometimes enjoy the client contact involved in defending. And that's all the work talk you are getting - I'm on holiday - have a bit of empathy.

I'm generally against police brutality. Who wouldn't be?

[animallittle3]

Us and Them !!! 1997

So we are called in to the boardroom myself and fellow shop stewards .

" we need to cut costs and we wondered if you can consider us dispensing with the transport from Barnsley .

When the company shut it's Barnsley factory in 1980 people were made redundant and others were transferred to the Huddersfield site .

Transport was laid on as part of the agreement with ourselves paying a small contribution but ultimately the greater cost was taken up by the company .

" hmmm , it's a solid agreement and unlikely to be accepted by our members , impossible to sell that one unless you offer a really significant amount of money and buy yourselves out of it " I stated .

" what were you thinking ? "

Does this chap think I'm an idiot ?

Sigh " make us an offer "

" oh and while your at it can you also give some thought to dispensing with the company cars enjoyed by senior management "

" we are all in this together aren't we ? "

I'll never forget the look on his face , if looks could have killed .

" that's part of our salary " he replied

" oh right and those buses from Barnsley aren't part of ours then "

" you shut the barnsley factory down and entered in to this agreement "

We did eventually give it up but it cost them a few bob but long term we were eventually out of pocket with travel costs .

The company cars remained until the day the padlocks finally went on the gate in 2002 .

[great_fire]

I'm all for worker's rights but the unions were a bit of a menace in the 70s.

Only needed the slightest excuse to go on strike.

Screwed our the car industry.

[KerrAvon]

Yes I have had pressurised jobs in my life a lot more difficult stuff than your line of work and for a lot less pay and perks. Come on you have worked yourself a steady number relatively and good for you but some people don't have such luck.

I think this post alone demonstrates the foolishness of your position. You can no more imagine the pressures that I work under than I can yours. It's just silly.

I know that you have your eyes squeezed tightly shut and your fingers in your ears when faced with challenge or the notion that you may not be the paragon of virtue that you believe yourself to be, but surely you could at least have a go at some of my questions about national ballots, mass picketing, secondary picketing, the killing of a taxi driver etc.?