Extra Bank Holidays

umm.. you can discuss an idea's merits, or otherwise, regardless of who has suggested them! Why does it matter who has proposed an idea?

We have become so adversarial in our politics we are not looking closely enough at policy but spend more time being partisan. Just trying to approach the impending election with a less prejudiced mind than I may have done previously!

NOT MENTION

Penstemmon

" I think it is a shame that sometimes ideas are accepted/dismissed because of WHO has promoted them rather than the idea itself".

Not at all!

My view has b---r all to do with Corbyn, other than it is his proposal. How can you mention him when it is his proposal.

Sigh.

Because the principle behind this idea is ,presumably, more about community rather than individuals. As I said earlier I am not sure if I think it is a good idea to use St days or not..but I do like the principle of opportunity for communities getting together. Majority of folk enjoyed the jubilee type celebrations and maybe it would be good to think how to build on those. I think it is a shame that sometimes ideas are accepted/dismissed because of WHO has promoted them rather than the idea itself. I am trying to sort out in my own head if the idea would be beneficial to the people in UK or not.

Penstemmon

I wish that was the view of the SNP and Plaid Cymru and all others who are happy to see the break up of the United Kingdom. It would be extremely hypocritical for anybody to want Independence and agree to have Bank Holidays to celebrate the United Kingdom, or as Corbyn says 'Unite us'.

Personally I do not think that Scotland having a Bank Holiday to celebrate St Georges Day, England having a Bank Holiday to celebrate St Davids day, Northern Ireland having a Bank Holiday to celebrate St Georges Day, Wales having a Bank Holiday to celebrate St Patrick's Day will do a blinding thing , Nada, zilch , zero.

Your question is limited, what do you think of Corbyn saying 'we will spend more' to counterbalance the loss of economic production?

If as Corbyn stated he wanted people to have more leave I would accept that as a policy but the ridiculous using of celebrating the Patron Saints days throught out the UK is nonsense.

If Corbyn wanted extra holiday entitlement then why restrict the timing off to 4 specific dates? Would it not be far more advantageous to workers if they could take advantage of having an extra 4 days leave to SUIT THEMSELVES?

Totally agree with every word POGS

It would only be "uniting" (how convenient a word for JC to use. He was probably told to say it as many times as possible by his Unite puppet masters)a fraction of the population though Penstemmon as all shop workers would be still at work, likewise most of the services.

Is uniting the UK and celebrating the 4 nations a bad policy POGS

Penstemmon

I did say Zero Hours can be abused but it is not a black or white case for or against ' irradiating' Casual Labour / Zero Hours.

As for the Extra Bank Holidays.

If you are a parent with children and have a job that will involve having to find child care it can be a nightmare to get cover. Lord know when schools suddenly announce Teacher Training days it's bad enough.

I watched Corbyn on Andrew Marr and he asked him why the extra 4 days Bank Holidays. Corbyn said something on the lines of it was to Unite us all and Celebrate the 4 Nations of the UK on their Saints Day. It would be a good thing to give workers extra time off. When Marr asked him about the effect on the economy, production Corbyn said 'We would all go out and spend more'.

I thought Corbyn and his cabal believe we are all skint, poverty stricken and NOT just about managing, yet he wants us to 'spend more' on his extra Bank Holidays to make up for the loss of economy and production. Couldn't make it up.

It is all very well to say it suits some people but when those people do not have a pension pot, no NI what happens then?

When my hubby retired he had a zero hour contract because it was what he wanted! He would not have taken a contracted hours job because of having no flexibility. It was not the company who offered him the job rather my hubby offered his services and it worked for both parties.

I have said before, as zero hour contracts keeps rearing it's head, I asked my fathers carers how they operated. Some had contracts some were casual workers. The casual workers DID NOT want fixed hours, the last thing they wanted as they wanted a job to fit in with THEIR life pattern NOT the employer.

In fact I would think the Care Provider would have loved the opportunity of having all the staff on contracted hours it must have been a nightmare for them getting cover. The question is , the problem could be, if the Care Provider could only offere contracted hours employment could they carry on in business if that meant getting staff became an even bigger problem.

Zero hours can be abused and that is an issue but banning zero hours can have a detrimental outcome too.

My DD worked her way through uni at McDonalds. She did have a zero hours contract which suited her fine and enabled her and not them to choose the days and hours she wanted to work. Basically a diary was posted on the wall with all of the hours of work available and people (like my DD) would put their name against the hours/days they wanted. I know zero hours contracts can be a nightmare for those who need a steady regular income but for some, more casual workers they work just fine.

I am talking about our area and people I know here whose student DC were upset to lose their jobs in the local warehouses..

My DD worked her way through too but stayed in the university town during the summer months and worked full-time there as there was plenty of seasonal work.

news.theweek.co.uk/optiext/optiextension.dll?ID=mUVmOhdaiGyqMwIQRyyfZHplZcmKS6g9V3IZiAbpJcPL4n28flMEP1PlOTvU1M7%2B7K1wzOCQ6Kj_rTCRIZFn08Smv3E8R

MCDonalds going to stop zero hours contracts.

My 24 year old granddaughter worked her way through university not that long ago. She worked in a hotel in Manchester, along with quite a few of her friends.

What about students? I know many who are very happy to have this sort of contract. It lets them study and pick up work at weekends and holidays.
Sixth-formers who worked at weekends and students who worked during the long holidays were also casualties of the new policy of local warehouses who employed the workers from Eastern Europe brought in under the scheme as they were not needed any more.

The sixth formers couldn't save up any money to help fund their first year at university and the university students who came home in the long holidays could not supplement their loans with any earnings.

Zero hours = exploitation.

I would like to think that the HMRC raid will be the first of many. There is plenty more where that came from.

They can do that without being on zero hours contracts. I paid students enough to pay NI when they worked for me in the holidays.

What about students? I know many who are very happy to have this sort of contract. It lets them study and pick up work at weekends and holidays.

Sigh. Only for the bosses. When I had people working for me, I made sure I paid them enough to pay National Insurance, so they got the benefits when needed.
All those on zero hours contracts will be wondering what has happened to their pensions if they ever reach pension age.

Sigh. Zero hours contracts suit some people quite well. Getting rid of them is not the answer. As ever, flexibility helps!

Good reason to vote Labour, to get rid of zero hours contracts.

I wonder if the HMRC raids on football clubs has anything to do with that, Penstemmon.

The zero hours/ 'gig' economy has undermined the rights of the ordinary hard working person. By making a large swathe of workforce 'self employed' it has enabled large companies able to avoid paying NI/pensions and increase their profits. These types of businesses do not care about employees so I agree that workers in those cimpanies are less likely to benefit. Unless a political party has the will to really care about the poorer section of working people and outlaw this type of exploitation.

DD works in a 18/7 profession and her work contract makes it clear that her shifts are spread over the week as required. It is a staff job and her employer makes sure that staff all get all the 'weekend'/bank holiday/annual leave they are entitled to, but getting leave on bank holidays is pure chance. She does get enhanced pay for overtime and unsocial hours, as defined by her employer, but does not get overtime for working on bank holidays.