It may surprise you to read that I wouldn’t disagree. As long as we are speaking of the leaders and not the concept of a Union as originally envisaged.

I think that most people would agree that the Unions as originally envisaged were a force for good, when they were staffed by the workers they were representing. These days they have become an industry in their own right, far too big and potentially far too powerful.

Now you’re just being offensive.

You suffer annual teachers strikes do you? What age are you? When was the last strike?
At what level are your friends in the hierarchy? In what region do they work?
Why did you feel the need to tar your friends with the brush of you “suffering” annual strikes only to then back track and write of how hard they work?
Too many inconsistencies and too much faux outrage based on tabloid crap to take much of your commentary as valid.

You were one of the introducers of the subject of unions hell bent on lining their own pockets whilst screwing up the normal peoples lives. I asked you for some real data and you offered a couple of right wing mouthpieces spinning whatever was said for their own ends, the best of which could be said is well they would say that wouldn’t they.

Maybe English isn’t your first language and you are struggling with the subject, but your argument is incoherent to the point of being troll-like.

Amazing work.

So no real data then, ok.

As I said, I’m not hiding anything. If you’re too lazy to use a search engine then that is your loss.

You don’t have a clue about teachers that much is clear.

So your argument is my ignorance, which is totally undermined by you being ignorant. A more prudent response would have been to ask what I know of teachers. My answer would have been that 3 of my best friends are teachers. They work damned hard, and work a lot of hours, I never suggested otherwise (one of them starts at 6.30, just so she can get a space on the photocopier). But their pay and conditions reflect the work they put in. When the teachers go on strike, my friends go shopping or spend time with their families, they don’t go and protest, because they aren’t bothered. They see it as extra holiday.

Management also act in a constructive and responsible manner.

I see nothing to indicate that on the whole, management don’t act in a responsible manner here.

Britain cannot afford the NHS in it’s current guise.
As you have introduced the topic I will comment. I do not know the nature of your friends cancer and it’s level of fatality but perhaps an assessment of the situation has meant the state funded medical services have concluded that the cost benefit of prolonging your friends life is not beneficial to the country. The person in question can afford to pay to prolong life but perhaps not reverse the situation. If that is the circumstances then the state funded regime is making the correct, albeit hard, choice in my opinion.
Perhaps the NHS should also be following similar guidelines?

That’s a funny position for an obvious socialist to take. Generally speaking, the discussion of NHS affordability is considered blasphemy by the left.

My friends cancer is being treated successfully, and is hopefully not terminal. But with the increased waiting time by using the lower tier German health service, who’s to say it couldn’t have become terminal.

Data please.

Look at any UK tabloid from Yesterday and today, and use Google to look at the ongoing Union dispute RE: London Underground. The dispute that apparently has nothing to do with money, yet they have rejected an offer on the grounds of the pay increase…

We also have to suffer annual teachers strikes (who are paid handsomely, and get 50% more annual holiday than the UK average)

Unions are generally despised here because of their militant, self serving nature in the UK. Corbyn was only elected two days ago, and already the Unions are talking about targeted striking action to try and destabilize the democratically elected government. Instead of serving their intended purpose, which is obviously to represent workers, they have become a political bloc in the UK. Oh, and the small detail of a number of these champagne socialist/parasitic Union leaders earning more than the Prime Minister!