Unions: Where did the U.S.A. go wrong?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

So it looks like the US and Europe are both using broken systems. Obviously their broken system is more broken then ours so we must keep our broken system.

Or both should dissolve both? Nevermind....

[rory_20_uk]

The Underground needs automatic trains to replace the drivers on 35k a year for a 35 hour week.

Automated tickets are a boon in stations and I'm sure that in some stations in non-peak times having staff there doing nothing isn't worthwhile.

But the Underground Unions have sensibly grabbed the safety bandwagon and linked all cuts in staff to endangering the lives of all - rather than mindlessly protecting their members as is their reson d'etre.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Or both should dissolve both? Nevermind....

I was being sarcastic. I would like a middle ground between what Europe has and what the US has. So yeah, both should scrap their models.

[Beskar]

Britain is not that bad. It is only a certain Underground Rail Union that is a problem.

Though a problem is, they want to dismantle the Royal Mail, which is facepalm worthy. Even the USPS is nationalised.

[rory_20_uk]

The Royal Mail needs to radically change from the current system it's got. I don't view privatisation as the answer in and of itself, but I doubt else it will adapt.

[Beskar]

There was the issue that they privatised the most lucrative aspects of the postal service, which made it significantly more difficult for the Royal Mail to get money, as they get forced to have supply lines to 'No Where Ville' while other couriers just actually hand it over to the Royal Mail to deliver so they don't have to.

[rory_20_uk]

Yes, that was inane, especially as there was no requirement for others not to cherry pick as they have done. The idea was to make Royal Mail compete. But how is that possible when the Unions view every publicly owned entity as a course of infinite money?

But the inefficiencies in such as areas as the sorting offices should be addressed - although of course it would mean reducing staff numbers.

That there is a one price for all areas is a system which needs to change (or, alternatively reduce the frequency of deliveries). Yes, you might like living in the back of beyond. Good for you. A side effect of that should be less access to services that cost a fortune to keep going.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Britain is not that bad. It is only a certain Underground Rail Union that is a problem.

Though a problem is, they want to dismantle the Royal Mail, which is facepalm worthy. Even the USPS is nationalised.

Actually, the USPS is only partially nationalized. It has a monopoly on first class mail (letters) but competes on the rest. USPS employees are unionized and semi-government at the same time. As usual, this means that the USA has managed -- with the exception of Kukrikhan -- to combine the worst of both approaches.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Actually, the USPS is only partially nationalized. It has a monopoly on first class mail (letters) but competes on the rest. USPS employees are unionized and semi-government at the same time. As usual, this means that the USA has managed -- with the exception of Kukrikhan -- to combine the worst of both approaches.

Postal service is self sufficient from government money and does a very good job at what it does. My netflix DVDs are always delivered within a day of them shipping it out.
http://www.nalc.org/postal/perform/selfsufficient.html

[jabarto]

Yeah, I really don't know why people keep ripping on the postal service, especially since the private mail couriers are the most salient example of private companies abandoning non-lucrative markets I could possibly come up with.

[Crazed Rabbit]

The Daily Show, of all things, does a segment on the cruel hypocrisy of American unions:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mo...orking-stiffed

CR