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mark occomore
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 9955
Location: UK
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 Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:42 am Post subject: RMT Union Leader Dies |
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| Bob Crow RMT union leader has died. Very sad news |
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oldraver
Joined: 18 Dec 2006
Posts: 1189
Location: London
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| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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Not everyone's cuppa, by any means, but for his members, a colossus. And not least, a Millwall supporter. RIP Bob. A good man.
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becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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I was really shocked to hear this news today... 52 for goodness sakes... ..as Raver says not everyone's cuppa but I bet if people were asked to name a union leader his name would be the one on their lips.
The man made his mark!
He will,I'm sure,be sorely missed by his members,who he did so much for, as well as his family and friends.
Kevin McGuire said on the radio that the only other job Bob would have liked was to be the manager of Millwall 
R.I.P
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ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 18010
Location: Near Chester
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| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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Although his politics and mine are light years apart I was genuinely very shocked and sad to hear this news today
He was a man who didn't mince his words and who stood up for what he believed in - in the same way as Margaret Thatcher did - and those type of people would appear to be a dying breed today - sorry no pun intended :oops
and we are now awash with people who have no principles other than to further their own careers
I also admired Bob's strong anti EU stand - probably the only man who could actually out Farage the UKIP leader on that issue - and for that alone he has my greatest respect 
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unclebuck
Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 278
Location: Warwickshire
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:37 am Post subject: |
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Ditto many of the previous comments....
He was the most effective union leader of the modern era.
He withdrew his union's support for the Labour party, which has long-since stopped looking after the interests of the working classes - although he was ahead of most of his peers in noticing this, it seems.
They will struggle to replace him. |
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childprufe
Joined: 22 Dec 2006
Posts: 212
Location: lincolnshire
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:24 am Post subject: |
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Whilst accepting that anyone's death at such a young age is tragic, may I point out the different response to the death of a left wing icon to that of a right wing icon. The left celebrated the death of Margaret Thatcher ( Crow himself "may she rot in hell"), while the representaives of the right are showing reverence and respect for Crow's achievements.
It's called manners.
They may all end up where you can't get near the fire for bishops.
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ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
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Location: Near Chester
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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I completely agree childprufe
The response to Margaret Thatchers death in certain quarters was absolutely sickening to all decent people
Love her as I did or hate her as some others did there is a great tradition in our country of respect and decency in death and whilst I would not expect any of her opponents to suddenly change their views about her the disgraceful behaviour of a small minority of her opponents brought shame on both themselves and this country - and in the process simply showed then up as the ill mannered disrespectful idiots they obviously are
On a more day to day level I find it disgusting when I see idiotic motorists cutting up funeral processions or tailgating hearses which seems to be getting more and more common in today's sick society - I was brought up to stand still and pay due respect to any passing funeral cortege and that habit I do to this day - whether you know the deceased or like or dislike them there's simply no room for blatant disrespect
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Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7228
Location: North Yorkshire
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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I met him when he came up on a visit and he was very different to his public persona. He was interested in many things, especially football and he had the ability to quickly take in everything around him. He had a great sense of humour and I liked him very much. I was completely shocked to hear the news of his untimely demise and I think he will be a very hard act for anyone to follow.
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oldraver
Joined: 18 Dec 2006
Posts: 1189
Location: London
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 11:37 am Post subject: |
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| childprufe wrote: | Whilst accepting that anyone's death at such a young age is tragic, may I point out the different response to the death of a left wing icon to that of a right wing icon. The left celebrated the death of Margaret Thatcher ( Crow himself "may she rot in hell"), while the representaives of the right are showing reverence and respect for Crow's achievements.
It's called manners.
They may all end up where you can't get near the fire for bishops. |
What evil deed has Bob Crow done, apart from commuters having to walk a few miles to work on a few occasions? I'd rather have seen people like Boris say what they really thought of him, much like Max Hastings did this week, but of course, in this age of heavy PR, that won't happen. I'm not sure it has anything to do with manners. I would hazard a guess at much whooping and a hollering in the blue contingent of City Hall and Transport For London, along with anything else Mr Crow cast a shadow upon.
I watched a programme on the miner's strike in the week. I understood, but didn't condone, because of the respect you mentioned, why they hated the Blessed Margaret so much, when I saw the Met Police, dragging miners behind their lines, and giving them kickings and beatings.
Perversely, Scargill comes out of it, whiter than white, even though I believe that he did as much as Mrs Thatch, to damage the Miners...firstly by not calling a ballot, which leads to this day, fathers and mothers, disowning their sons, and secondly, calling a strike, in the spring, when nobody would need coal for a good few months. But then, if they questioned Scargill, I suppose they'd then have to take a look at themselves, for the blind faith that they showed in him.
Luckily, I haven't mentioned anything about starting a war to win an election...ah, happy days. Whatever happened to John Nott?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln3SpXXYTHY
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becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
Posts: 6851
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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| oldraver wrote: |
What evil deed has Bob Crow done, apart from commuters having to walk a few miles to work on a few occasions? I'd rather have seen people like Boris say what they really thought of him, much like Max Hastings did this week, but of course, in this age of heavy PR, that won't happen. I'm not sure it has anything to do with manners. I would hazard a guess at much whooping and a hollering in the blue contingent of City Hall and Transport For London, along with anything else Mr Crow cast a shadow upon.
I watched a programme on the miner's strike in the week. I understood, but didn't condone, because of the respect you mentioned, why they hated the Blessed Margaret so much, when I saw the Met Police, dragging miners behind their lines, and giving them kickings and beatings.
Perversely, Scargill comes out of it, whiter than white, even though I believe that he did as much as Mrs Thatch, to damage the Miners...firstly by not calling a ballot, which leads to this day, fathers and mothers, disowning their sons, and secondly, calling a strike, in the spring, when nobody would need coal for a good few months. But then, if they questioned Scargill, I suppose they'd then have to take a look at themselves, for the blind faith that they showed in him.
Luckily, I haven't mentioned anything about starting a war to win an election...ah, happy days. Whatever happened to John Nott?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln3SpXXYTHY |
Good post Raver.
Tomorrow morning in The Reunion on Radio 4
The Miners' Strike
When five hundred Yorkshire miners at Cortonwood Colliery downed tools on 5th March 1984, they set in train events that would lead to the longest and most bitter industrial dispute in British history.
The Miners' Strike that followed would set miner against miner and transform quiet pit communities into battlefields, as thousands of riot police attempted to defend the right to work. The next twelve months of strife would plunge many families into poverty and place a tremendous burden on the country's Exchequer.
On one side of the dispute was the National Union of Mineworkers - victorious over Edward Heath in 1974 and led by the charismatic militant, Arthur Scargill.
Arraigned against them was Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government, buoyed by electoral triumph and fully prepared to defend their new vision for Britain against what the Prime Minister called 'the shock troops of the hard left'.
The Miners' Strike still bitterly divides opinion and the legacy of the strike remains a matter of fierce debate between government and miners, and even within the Union itself.
Thirty years on from the start of the strike, those divided by the picket line join Sue MacGregor in The Reunion.
Kim Howells was research officer for the South Wales NUM, Mel Hepworth worked at Askern pit near Doncaster and became a flying picket for much of the strike, Barbara Jackson was one of the organisers of Sheffield Women Against Pit Closures. Ken Clarke was a Health Minister during the strike and his Nottinghamshire constituency included the Cotgrave Colliery, and Bill King of Bedfordshire Police led Police Support Units at the height of the strike.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03zxmyt |
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ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 18010
Location: Near Chester
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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There's been a great deal of coverage of this anniversary on both BBC Wales and ITV Wales during their early evening news programmes with Kim Howells featuring quite prominently
Neither offered much in the way of impartial reporting but of course Wales was one of the strongholds of Scargill and his henchmen so one might expect that fact to cause them to slant things in that particular way
An interesting look back at recent history nevertheless
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becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
Posts: 6851
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| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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| becky sharp wrote: |
Tomorrow morning in The Reunion on Radio 4
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Still an emotive subject, after all these years since it happened, with feelings running high amongst the people taking part in this programme
I think a couple of generations will have to have come and gone before people will be able to talk in a dispassionate manner about it
Sue McGregor is an excellent chair for these programmes |
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