What Have Been the Main Developments in Strike Activity in Britain over the Last 35 Years?

What have been the main developments in strike activity in Britain over the last 35 years? Strike activity is a form of industrial action that can occur in the workplace once conflict has risen. It is a complete stoppage of work by a group of employees and its aim is to express a grievance or to enforce a demand. (Dundon, Rowlinson, 2011) Employees will usually use a strike as a last resort to deal with issues in the workplace; workers are not able to perform a strike without a stringent process being adhered too with the help of their respective trade union. Employees can voluntarily become a member of a trade union in which they pay for a representative to aid in times of need. Trade unions are used to regulate pay and working conditions between the employer and employee therefore employees will have the support of their trade union during times of proposed strike activity. There have been numerous strikes within the private and public sector workforce since 1978 and this assignment is going to discuss the main developments in strike activity in Britain over the past 35 years. It goes without saying that pre 1978, strikes have occurred (Sapsford, 1982) and played a significant part into more current affairs that can have relevance to post 1978 therefore numerous references maybe made to pre 1978 due to the impact it has had on the present day. Thatcher The process by which strikes have to follow is currently regulated under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992 (Legislation. Gov, 2013) This law outlines the rights of Trade Unions amongst other things. Notably, this law enforces that trade unions must use a process to perform a strike and this process entails the use of a postal vote called a ballot. Gov. UK,2013) Before this particular law was implemented the leader of the conservative party, Margaret Thatcher, had initiated the idea of making strike action harder to participate in. Margaret Thatcher was the prime minister from 1979 through until 1990 (Blundell,2008) and it was at this stage in history when trade unions were being reined in by seve ral of Thatcher's proposals. Thatcher seen the unions and their occurrence of strike activity to be disruptive and believed that the behaviour of the unions could be repressed by introducing a ballot system (Phillips,1979). This meant that employees would have to participate in a secret ballot to decide on whether to involve themselves in strike action. The introduction of this process was ruled by the Trade Union Act 1984 and meant that unions wouldn't be able to lawfully strike unless they had a majority vote (Carby-Hall,1984) therefore prolonging and hindering the prospect of employees and unions participating in strike activity. Winter of Discontent Thatcher's introduction of such law appeared not long after one of the most momentous episodes of strike activity in history. The winter of discontent' occurred between 1978 to 1979 and was recognised as the largest stoppage of labour since the 1926 General Strike (Winter of Discontent,2007). This period of work stoppages appeared as a result of high unemployment and impolitic incomes policy, therefore workers felt the desire to fight the labour government and with the increasing size and militancy of public sector unions, the ‘winter of discontent ' achieved a record status of days lost through strikes(Reitan,2003). Numerous amounts of unions and employees participated in strikes throughout the period of the ‘winter of discontent'; Britain journeyed through power cuts, rubbish pilled in the streets and school closures along with a reduction to a three day working week (Elliott, 2008) all in the representation of workers welfare. A total of 39 million days were lost throughout the period between 1978 and 1979 (Gall, 2011) Coal Miners Strike The most significant affair of strike activity after Thatcher's regulatory implementation to tackle trade union power was the coal miners' strike in 1984. This work stoppage arose after the recession in the early 1980's which cut the demand for coal exposing the less productive parts of the industry. The strike lasted a whole year and included the involvement of several thousand workers and was the most important defeat for trade union movement since the General Strike in 1926 according to Lyddon. (Lyddon, 2013) This particular strike was catastrophic in regards to the potential effects not just on the coal mining industry, but also other industries that could have been affected by the decisions that lay within Mrs Thatcher's power. Nick McGahey, the vice president on the NUM told a news conference that the strikers are not just fighting for their own jobs, but for the jobs other people from different industries (Miners Strike,2013). The steel, engineering and electrical industry will also experience knock on effects of numerous pit closures. As one can imagine being placed in Margaret Thatcher's position as this moment in time may have been pressured to say the least, due to the scale of the strike. In 1984 there were 187,000 people in total who were miners and over half of them were participating in strike activity (Miners Strike, 2013). Along with the implications of the political decisions being made, unemployment rates were at an all time high of over 3 million people unemployed. This figure was the highest since the period of the General strike in 1926 (ONS, 2013). For Mrs Thatcher, a strike of this measure must have been enough to have to tame, never mind having to battle with such high unemployment figures. This situation alone could have been enough for the general public to view Mrs Thatcher in a negative light but she was re-elected as prime minister for the third time in 1987 (Margaret Thatcher, 2013).

Cultural Awareness in Nursing Practice

Introduction In this essay my aim is to describe and discuss my own Filipino cultural background and how it might influence my nursing practice. Culture is our way of living (Wepa, 2005). It is also shaped by our values, beliefs, norms, and practices that are shared by members of the same cultural group (Giger & Davidhizar, 1995). I will be discussing some of the values and traits that we Filipinos have in common such as pagmamano and po at opo or gestures that show respect to our elders, kagandahang loob or shared humanity, (pakikipagkapwa-tao or regard for others, bayanihan or comradeship or cooperation and lastly, tiwala sa Diyos or trust in God. I will also include some of our shared traditions and beliefs and try to link my cultural experiences to my nursing practice. Brief Background of the Philippines Philippine is located in Southeast Asia, with Manila as its capital city. Filipinos are basically of Malay ancestry, though proof of foreign influence can be trailed in our culture. We are actually a blend of different cultures rolled into one. For three centuries we were under the Spanish colony, as a result, there is a significant amount of Spanish and Mexican influence in our customs and traditions. Then later, under the American regime for four decades and their obvious contribution to us is the English language. Other ethnic groups such as the Chinese and Japanese have also influenced our way of living. Pagmamano, po at opo or gestures that show respect to our elders Pagmamano and po at opo or gestures that show respect to elders go hand in hand. Pagmamano is holding an elder’s one hand and placing on your forehead and the phrases po at opo are used to show respect and courtesy when talking to someone in authority and elder. Filipinos are not used to calling people in authority by their first names; we say their designation first before their name, as we consider calling them by their names as rude and mal educada or uneducated. I wish to take this trait of showing respect to the lders and to everyone in my nursing practice by advocating and protecting the rights of the client in order to prevent harm and recognizing their culture when it comes to collecting and storing health information (NCNZ, 2005). I can also apply this trait in my interaction with my colleagues by valuing their personal culture and contribution to the team. Kagandahang loob or shared humanity and Bayanih an or comradeship Kagandahang loob or shared humanity refers to being able to help others in time of needs. Related to this is the bayanihan or comradeship which Filipinos are famous for. We come in unity to help our family or the community in one spirit in attaining a common goal. Best example is in time of calamity; we gather together and extend our helping hands to those who need them without expecting in return. It is an act of selflessness, willing to be of service for other’s welfare. Showing hospitality to strangers is also an example of kagandahang loob that we are famous of, not that we are the only one that is hospitable. Even the humblest home along the road can be offered as a temporary shelter for a stranger who has lost his way. We consider it also impolite to not invite an unexpected visitor that arrived during mealtime, to sit down and share what we have on the table. In cases that the unexpected visitor needs to stay for the night, he or she will be offered the best room in the house to the extent of having the host to sleep in the sala or lounge. This trait I intend to instil in my nursing practice by being fair and truthful to my client and colleagues, by being competent in what I do thus preventing and ensuring that I am practising ethically. Shared traditions and beliefs When I was a child, my family had lived at our Lola’s (grandmother) rural home. She was a tough lady, always want everything tidy and in place. One dinner time, we were all sitting and having our meal quietly, no one was allowed to speak as it was her sacred rule that it was rude to talk while eating; she also had this habit of observing us, as if she’s waiting for us to make mistakes. She noticed that I wasn’t eating the head of the fish; she then called my attention and told me that I should eat the head of the fish as well because it makes us brighter and smarter. Thinking of what she said, I innocently asked her â€Å"how if the fish was dumb? †. I got into trouble by asking that. I grew up following traditions and believed many beliefs that have been passed down from many generations to the next. For instance, we have these beliefs in child rearing of causes of a child’s disability have something to do with the mother not following her dietary practises during pregnancy. For example, eating crabs would cause an unborn baby to have clubbed fingers and toes, eating dark foods such as grapes, squids and chocolates would make the baby to have dark skin.

European learning institutions in the Middle Ages Essay

The Monastic schools provided the basis for the universities. The main purpose for the establishment of schools was to develop literacy in the society. Through the schools people were educated and hence became wiser. These schools led to the formation of universities as many individuals begun to pursue deeper meanings, verbal clarity and places for doing analysis. During the scholasticism period, the need for a place where intellectuals could do their studies increased greatly as the number of scholars and philosophers rose. Scholars started to analyze books and other information sources through reason and argumentation. Individuals who had gone through schooling had no place to further their studies and their number was increasing. This therefore led to the rise of universities as they provided a place for further studies. During the scholastic period there were many discoveries which were meant to enhance learning. The universities came up because of the need to have intellectuals together so that they can share ideas and opinions thereby leading to more discoveries. The university was a good place to do research and for individuals to learn from others. Additionally, individuals wanted to understand the Bible better and thus get closer to its truth. The university provided a good place where people could study the Bible and hence understand it better. Background of the students During this period, education was the privilege of the members of the upper classes and thus most of the students were from the upper classes in the society. There were few students from the lower classes who had the opportunity to have formal education. This could be attributed to insufficient educational resources thereby making them expensive and thus not affordable to the lower class members. Curriculum The schools curriculum was divided into two trivium and quadrivium. Trivium was composed of grammar, dialectic and rhetoric while qaudrivium contained geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and music. In grammar, texts written by the Priscian who was a Latin grammarian were studied and applied. In dialectic, the works done by Aristotle were read while in rhetoric, the works of Cicero were studied. Arithmetic involved the study of multiplication and division, and in addition to that abacus and chronology were learned. Geometry mainly involved the study of Euclid while Astronomy involved studying the works of Bede and Pliny who was a Roman writer. In Music, the students were taught proportion, scale, ‘music of the spheres’ and the harmony of the universe. During the Charlemagne period education was mainly based on written texts (Cunningham & Reich, 2006). During the scholasticism period, learning was based on reasoning and argumentation. Books were chosen, read and subjected to investigation. Points of disagreements between books and other sources of information were written down and subjected to analysis using dialectics. Through the dialectics a common ground was found. During this period universities were formed and the curriculum of most universities primarily involved the study of philosophy, science, ancient culture and mathematics. In addition to studying the students were allowed to do research in their field of preference. The effects of formal educational institutions on the European society These institutions increased the gap between the rich and the poor people in the society. This can be attributed to background of the most students. Education was primarily the privilege of the upper class members and thus most of the lower class member never had the opportunity to have formal education. However, in spite of the gap in the society, the formal educational institutions provided the basis for more discoveries and developments in the European society. Through the institutions literacy in the society increased as more people improved their knowledge and skills. Additionally, the institutions reconciled different societies as translators and intermediaries were required. For instance, in translating Greek to English Muslims and Jews were utilized as translators and intermediaries. This therefore led to reconciliation between different religions as they dependent on each in enhancing learning. Furthermore, the learning institutions led to change in character as individuals begun to see things differently. This led to changes in the political scene as authoritative governments collapsed paving way for the democratic ones. Powers of the monasteries were reduced as democratic governments came into power. This is because more individuals understood their rights and hence started to fight for their rights. Word count: 717. Reference list Cunningham L. S. and J. Reich, (2006). Culture and values. Edition: 6. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. p. 199.

Did the lead character kill his wife in memento Essay

Did the lead character kill his wife in memento - Essay Example This is through snap shots, notes, memos as well as tattoos (Botz-Bornstein, 2011. P.19). All these had information that could help him trace his wife’s killers. The efforts are meant to blind people in believing at some attackers killed his wife. In addition, it is a way of escaping guilt and reality on his side (Sobczak, 1998. P. 61). The second point that supports my argument is the fact that Leonard relies on information from Natalie and Teddy who are in a mission to ensure that Leonard murders people for their selfish gain. This is evidenced by the plans of Teddy to have drug dealers as well as other people killed by Leonard (Basting, 2009, P. 72). Teddy wants all these people out of her way for his own reasons. It is surprising that Natalie arranges for teddy’s death because he was responsible for killing her boyfriend. This also was meant to be executed by Leonard (Botz-Bornstein, 2011, P. 31). According to Teddy and Natalie, they are controlling and directing Leonard. However, it is not in their knowledge that they are only managing the plans already set by Leonard. In a keen study of all these twisted events, it is certain that Leonard killed his wife. The third point that supports my argument is the fact that memory is both physical and psychological. It enables us to hold down things that we are trying to escape. Leonard narrates to us a story of Jankins which helps us distinguish between physical and psychological aspects of memory (Basting, 2009, P. 101). Leonard places himself in the physical category while he places Jankins in the psychological category. However, a closer look at this movie reveals that Leonard is in fact Jankins. The truth is that the final memory that Leonard has of his wife is that of injecting her with an overdose of insulin, hence, killing her. However, Leonard claims that the final memory of her wife is of the attack and rape by unknown people (Sobczak, 1998. P. 103). Finally, Leonard

People, Profit and Price Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

People, Profit and Price - Essay Example Q2: What do you mean by income elasticity? Identify the symbolic form of income elasticity. Income elasticity of demand refers to the reaction of demand to change in consumers' income. In other words, it is the extent of change in demand to a change in consumers' income. Income elasticity of demand is calculated by the ratio of percentage change in demand to income (Anon., 2005, p.22). According to Anon (2005, p.22) it is represented as: Income Elasticity of Demand = In symbolic form, eY=  Where eY =Income elasticity of demand; Y =income of consumer, Q=quantity demand, Y=proportionate change in income Q: 3 what is mean by production function? What is the use of production function in production analysis? The production function refers to a technological relationship between input and output (Anon., 2005, p.50).It indicates the output of a business, industry, or economy for the input. When it comes to the use of production function in production analysis, assume a firm that uses N amount of inputs, such as, machinery, labor, and materials, for producing a single output. Production function (q=f(x)) is used to summarize the technological possibilities of that firm. Here, q represents the output and x=(x1, x2†¦xn)' is an N?1 vector of inputs (Coelli, Prasada, Christopher and George, 2005, p.12). Q: 4 what are the characteristic features of free market economics? How are the central problems of resource allocation solved in such economic? Characteristics of free market economy include: consumers, producers, private owners, and government are primary actors, three actors (consumer, producer, property owners) are driven by self-interest while government is driven by social welfare, all factors of production are the property of private owners, owners have the right to buy and sell through market mechanism, competition exists when there is freedom to allocate resources. Decision making is decentralized since individual economic actors are free to allocate th eir resources. Resource allocation is defined by individual economic agents. Economic actors pursue their interest but resource allocation is in interest of society (Anderton, 2006, p.22). Q: 5 explain the term â€Å"economic costs†? How do these differ from accounting costs? Use examples to illustrate your answer The economic cost (EC) is greater than the accounting cost (AC) because EC includes both explicit accounting cost and implicit cost which is the value of owner's personal resources.EC incorporates implicit costs that could have been gained when same resources are invested somewhere else. If a couple decides to invest $100,000 on building for opening a restaurant. Implicit costs would be 3 percent or $3,000 or the money earned from some other investment. It is because of different rate of return in mutual funds (9 percent) and capital investment (6 percent) on $100,000(Musgrave and Elia, 2001). Task: 2 Explain the causes of market failure. Should market failure alway s invite government intervention? Discuss the different ways in which government intervene in the market. Give example in support of your answer? Introduction "Market failure is a blanket term used by economists to describe situations in which markets might not work and/or markets might

Effective Leadership Style in Controlling the High Employee Turnover Thesis

Effective Leadership Style in Controlling the High Employee Turnover Rate within Nursing Faculties - Thesis Example The nursing facilities in UK are experiencing a 12.2% reduction as of 2010 (Buchan and Seccombe, 2012, p. 21). In Canada, â€Å"a shortage of 20,000 nurses† was reported in 2012 (Coutts, Nursing faculty leaders in US, UK, Canada, and Australia are experiencing problems related to recruitment and retention (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2013a; National Black Nurses Association, 2013; Laschinger et al., 2009; Longley, Shaw and Dolan, 2007). To solve problems related to recruitment, nursing faculties in US, UK, Canada, and Australia are continuously hiring nurses from different counties around the world (Netzwerk Migration in Europa, 2013). In Canada, low salary is one reason why nursing educators in this area are looking for other more promising job opportunities (Cash, Doyle and Tettenborn, 2011). Nursing faculties in US, UK, Canada, and Australia are having problem retaining nurses in the field of education. Aside from unattractive payment scheme, other reasons that causes poor retention includes lack of trust and collaboration among the nursing staff, over-worked, absence of career opportunities, no proper recognition for good work performance, absence of control over job performance, and poor communication among the faculty members (Hunt, 2009, p. 2). To solve retention, problem, nursing faculties in US, UK, Canada, and Australia will have to use transformational leadership not only to help them create a healthy and attractive work environment which is necessary in increasing the work satisfaction of registered nurses who wish to pursue a career in teaching (Cummings et al., 2009; Nielsen et al., 2009; Raup, 2008). Furthermore, Nielsen et al. (2009) mentioned that there is a strong relationship between the use of transformational leadership style and the decrease in work-related stress and burnout. By solving problems related to stress, burnout and poor working environment, the nursing faculties in US, UK,

Theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theme - Essay Example The theme applicable to her story is the importance of developing a strong sense of one's own identity and personal strength, despite challenges and difficulties in life. The essay aims to proffer justifications for the theme of developing a strong sense of identity to enable Ying-ying to regain the life she had, not only for her personal benefit, but more so for her daughter, Lena. Ying-ying’s story through the Moon Lady presented her vivid remembrance of the particularly special day when she was merely four years old and her nursemaid prepared her for the Moon Festival. The depiction of her character was so accurate in portraying a strong sense of fiery identity, always curious, on top of things and wanting to get her way. Despite being told to stay put or to observe traditional norms, Ying-ying defied everything as she narrated running after dragonflies, climbing to the rickshaw with her mother (instead of her amah), running through the length of their boat, watching a bird catch fishes, and falling into the water to be lost during the height of the Moon Festival. With all the commotions, the experience of being lost coincided with the metamorphic loss of her personal identity and strength as the fear that enveloped her during the experience transformed her life to silence and as she failed to relay her wish to the Moon Lady: to be found.