Today I acquired...........

oldbikedavey · 2026-01-24T18:53:00+0000

Seadog said:
Sacking a thief . . . And the union calling a strike is one thing that sticks in my mind.

It does seem ludicrous, but I suppose that everyone was at it then, still are. It was, and still is, seen to be a perk. But at what ultimate cost to the businesses?

Look on it as being historic assymetric warfare, and you won't be far wrong....

Seadog · 2026-01-24T19:05:32+0000

You mean that the workers were over worked and underpaid, and the owners extracted maximum benefit at the expense of both the workers and the machinery. Thus it was seen as a quid pro quo?

Craig-SM · 2026-01-24T19:43:58+0000

Robotstar5 said:
I started at British Leyland in 1980 when I came out of my time, I couldn't believe some of the petty things that would cause a strike. You went into work each day wondering if you would do a full shift or get the call "all out brothers" I always thought strikes cost double as you lost money (no strike pay) but still had to pay your outgoings.

Only had one experience with unions when I left the army and doing night management in a warehouse for a shoe retailer. The union rep was off work for 3 weeks with jet lag. He’d only been to Spain. He was bone idol on a productive day and enjoyed causing rifts between staff and managers, generally thought he was untouchable, so jumped on the chance to discipline him when returned.
He turned up with a typed letter from the area manager for the union saying he couldn’t be disciplined or it would lead to further action. Asked him for his sick note and threw the letter at me so gave him a warning for unauthorised absence. Stormed off yelling I was in for it now. Couldn’t find him for a while before he turned with some of his mates threatening I was going to be getting a kicking. Explained he would be dismissed as would his mates but I’d ensure I’d give as good as got too. The other managers backed away and one his mates took a swing but ended with his head smashed into the wall. Union rep and other mate backed off. I told the lad who’d taken a swing if really wanted to be unemployed for this lazy piece of crap and of course he didn’t.
Suspended the union rep that night. Next night I got numerous thanks of the staff as they knew he was bone idle and caused more problems for them than solved. Meeting with union rep along with his area manger and my general manager where they threatened strikes. General manager was going to back down until I said the staff want him gone too. They both stormed off and that night we’re back again telling the staff to strike. A couple wanted to but the rest of the staff gave then their marching orders in few choice words.
The lad who’d taken a swing at me was made union rep and I got on with really well after. We had a really good night shift going with some from days wanting to swap. Unfortunately after I left he was taken down with cancer and his funeral attendance was huge with all the old shift there.

Turbo · 2026-01-24T20:02:14+0000

Memmeddu said:
Castolin Xuper 680S eutectrodes for basically free 14 euro
From my understanding those are CrNi rods and they can be used on practically everything cause they talk about drill bit cutting tools etc.
I just wanted the box, bought them thinking they were hard surfacing rods but later did researches and found out what they really are supposed to be used to.

View attachment 527714

Small taps lot, I don need them at all.
Just wanted the little cute tap wrench sold withView attachment 527715

Those are a superb welding rod. I have a box of 690sf rods and they are for welding dissimilar and difficult to weld steels plus high carbon steel.

The weld is incredibly hard and impossible to drill afterwards.

They are a very expensive rod so I use them sparingly but they have joined metals where other rods have failed.