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I've read they've been protesting for 3 days, bringing roads to a halt.   Now I believe the truck drivers have joined the protest.  Has it been on the news on telly ?

Quote from: Alex on January 11, 2024, 06:22:26 PMI've read they've been protesting for 3 days, bringing roads to a halt.  Now I believe the truck drivers have joined the protest.  Has it been on the news on telly ?

And I thought Britain was the world leader when it comes to militant unions!

I've read a little about it but like you have no TV licence. I read that the German government are suggesting that they are all far right extremists. Yeah right I believe that absolutely.

Quote from: klondike on January 11, 2024, 06:59:00 PMI've read a little about it but like you have no TV licence. I read that the German government are suggesting that they are all far right extremists. Yeah right I believe that absolutely.

Far right?  Ours are all lefties.  I thought all militant unions were left wing.

What you read depends on where you read it.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/08/farmers-revolt-tractor-protests-bring-germany-to-standstill-over-governments-globalist-agenda/


https://www.eugyppius.com/p/survey-69-of-germans-support-the

Quote from: klondike on January 11, 2024, 08:39:16 PMWhat you read depends on where you read it.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/08/farmers-revolt-tractor-protests-bring-germany-to-standstill-over-governments-globalist-agenda/


https://www.eugyppius.com/p/survey-69-of-germans-support-the

Yes, it's like reading the same article in the Telegraph and in the Guardian!

Their main schimpf is the government has taken away their cheap diesel, think that was the last straw.

At the moment there's sort of chaos in Germany, the farmers are on strike because our government reduces their subsidies and the engineers of the German railways are on strike because they want to reduce the daily working hours for shift workers and an increase in wages - so as the French say "rien ne va plus".
 As to the farmers - they are neither right nor left - and a majority says their arguments are correct, others say they aren't as poor and disadvantaged as they pretend to be. Fact is regional food is extremely expensive here. 
As to the railway engineers, no one can understand them and some say a whole country is to be held hostage by them. As I am retired I no longer need to go to work every day by train or car - thus all those strikes don't hit me.
At the moment our government consists of three parties having very different views and they are arguing too much about the right way to rule a country and to cope with the present problems - within Germany and all over the world. So, let's wait and see.

Quote from: ansu on January 12, 2024, 10:09:20 AMAt the moment there's sort of chaos in Germany, the farmers are on strike because our government reduces their subsidies and the engineers of the German railways are on strike because they want to reduce the daily working hours for shift workers and an increase in wages - so as the French say "rien ne va plus".
 As to the farmers - they are neither right nor left - and a majority says their arguments are correct, others say they aren't as poor and disadvantaged as they pretend to be. Fact is regional food is extremely expensive here.
As to the railway engineers, no one can understand them and some say a whole country is to be held hostage by them. As I am retired I no longer need to go to work every day by train or car - thus all those strikes don't hit me.
At the moment our government consists of three parties having very different views and they are arguing too much about the right way to rule a country and to cope with the present problems - within Germany and all over the world. So, let's wait and see.

Your trade unions have obviously been keeping an eye on how our unions operate, and where there's money to be gained...!

Again, your final paragraph relates almost exactly to us and our government.  Our elected leaders not having a clue how to run the country.  That, of course, is as a result of our voters: vote for idiots and pay the price.

You, on the other hand appear to have three parties in your government.  I'm not sure how your system differs from ours, but in our case we have, unfortunately, a 'two party system': many people believe that they can only vote for Conservative or Labour, and then they wonder why the country is falling apart.

The Unions here are a busted flush. Thatcher emasculated most of them back in the 80s. The only ones that seem to have retained any clout are those in the public service or it's equivalent the tube and rail. If they strike the impact on the public causes an outcry and the government of the day caves in. Mostly at least.

When I was still working we also had strikes, but the present strike of the railway engineers is excessive - it's a power struggle between the leader of the trade union and the German Railway company.and the victims are the train passengers. The German Railways already had enough problems with their dilapidated rail network and their delayed trains before the strike. I can't remember when I last used a train that was not delayed. 
You may be right, our trade unions learned a lot from yours and the French ones. 

Quote from: ansu on January 15, 2024, 04:38:57 PMWhen I was still working we also had strikes, but the present strike of the railway engineers is excessive - it's a power struggle between the leader of the trade union and the German Railway company.and the victims are the train passengers. The German Railways already had enough problems with their dilapidated rail network and their delayed trains before the strike. I can't remember when I last used a train that was not delayed.
You may be right, our trade unions learned a lot from yours and the French ones.

Things have changed then.  When Marge and I were last in Germany, your rail system was excellent.  Never a delay; never a cancellation except for one journey where the train was cancelled due to a fallen tree.  That was in the Schwarzwald.

I've not been on a train in years, I simply can't trust them to be running, or be able to get a seat I paid through the nose for, they strike at the drop of a hat and far too often.
I'm sad to say I'll never be on one again.

Quote from: Raven on January 15, 2024, 06:11:33 PMI've not been on a train in years, I simply can't trust them to be running, or be able to get a seat I paid through the nose for, they strike at the drop of a hat and far too often.
I'm sad to say I'll never be on one again.

I agree.
We take it in turns to drive, and are happy to drive anywhere we wish or need to.

Our holiday this year will be a cruise with Saga.  We would have had to drive all the way to Folkestone and pay for parking for 12 days, because we couldn't possibly trust the trains not to be cancelled.  Fortunately, Saga includes transport from here to Folkestone by road (and return) in the price, which is one reason we chose that company.  Marge has used them before for her mother.

I stopped taking contracts in London which paid better and rather than use the train I was driving other places anything up to 80 odd miles each way. When I got one only 35 miles away I felt spoiled. The reason was the abysmal train service. I got dumped out part way home 3 times during a year contract and had to be picked up by my wife by car. On one of those occasions my leg was in plaster and I was on crutches. That was no fun at all and very painful. Delays and missing trains were normal.

Anything wrong and you'd have thousands milling around with no sig of any railway workers or busses laid on. That was 1995/6 and that was the last time I ever used a train.

Whilst it's good news that our trains are better than German ones our controllers are not brilliant when there is disruption. In London especially they cancel trains over a wide area when there is a fault.

The German farmers' protests are enormous as were the Dutch and French. Globalists had better watch out.

Quote from: Ashy on January 16, 2024, 10:08:54 AMWhilst it's good news that our trains are better than German ones our controllers are not brilliant when there is disruption. In London especially they cancel trains over a wide area when there is a fault.

The German farmers' protests are enormous as were the Dutch and French. Globalists had better watch out.

Trains?  We still have trains?

I have heard of them, but don't really believe in them more than Santa Claus

Stupid I know but when the diesel trains came and the wonderful old steam engines were taken away it was the end of an era for me. I loved steam engines and never took to diesels at all. No life no character in them, each steam engine was different you could even tell which one was coming by it's whistle and the way it puffed....At least I could as a child who loved them. I always go to the station if one is on a visit, both here and in Perth.

Quote from: Raven on January 16, 2024, 08:44:07 PMStupid I know but when the diesel trains came and the wonderful old steam engines were taken away it was the end of an era for me. I loved steam engines and never took to diesels at all. No life no character in them, each steam engine was different you could even tell which one was coming by it's whistle and the way it puffed....At least I could as a child who loved them. I always go to the station if one is on a visit, both here and in Perth.

You're right.  Steam trains have character.  You can still get a ride on them, though, as there are historic engines being run all over the country by such private companies.  We went on one last autumn. 

In practice, though, steam engines require a great deal of work.  I have heard mention of, in preparation for an early morning departure, the fireman would be up at the crack of dawn to prepare everything for firing up, which then took a long time to get going.
Diesel and electric engines, of course, just need switching on a few minutes before the off.

>>Diesel and electric engines, of course, just need switching on a few minutes before the off.<<
Rather like the average politician

😄😄

Quote from: Michael Rolls on January 17, 2024, 03:53:30 AM>>Diesel and electric engines, of course, just need switching on a few minutes before the off.<<
Rather like the average politician

Hell Yes... :rofl:

Fiery Tractor Protests Launched in France as Farmer Uprising Spreads Across Europe

Following a week of farmer uprisings across Germany, disaffected farmers rose up in protest against the globalist government of Emmanuel Macron in France, with manure being dumped and hay set on fire in Avignon and Toulouse on Tuesday.

A veritable peasants' revolt appears to be budding across the continent as overregulation, inflation and the green agenda are taking their toll on the ability of farmers to earn a living in — and consequently feed the people of — modern Europe. The latest protests to crop up in France came over the low payout from supermarket chains to food producers.

Sings hung on tractors read: "No farmers, no food," and: "France, do you still want your farmers?" the local La Provence newspaper reported. Footage posted by video journalist Clement Lanot on X showed farmers dumping mature, agricultural waste and even wine on the streets of the city, while some set bales of hay ablaze to express their anger.

Brief clashes also broke out as farmers attempted to break into a chain supermarket, which they claim has been price gouging their produce and keeping the increased revenues to themselves.

Full story : https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/17/fiery-tractor-protests-launched-in-france-as-farmer-uprising-spreads-across-europe/

The 'Green Agenda' does keep cropping up in the news.  I thought it was just broken Britain which suffered from the Greenies, but apparently not.

I am both amazed and disappointed that a trendy minority seem to have had so much influence, especially as there is no scientific evidence for many of their claims.  It is fortunate that Greenies hadn't been thought up in the 19th century, when Britain was the 'workshop of the world' and became the richest and most powerful nation in the world as a consequence.

Most trends do come and go, appear and then die out.  I hope that most people will eventually realise that the Green movement is certainly not helping the country and that the minority who continue to protest on our streets will die out as a natural consequence of their not having any concrete evidence for their claims.

Green = Net Zero = Globalists = $$$$$

Times have changed - at school I learned that agriculture played an important role in France and the UK - today in Germany most vegetables are imported from the Netherlands and Spain at prices our farmers can only dream of. 
As to Spain - protection of the environment and minimum wage for the Northafrican workers - foreign words for the Andalusian farmers. In the Netherlands farming is carried out in a very sophisticated way by companies. 
In our region we have a lot of small farms, often part-time farmers. Big farms mainly are found in Northern and Eastern Germany.
In Hungary my grandparents had a farm and I can't remember that they mentioned any holidays they spent somewhere. 
I think it's also a bit our fault that our farmers are protesting - we should by more regional food, even if it is a bit more expensive.
Lately I eat more vegetables and less meat and I noticed meat is cheaper than vegetables, strange isn't it? 

If all those small farms go out of business who maintains the land? If it isn't looked after what happens? Truth be told I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be something bad.

To be honest, I don't know much about farming.  I'm sure that there must still be farmers working in the UK, though it surprises me that they are not following so many other would-be workers who, it seems, choose not to bother to work but simply to go on the dole.

I do see many fields with sheep up here so I assume they have farmers somewhere, though I don't seem to see them.
Perhaps other fields have just been left to grow grass, assuming that the Vegans will eat it!

I live on the edge of something like 20 square miles of arable farmland under constant cultivation so there are still some farmers!

Quote from: JBR on January 19, 2024, 07:01:29 PMTo be honest, I don't know much about farming.  I'm sure that there must still be farmers working in the UK, though it surprises me that they are not following so many other would-be workers who, it seems, choose not to bother to work but simply to go on the dole.

That's not correct, it's a downright lie peddled by politicians & the media to support & justify the mass influx of immigrants & gull those who don't know how farming works.

The landwork, pre 2004, when Blair opened the EU floodgates, was done by generations of British families but the Eastern gangs came in & took over.

By cramming 10 workers in a caravan & paying them £2 an hour the Eastern gang masters could undercut the prices charged by Brit gang masters who had to pay the going hourly rate so the farmers went with the Easterns.

Take a drive betweenn towns. What do you see a lot of? 
Fields. 
Regardless of what is in those fields it means there is a farmer.

Quote from: klondike on January 20, 2024, 10:30:28 AMTake a drive betweenn towns. What do you see a lot of?
Fields.
Regardless of what is in those fields it means there is a farmer.

Or a lot of Pikeys.

No pikeys here in this area, but a good lot of farmers, who work hard. I know this to be true as I live with one.

When 

Quote from: Raven on January 15, 2024, 06:11:33 PMI've not been on a train in years, I simply can't trust them to be running, or be able to get a seat I paid through the nose for, they strike at the drop of a hat and far too often.
I'm sad to say I'll never be on one again. I last 

I don't blame you I last went on a train last year .
lit cost me over £100 off peak from Wiltshire to London .
The straight through train was anything but I had to change several times due to cancilations .
coming back they cancelled my train half an hour before it was due to go had to scramble for a round about route .
we were all squashed together like sardines but I must say everyone was quite cheerful and accepted  it as norm .

Quote from: muddy on January 30, 2024, 10:51:49 AMWhen I don't blame you I last went on a train last year .
lit cost me over £100 off peak from Wiltshire to London .
The straight through train was anything but I had to change several times due to cancilations .
coming back they cancelled my train half an hour before it was due to go had to scramble for a round about route .
we were all squashed together like sardines but I must say everyone was quite cheerful and accepted  it as norm .

I'd welcome the closure of most of our railway system.
As has been said, it is expensive, unreliable and uncompetitive.  I find travelling by road which, if you avoid rush hours, is usually fairly convenient.
It wouldn't surprise me if more and more people decided to forget trains and make use of coaches to travel.  We were going to do the same to get to Folkestone to get to a cruise ship for our holidays this year, until we realised that the deal included organised travel by road anyway.

To make matters worse, the train drivers who are striking are very well paid for simply sitting in a cab and looking out for signals.  Their greed will, I hope, result in their undoing when train services are permanently reduced.  I'm sure they'll be out in the streets protesting about closures then.

I ( used to ) love travelling by train it's a very civil es way to travel .
The trains in Spain are great and very reasonably priced .

Unfortunately the ones here are crap and outrageously priced.

in the last 20 years I have twice travelled by train - the overnight sleeper from Perth when my sister was dying in London. Have no expectation of ever using one again.

In Spain the public means of transportation are very cheap and good. However, sometimes the service of the bus drivers could be better. They only help you with the suitcases when you ask them and they aren't very happy about it. 
When going on holidays I mainly book a coach trip, but if you want to travel in a comfortable coach you must invest some money. With Corona and the wars in the Ukraine and in Israel the prices increased considerably. 

Never been on a bus in Spain

Have traveled with National express here in the U.K.

Not all their drivers are Mr Charm either .