Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms NHS Strike

Hamwich. Is this a total TTIP hijack of the NHS thread? Have I missed something?

The NHS will be threatened by the TTIP if it gets through.

Hi Bob

I have step daughter (Senior Staff Nurse) and her Fiance (who is moving to GP) and they seem unaware of TTIP and the possible affect on NHS. I have been reading up form the interweb in the last 2-3 days but i am not yet able to understand the full implications. Can you send any links to stuff we should read?

There's loads of stuff out there on the potential threat to the NHS if TTIP goes through in the way that US wants it, just Google 'NHS TTIP'.

Basically it boils down to this: TTIP enforces free trade by removing any barriers to trade, like food quality standards, environmental protections, bureaucratic restrictions, and so on, reducing them to a lowest common denominator

Such barriers include things like national laws governing provision of services
- so as the government wants to control and provide NHS services itself then it could be challenged in court, forcing elements of the NHS to be privatised, or preventing existing privatised services from ever being nationalised.

Such issues are going to be decided in secret (in the sense of the proceedings not being made public) courts (look up ISDS) which do not operate like normal courts like we have in the UK.

Promoters of TTIP say that this can be avoided by having clauses in the treaty, opponents of the TTIP are concerned that these clauses themselves would be open to legal challenges. Large US corporates have much deeper pockets to engage in legal action than cash-strapped NHS trusts.

The whole TTIP thing is one of the things about the strike that is not about money. There are others.

Sounds like same insane crap the Liberal party here is pushing through. The Trans Pacific Partnership, it lets companies sue the state if the Govt make a decision that affects their sales.

Ie Fag companies sueing the govt for plain packaging laws that cut cigarette sales.

The whole thing negotiated in secret and decided by secret courts.

Pure unadulterated insanity legislated by morons ( probably for equally secret kickbacks .)

I think Hamwich has answered that, quicker typing than me!

See negotiations completed and based on new changes BMA are recommending the junior doctors accept new offer. 13 changes of which 12 are related to pay!!! Apparently all the "prime issues" of Patient Safety, 7 day NHS, saving NHS have gone away- as predicted. When they sign their new contracts it involves re-swearing their Hippocratic, sorry HYPOCRITE Oath.

Surely you can distinguish between the validity of the tactics and the objective?

Yes, I agree the banners and PR were emotive and misleading in cases - but they kept mainstream public opinion onside long enough to drag that piece of sh1t Jeremy Hunt back to the table to do what he should have done in the first place - propose a fair settlement for the re-definition of the working day and rates which reflect the personal/family disruption & costs (childcare) of weekend working. Anyone who thinks that doctors are overpaid is, I am afraid, driven by envy and lacking in understanding of what it takes to qualify for, and do, that job. (No, I'm not, if anyone wonders).

Who cares about the tactics - the right result prevailed.

Well said sir. +1.