Public Sector Strike Day

[wellquickwoody]

After one of the least exciting closed seasons for many a year where NSC has seemed almost terminally asleep along comes something which just might start a bit of binfestery.

Ladies and gentlemen, grab a chair, stock up on snacks and possibly get the beers in for the afternoon, could be fun........

 

[Albumen]

Well done to all those on strike today - standing up for public services, and for the 99% who rely on them. In Cameron's world we'll all pay for the services we can't afford, making him and his pals richer. All the while trying to reduce the power of unions (not that they have the power of the 70's anymore anyway, it's a different world now), preventing the people from having their say. It's underhand dictatorship.
Enjoy your day, it's unpaid afterall.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Well done to all those on strike today - standing up for public services, and for the 99% who rely on them. In Cameron's world we'll all pay for the services we can't afford, making him and his pals richer. All the while trying to reduce the power of unions (not that they have the power of the 70's anymore anyway, it's a different world now), preventing the people from having their say. It's underhand dictatorship.
Enjoy your day, it's unpaid afterall.

Thanks.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

With my recent experiences with public sector workers at the council, DWP, job centre and HMRC I struggle to support this strike based on their extreme inefficiency, rudeness, shambolic organisation and complete lack of empathy. The public sector needs a massive top to bottom overhaul but of course the workers wouldn't stand for that.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

With my recent experiences with public sector workers at the council, DWP, job centre and HMRC I struggle to support this strike based on their extreme inefficiency, rudeness, shambolic organisation and complete lack of empathy. The public sector needs a massive top to bottom overhaul but of course the workers wouldn't stand for that.

Yes, because ALL public sector workers really are like that arent they

 

[WATFORD zero]

With my recent experiences with public sector workers at the council, DWP, job centre and HMRC I struggle to support this strike based on their extreme inefficiency, rudeness, shambolic organisation and complete lack of empathy. The public sector needs a massive top to bottom overhaul but of course the workers wouldn't stand for that.

I was at Hove dump this morning and whenever I go there they are always the epitome of politeness, helpfulness and good humour. Same with all dealings I have had with Teachers, NHS, Police, HMRC and all the people i have dealt with lately. Guess I just must be lucky

 

[father_and_son]

I was at Hove dump this morning and whenever I go there they are always the epitome of politeness, helpfulness and good humour. Guess I just must be lucky

Have to agree with this particular example. The guys there really are a friendly helpful bunch.


...but it could stay open later at the weekend! When doing some major project the clearing up will usually happen at the end. I don't want the dump open early in the morning before I'm ready, I want it open into the evening when I'm finishing off!!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Yes, because ALL public sector workers really are like that arent they

You don't think the whole system needs overhauling ? Really ??

Have to agree with this particular example. The guys there really are a friendly helpful bunch.

I do have to agree with this though.

 

[Albumen]

With my recent experiences with public sector workers at the council, DWP, job centre and HMRC I struggle to support this strike based on their extreme inefficiency, rudeness, shambolic organisation and complete lack of empathy. The public sector needs a massive top to bottom overhaul but of course the workers wouldn't stand for that.

mmm ever thought you're the common problem?

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Have to agree with this particular example. The guys there really are a friendly helpful bunch.


...but it could stay open later at the weekend! When doing some major project the clearing up will usually happen at the end. I don't want the dump open early in the morning before I'm ready, I want it open into the evening when I'm finishing off!!

The team at Worthing tip are also very helpful, plus one of the team is a very attractive young lady. Win win.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

You don't think the whole system needs overhauling ? Really ??

Change is needed, but does this need to include making thousands redundant (which will include a couple of family members who could be out of their job by the end of the month), freezing pay for years and making people work for longer ? No, it doesnt. The system needs change at the top - the top being the government who have not got their priorities straight and prioritise the rich over the working class public sector workers.

Im lucky myself as i work in a secure private sector job, but to be in the position of the public sector workers on strike - i fully support their reasons of being on strike.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

mmm ever thought you're the common problem?

Possibly

One of the problems is that the staff within each 'department' have a siege mentality and there is no sharing of information, processes, systems or even working practices. Each of those organisations I've listed asked me for virtually the same data ( in some cases multiple times ).

The person dealing with my claim for council tax reduction actually accused me of trying to fiddle the system because I listed children on my claim that only live with me some of the time. He got very rude when I pointed out the online system asked me for that data specifically. Maybe if he's ever bothered to put in a test claim then he would have known what is asked and wouldn't have looked such a rude dick. That is just one simple example of the "head against the brick wall" experiences I've had with these orgainsations over the last three months.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Well done to all those on strike today - standing up for public services, and for the 99% who rely on them. In Cameron's world we'll all pay for the services we can't afford, making him and his pals richer. All the while trying to reduce the power of unions (not that they have the power of the 70's anymore anyway, it's a different world now), preventing the people from having their say. It's underhand dictatorship.
Enjoy your day, it's unpaid afterall.

This. And I will add is that public service workers have wrongly be been made the scape goat and demonised for a lot of the ills of the UK. Shame on you Clegg and Cameron. Because of this I support their cause more than ever before.

 

[Worthing exile]

The government keeps making cuts to our vital public services... meanwhile, last year, the 1,000 richest people in the country increased their personal wealth by 15% - that's £69 billion richer in a year.

"We're in this together"

Yes we are aren't we?


Plans to award MPs an 11% pay rise have been criticised across Westminster, with one minister describing them as "utterly incomprehensible".

Parliamentary watchdog Ipsa is set to recommend a rise of £7,600 to £74,000, to come in after the 2015 election.

Is this meagre award still happening?

 

[beorhthelm]

The government keeps making cuts to our vital public services... meanwhile, last year, the 1,000 richest people in the country increased their personal wealth by 15% - that's £69 billion richer in a year.

"We're in this together"

And in your next post i presume you will explain how these are related, what you define "the problem" is and how you propose to solve that?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Possibly

One of the problems is that the staff within each 'department' have a siege mentality and there is no sharing of information, processes, systems or even working practices. Each of those organisations I've listed asked me for virtually the same data ( in some cases multiple times ).

The person dealing with my claim for council tax reduction actually accused me of trying to fiddle the system because I listed children on my claim that only live with me some of the time. He got very rude when I pointed out the online system asked me for that data specifically. Maybe if he's ever bothered to put in a test claim then he would have known what is asked and wouldn't have looked such a rude dick. That is just one simple example of the "head against the brick wall" experiences I've had with these orgainsations over the last three months.

Here's a tip. Next time you call them, take a deep breath, count to 10, and when they pick up make your first words jolly and breezy..maybe something like "hey, hello. Could you help me with blah blah please?". Try and maintain this demeanor throughout the conversation. Remember, they're human just like you and it is not a battle. Let me know how you get on.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Here's a tip. Next time you call them, take a deep breath, count to 10, and when they pick up make your first words jolly and breezy..maybe something like "hey, hello. Could you help me with blah blah please?". Try and maintain this demeanor throughout the conversation. Remember, they're human just like you and it is not a battle. Let me know how you get on.

Where have I said I was ever rude and never polite ?

 

[Dan Aitch]

The problems with the Public Sector are more than often based on failings in what is available to staff to use, so websites are poor, restructures cause inefficiencies, IT is out of date and incompatible with other systems, and general facilities are unreliable.

These failings aren't the fault of the staff we all deal with, yet we have a low level of sympathy for these staff if their IT system can't handle our queries. I accept that rudeness is unacceptable, but I have more rudeness in Sainsbury's, Curry's and Boots than I ever have from HMRC or similar.

To have had no pay rise for three years when austerity across the country has either pushed prices up, or reduced package sizes, must have been very hard. To come out of that to receive a maximum 1% pay rise must have felt like the most insulting of reactions to three years of increasing financial hardship.

I accept that the Public Sector needs to be more streamlined, more structured and more efficient... but it wasn't the Public Sector that prompted the collapse of the economy, and it wasn't Public Sector workers waltzing home with tax breaks and multi-million pound bonuses.

If a day when schools are shut and passport queues are longer prompts someone to think "Hang on! Why don't we tax bankers' bonuses and give the Public Sector workers a pay rise?" then I for one think these strikes will be worthwhile.

And while you're thinking of gold plated pensions being a really unfair benefit for the Public Sector, actually do some research and find out what a 65-yr old schoolteacher might receive after 40 years of making your kids better people, and see if it seems fair.

If you really want to make effective savings in the Public Sector, take away their company cars, free health and dental insurance, discounted mortgages and loans, lavish expenses, corporate hospitality, all-expenses paid company social functions and massive bonuses and share options. Oh...

 

[Worthing exile]

If you really want to make effective savings in the Public Sector, take away their company cars, free health and dental insurance, discounted mortgages and loans, lavish expenses, corporate hospitality, all-expenses paid company social functions and massive bonuses and share options. Oh...

MPs are effectively Public Sector workers too. They get foreign travel, lavish expenses, second homes, subsidised restaurants...............

 

[surlyseagull]

My wife is a teacher and the school she is at have made a number of people redundant because of lack of funds and the fact the birth rate is down on a couple of years ago so not as many kids at the school as they are allocated funds per child,although they have just spent millions on the refurbishment and new buildings at the school ,but dont have the staff to man it ,but to rub salt in the wound they have just employed another deputy head and given the head a pay rise along with his p.a .The heads payrise alone would have kept a part time technology assistant in a job for another year .You have a number of these free schools popping up so all schools have to compete so driving down the budgets of each school because of the governments idea of competition .
The system is not working and its the kids that suffer ,the schools are run by governors who have no idea about half of what goes on in a school and make decisions that are beyond them but are back slapped by the managers to keep on the right side of them.
I have my own business and have not had a pay rise in 4 years and if I ran my business like that clown Gove runs the schools I would have been bankrupt a long time ago ,so I can see both sides of the argument.