Comments on: Council workers strike - is it justified?

By: Sean hgvlgv

Sean hgvlgv — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:46:57 +0000

I must echo the former bloggers comments. I teach hgvtraining to council dust cart drivers. A lot of them have to pass their HGV if they want to carry on working. This is because the council has bought new hgv trucks that require the hgv licence. If they do not pass their test they get no job. There certainly is no job for life. And the pay is appaling. They do a fine job.

By: Lisa Lowe

Lisa Lowe — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:00:24 +0000

Those of you who do not work in the public sector need to get your facts right. The old saying “A job at the council is a job for life” no longer applies.

For those wingeing about all the “supposed” benefits council workers are on, and people in the private sector don’t get those perks, then join the public sector!

Telling people to leave if they don’t like it, why not turn this around and you leave the private if YOU don’t like it? It works both ways.

By: Nick Riley

Nick Riley — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:04:13 +0000

j oldershaw and anyone else out there who fails to understand basic laws of supply and demand. Low skilled jobs attract low wages. Instead of bleating about striking spend some time developing better skills and you will then get better paid jobs. Nobody forced anyone to accept the current job that they have. And before you start crying about teachers assistants only getting £15k assistants in any industry public or private get paid peanuts because all they are is an assistant. Use your brain and you end up with your own assistant.

Most of us went to comprehensive school and the ones that didn’t do well because they made no effort deserve what they end up earning.

By: charles conservatory turner

charles conservatory turner — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:37:53 +0000

There is a justification on the basis that real incomes are not keeping a pace with inflation.
However, there is no justification from a monetary view point in awarding rises. The UK is suffering from too many people in the public sector which is having to be financed by the private sector. With the credit crunch, awarding any substantial increases for council workers will be counter productive for the economy as a whole

By: Stuart

Stuart — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:25:48 +0000

It’s amazing how much rage I’m seeing from the sales managers and the finance drones and all the other people in the polyester suits with their Chelsea tractors and their people carriers telling me their corporate world is the “real” one.

These are, by and large, people who sell other people stuff they don’t need in return for money they don’t have. People who don’t personally make, or produce, or do, anything at all (except send around reports and memos and write policies and sit around in meetings). People who might sometimes move from their desk to their car.

They’re people who can’t strike for better conditions themselves because they chose to take a job where they don’t do anything the general public even notices.

And they have a sense of entitlement that comes from their useless 2/2 degree in Media Studies.

– Oh, wait, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there’s more to the private sector world than stereotypes?

Do you think it could be the same in the public sector?

By: Obo

Obo — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:25:51 +0000

Trying to enlighten PHM64 appears to be a waste of time. His level of ignorance is too high. He relies on the media and lacks the capacity to see through what is presented! If you go through all he has written, you just know how empty he is.

like Terry said, “he who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a ….” I do not think I will want to waste any of my time on him. I recommend he goes for elementary course in Economics.

My sympathy go to the serious minded council workers short changed in a time like this. For those who say sack them all, I say go apply for the jobs and see if you have the right attitude to support the system as they do. Not only that, if you are mentally and physically fit for the job.

If it is what would put food on your table you think of, you don’t need to look further to see the reason for Bank failures and collapse of the private firms and why the insolvency rate is high. The mentality of the likes of PMH64 speak volumes for the sector.

Apologies to the serious minds in the sector. I doubt if he is in the sector. He strikes me as a dependant of some sort.

Save your breath.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:18:38 +0000

Looks as though Astrid stirred the pot with this one!!
The problem for local government workers is that they are inextricably linked in the minds of private sector workers to the Labour government. Labour squanders billions of pounds of taxpeyers’ hard-earned money on buying votes from minority groups and packing the public payroll with people that it hopes will vote Labour. It is seen as a byword for corruption and waste and unfortunately anyone associated with government at whatever level is tarred with the same brush. It’s tough on the genuine hard workers in public services, but they have to live with it.

By: D Brogan

D Brogan — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:14:19 +0000

PMH64, I don’t think it is obo that needs to pull his head out. You criticise based on fiction with out being aware of the full facts. My commendation was based on my hard work as a local goverment employee. No, it does not put food on the table, but I can walk away at the end of the day knowing that I have given 110%.

As a LG employee I and others like me have been slated in these posts for being lazy, greedy and selfish. Now you are telling me that I get nothing for being conscientious. Make up your mind. What do you do for a living, seeing as you think you views are so justified?

It was interesting to note that my anti spam word was LIFE and I think you need to get one!

By: pmh64

pmh64 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:25:57 +0000

D Brogan, now you know what people think are you surprised? You will all be Tarred with the same brush as most of the General Public get their Info from the media, which is Private Sector!

Recent articles in the National Press argued that Employees are working extra hours for nothing and they would be correct, Yes? Congratulations on your Commendation but it would put food on the table will it?
You get nothing for being over conscientious in this day and age!

And as for Obo you need to pull your head out of your a—-!

By: Helen

Helen — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:42:59 +0000

I’d just like to add a comment to what I wrote yesterday. How can the Government justify taking their mortgage payments and also buy furniture out of taxpayers money and then say they can’t afford to give people a decent rise in their wages. That doesn’t only apply to council workers either. As this is supposed to be a democratic country isn’t it time we had a vote as to whether WE can afford to keep subsidising THEM or is that asking too much of the hypocrites that we know them to be.