Uncivil servants
With a Council strike looming, the Unions seem to be living in some kind of fantasy world.
I like to think the dialogue probably consisted of two words, the second of which was OFF.
Fat pensions and fat arses, and they still want 3% when services are being cut and pensioners paying £15 for a home carer to give them a cold meal.
Thankfully our Councillors have decided that keeping that bunch of desk jockeys in jobs is more important that filling potholes.
A spokesman for the unions said its demands for a 3% rise for their 150,000 members had been "simply dismissed without any negotiations."
I like to think the dialogue probably consisted of two words, the second of which was OFF.
Fat pensions and fat arses, and they still want 3% when services are being cut and pensioners paying £15 for a home carer to give them a cold meal.
Thankfully our Councillors have decided that keeping that bunch of desk jockeys in jobs is more important that filling potholes.
14 comments:
Maybe they should buy another shop, Oh! it seems they have. What will they do in a few months with 2 empty buildings??
Not a very fair or balanced post this one Angus, you have to remember that very few of the hundereds of workers employed by the council, (or health board for that matter)are fat arsed overpaid spongers. They are hard working, mostly low paid, people trying to provide public services that are under attack, and believe me , if the Tories get in, "things can only get worse."
And no, I am not a council worker or manager, I am a former SNP supporter who will certainly not vote for either the MP or MSP again.
I'd go further than 2.14pm - most local Council workers have absolutely no idea that their deranged national Union leaders have taken it into their heads to ask for a 3% rise.
Most local Council employees don't see themselves as 'working for the Council' - they're just doing the best job they could get locally to provide for their families. And yes, there are a fair few lazy and rotten apples in the barrel - as there are everywhere.
What is obscene is the bloated centre of our local Council, which is massively overstaffed compared to other, similar Councils in the UK. You could run it all with two Directors and a Chief Executive who actually came out of his office from time to time.
Not balanced at all really, its close to inciting a riot. 2.14 is right really, there are a lot of very hard workers in the council unfortunately all at grass roots levels. Im all for giving them 3%, but at the expense of those on salaries higher than say 35k. The council pay structure should be capped, no islands allowance, trackers fitted to all vans. Its likely nothing like this will ever happen though as they are too greedy and drunk on gravy. Its very sad the state we are in. Keep voting SNP though for our country but for the sake of our islands, someone real stand up and challenge the useless idiots we have presently in office. yes yes to the bigger picture but its no no to AM and AA
Credit Crunch - what Credit Crunch?
Its suicide by any other name if they strike. Because of the bahookey their political masters are making of it the public will have NO sympathy with any of them, having tarred them all with the same brush,
Many in the private sector are taking pay cuts so as to try and maintain jobs.
2.14pm. Hmmmmm. I agree that Angus' post is neither fair nor balanced, but then he's never really pretended to be either. I'm intrigued as to why you think your voting history/intentions is relevant here though. Unless I'm being a bit thick, I thought this post was about the council and the unions?
People - can we remember that the council workers keep our community going, they keep children in our community and the economy going (as per Angus Campbell) - these voluntary sector workers who have had no increases or are getting their funding cut are just worthless in fact there is no real point of them in the community & I will not mention those who attempt to set up & successfully run their own businesses or work within these settings - the only people in the Western Isles who matter are employed by the council whether they do anything or not is a whole different issue. Well that is what us less privileged mortals are lead to believe!
2.14pm
"you have to remember that very few are fat arsed overpaid spongers ..."
Eh, from what I've seen I think they are
example for 2.47 pm - you just have to look at the councillors in the southern isles - dont think they have seem a lettuce leaf for quite a while...
I am not a council worker but come into close contact with them on a daily basis. The vast majority are hard working and care about the service they provide. People tend to enter public service because they want to serve the public. If people are there because its just a job, then do it to the best of your ability or move on.
There is an issue regarding senior management numbers and responsibilities and especially when compared to the mainland. The exact same issue happens in the Health Board locally. But turkeys don't vote for XMAS when writing a restructure report.
Lets not forget why this country is in the mess it is, however, when people start mentioning pay rises. That is squarely down to the banks and the lack of regulation of those banks. We will be paying for this for years.
Don't look for scapegoats amongst the Council or low paid. They are easy targets and fodder for Mail or Express readers. The low paid Council workers struggle the same as everyone else.
I don't understand why we would want to end the Islands Allowance. That reflects the higher cost of Island living and the Council gets an allowance from the Government for that. It has never kept pace with the difference in costs- food, travel, heating etc.
Trackers on vans- all for that, every business should have them. I also wonder how many private tanks are filled at companies expense, by quoting the card number??
Council workers, regardless of what level of pay they are on don't have to worry about:-
1. Whether their employer can afford to pay their wages this month / week
2. What they are going to live on once they retire because their employer paid them the basic wages with no on-going benefits including pension
3. Whether they are going to be laid off / made involuntarily redundant or just sacked for no reason because they are excess to requirements.
4. Whether their car will make it to work because it needs to be replaced but the bank won't give them a loan because they are not in secure employment
5. If they become too sick to work and have to live on £79.15 per week statutory sick pay after receiving nil pay for the first three day.
6. If they become pregnant and have to live on £120 per week statutory maternity pay after just 6 weeks at 90%.
7. Whether they can find another job when their employer goes bust.
8. Working 40/50/60 hour weeks with no hope of overtime payments, time of in lieu or flexitime but doing it because it is keeping the company afloat.
No this isn't a fair or balanced post at all.... I think us tax payers should pay the Council workers at least 6% extra because they deserve it...
Trackers on vans - What a ridiculous idea, get a grip.
If management is so poor they don't even know where the employees are, a couple of hundred quids worth of technology isn't going to rectify the situation.
A bad management culture rolls down through the ranks, if the chief exec can sit on his arse and do nothing, then the culture prevails all the way down & unfortunately there a few (not all) who really take the mick out of the system.
Islands allowance should be binned for the council employees unless the government are prepared to proportionately pay ALL island workers some of the pie. Every one of us live and work on these islands and im sure people commute a lot farther than me in a day. We know the costs are higher living here but thats a choice we make. Im merely suggesting a way for the government to make savings while restoring a bit of balance locally.
Trackers on vans
Good idea particulary on Saturdays as they tow trailers across the moor.
Count the number of jerry cans in each van too
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