Strikes

[bpoolrover]

What's people's opinions on the strikes today? If what Jeremy hunt says is right is he right not to give them a pay rise?

[Marydene Rover]

Mid wife's are not militant they are being treated disgracefully by this awful government. This is the only means of protest left. I support them whole heartedly but they are probably wasting their time. This government is treating them with utter contempt.

[Filo]

Mid wife's are not militant they are being treated disgracefully by this awful government. This is the only means of protest left. I support them whole heartedly but they are probably wasting their time. This government is treating them with utter contempt.

Hang on a minute, have a word with your Mick, he has the polar opposite view, you've never ever disagreed with him on here before!

[bpoolrover]

But if people would lose jobs it would defeat the object surely?

[Marydene Rover]

We are polar opposite when it comes to politics I hate this government.

[bpoolrover]

Have labour said if they would give them a pay rise?

[Marydene Rover]

I don't know I'm none too keen on Labour either. As far as I can see the Tories are rich posh boys that are looking after their rich mates I have absolutely nothing in common with. I despise Dave and Gideon.

I spend quite a bit of time in Hospitals usually A@E in the early hours.
From what I've see NHS Staff generally need to be valued more

I listened to a number of mid wives on the TV this morning some had just finished a 12 hour night shift that had gone on for 13 1/2 Hrs without a break. It's disgraceful, their pay award was also set by an independent pay review body much like the MP's. The Tories have chosen to ignore that independent review. Shame on them.

[jucyberry]

That our nurses, midwives, NHS workers, firemen, ect, all the people so very important to us all are put in the position that they have to strike is appalling. They deserve every penny they earn and more. Unlike our greedy expense fiddling, scrounging ruling classes.

When Ebola finally hits us it won't be those who begrudge our nurses a fair raise in the firing line will it.

I support the strikers.

[bpoolrover]

I agree they deserve more money but if it's not possible what can you do

[bobjimwilly]

The government are always careful to criticise the unions, not the people on strike. What the forget is the union IS the people on strike; nurses, firemen whoever. So when they come out and say things like "the unions should know better", they are saying the same things to our front line public service staff!

And why doesn't David Cameron come out and say IPSA is not fit for purpose? Or does he agree with the 9% pay rise for MP's next year? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29098334

[bobjimwilly]

I agree they deserve more money but if it's not possible what can you do

Not being funny bpoolrover, but of course it's possible! They don't have to go to a bank to get a loan approved to pay for it, they just agree to it! Simples!

[Dagenham Rover]

I agree they deserve more money but if it's not possible what can you do

But its still possible to "force" an 11% pay rise on MP's

[IC1967]

The NHS wage bill is astronomical. It increased dramatically under Labour when they brought in so many 'managers'. I wouldn't be averse to front line staff getting a pay rise but the problem is that all the managers would get one as well. As they are on far higher salaries this costs the tax payer a fortune. As a country we are living well beyond our means. Unfortunately there isn't a magic money tree to keep on paying people regardless. We actually have a health service that is much better than we can afford.

One solution may be to only give pay rises and increments to staff up to a certain level. Say £40,000. Once you are earning more than this then you have to take the pain of no pay rises or increments until the economy can afford it.

[bobjimwilly]

The NHS wage bill is astronomical. It increased dramatically under Labour when they brought in so many 'managers'. I wouldn't be averse to front line staff getting a pay rise but the problem is that all the managers would get one as well. As they are on far higher salaries this costs the tax payer a fortune. As a country we are living well beyond our means. Unfortunately there isn't a magic money tree to keep on paying people regardless. We actually have a health service that is much better than we can afford.

One solution may be to only give pay rises and increments to staff up to a certain level. Say £40,000. Once you are earning more than this then you have to take the pain of no pay rises or increments until the economy can afford it.

Unfortunately doctors and more experienced medical staff are on far more than £40,000. If middle-management numbers need to be reduced, then look at doing just that, but to refuse pay rises for all NHS staff in the mean-time is just wrong.

[bpoolrover]

I agree they deserve more money but if it's not possible what can you do

Not being funny bpoolrover, but of course it's possible! They don't have to go to a bank to get a loan approved to pay for it, they just agree to it! Simples!

if it cost lots of jobs to do that thou it would not be worth it

[Dagenham Rover]

The NHS wage bill is astronomical. It increased dramatically under Labour when they brought in so many 'managers'. I wouldn't be averse to front line staff getting a pay rise but the problem is that all the managers would get one as well. As they are on far higher salaries this costs the tax payer a fortune. As a country we are living well beyond our means. Unfortunately there isn't a magic money tree to keep on paying people regardless. We actually have a health service that is much better than we can afford.

One solution may be to only give pay rises and increments to staff up to a certain level. Say £40,000. Once you are earning more than this then you have to take the pain of no pay rises or increments until the economy can afford it.

Have a read

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/laura-donnelly/11116074/Nurses-anger-over-pay-boost-for-NHS-senior-managers.html

[bpoolrover]

Not being funny but 30k is not a bad wage,my wife works with people with dementia and gets paid minimum wage

[IC1967]

Not being funny but 30k is not a bad wage,my wife works with people with dementia and gets paid minimum wage

She is grossly underpaid. I agree, £30k is a very good wage. If your partner is earning a similar amount or more then that household is doing very nicely thank you very much. I suggested £40k as a threshold but wouldn't be unhappy to see it at £30k.

Wages could improve in the NHS if only it were more efficient and not so wasteful. Unfortunately Labour have skewed the political argument so that people's perceptions as to who is best at looking after it is purely judged in most people's minds by who is prepared to spend the most. Any talk of reorganisation by the Tories is immediately frowned on. This spending is very expensive and a lot of it has to be borrowed. This confirms we are living beyond our means.

What the politicians aren't telling you is this plain fact. We can't afford the public services we currently enjoy. Over the medium to long term real wages are going to carry on being cut. It has happened in the private sector mainly due to the floodgates being opened on immigration and it is happening in the public sector albeit at a much slower pace. I'm afraid the hard truth is that things are going to get worse for a very long time before they might get better. I'd say at least 10 years.

[bobjimwilly]

It has happened in the private sector mainly due to the floodgates being opened on immigration and it is happening in the public sector albeit at a much slower pace.

[GazLaz]

I'm a crane driver, we got offered 3% and we are going on strike. Time for workers to get some power back.

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2014/10/07/htc-crane-drivers-ballot-for-strike-action-over-pay/

[BillyStubbsTears]

There's no money in the country?

Leading article in The Times today. (That well-known socialist rag). Wages for FTSE 100 directors have gone up by 20% this year and by 278% since the Tories have been in power.

But midwives don't deserve a 1% pay rise.

Draw your own conclusions as to the priorities of this Govt.

[IC1967]

There's no money in the country?

Leading article in The Times today. (That well-known socialist rag). Wages for FTSE 100 directors have gone up by 20% this year and by 278% since the Tories have been in power.

But midwives don't deserve a 1% pay rise.

Draw your own conclusions as to the priorities of this Govt.

I've got news for you. The government doesn't set the wages for FTSE 100 directors. The money these greedy bas**rds get is a small fraction of 1% of the money paid out in wages in the public sector. Public money is not used to pay these wages. Our government don't borrow many billions of pounds to pay these wages. Our government does borrow many billions of pounds to pay the wages of the public sector.

Our National Debt has doubled during this government's time in office. Do you want it to treble? Where do you draw the line? There isn't a magic money tree you know. Are you happy that we spend more on debt interest payments than we do on schools? Are you happy for our interest payments to carry on going up and up? What are we going to do when our debt is totally unmanageable and the markets rumble us? (I'd argue that we have already gone well past this point) Public sector workers won't know what's hit them as there will be mass redundancies and lowering of wages. Better to show wage restraint now and keep everything crossed that the Tories eventually get control of public spending. If they don't, then things will be a hell of a lot worse than they are now.

[IC1967]

Still waiting for answers to my questions. I answer all questions thrown at me. You answer hardly any. I wonder why.

[coventryrover]

Going back to the OP I believe it is a fundamental human right to withdraw labour if not treated well by your employers.

[bpoolrover]

Sorry Coventry I'm abit thick and don't understand your answer

[bobjimwilly]

Still waiting for answers to my questions. I answer all questions thrown at me. You answer hardly any. I wonder why.

Your really wonder? Have you ever tried talking to a brick wall? (Hint: You're the wall)

[Iberian Red]

Still waiting for answers to my questions. I answer all questions thrown at me.

spit or swallow?

[knockers]

Come on Cookie. Give him a gargle option!

[IC1967]

Still waiting for answers to my questions. I answer all questions thrown at me.

spit or swallow?

I think I'm going to have to revise my strategy of answering every single question ever thrown at me. It has become apparent that there are some people on the forum that have very offensive and out of date views on what is deemed acceptable language. Any gay person reading the above comment would be deeply offended. Luckily I am thick skinned and can take anything that is thrown at me. You should see some of the stuff Billy has said about me.

I would ask Iberian homophobic Red to remove his comment and issue an immediate abject apology. Failing that I would ask the mods to remove it for him. I believe in free speech and would be quite happy to see the comment remain because it shows the poster in a very bad light which is what he deserves. However I have to think of the greater good and insulting gay people is not acceptable in this day and age. Live and let live I say.

[IC1967]

Come on Cookie. Give him a gargle option!

Likewise Cookie.