Forum Topic

The News of the World, Gordon Brown and short-sight

Report today that the Chancellor is going to "crack-down" on "shirking" civil servants because of the high levels of sickness. Never mind that they are actually less than British Airways a private company, never mind that a survey last week showed that high sickness levels are linked to low staff morale and lack of confidence in higher management. Guess where the lowest morale and the biggest lack of confidence were to be found? In the civil service, no surprise there then. What gets my goat is that no-one seems the slightest bit interested in asking WHY, well, perhaps Gordon would like to hear his job was being dumped via T.V., perhaps he would like to undergo the farcical appraisal system imposed upon the staff, perhaps he'd like to have wages so low he'd qualify for his precious tax credits, then when he's asked himself that perhaps he'd then reflect upon whether or not he'd put his health before his crap employer. No-one condones people taking the mickey and if people are then that is a matter to be taken up with the individual by their line manager, but to tar everyone with the same brush is insulting and out of order.

Vanessa Smith ● 7446d8 Comments

We've often been heard to ask for people to pass the hemlock!

Vanessa Smith ● 7443d

Sarah'subsidised vitamin tablets'I’ve never been offered any of those as a civil servant but I do have first hand experience of being handed the proverbial ‘bitter pill’ which like many others, we are expected to swallow, from those above of course who probably have an altogether different diet made up of all manner of sweeteners.

Gareth Evans ● 7443d

'Actually, when reading about the recent 'raves' in Brentford, the thought occurred to me that a small party of vigilantes should attire themselves in black - balaclavas, etc - and, locating the source of the electricity supply to the warehouse,  snip any  wiring they find'.Way to go Ann, I totally agree with this line of thought.

Gareth Evans ● 7443d

Vanessa,"One law for them, etc.", so what's new? The Irish Republic is run by the biggest gang of crooks since King John and his barons;  if a politician is lucky enough to have been a minister more than once at various stages of his career, on retirement he gets a pension for every ministerial post, plus his ordinary Dail pension, plus his Retirement pension!I don't know how this rule applies in the U.K., but you can be sure none of them will miss a trick when  retiring to their town houses/city apartments/country retreats.What we need is another Robin Hood!Actually, when reading about the recent 'raves' in Brentford, the thought occurred to me that a small party of vigilantes should attire themselves in black - balaclavas, etc - and, locating the source of the electricity supply to the warehouse,  snip any  wiring they find.Only a thought!

Ann S. Allridge ● 7444d

No - we get nothing - at least at the Council you get offered Hepatitis B vaccinations if your job warrants them. At least all the other big public sector unions are waking up due to the attack on pensions, I think a huge strike is on the cards, why attack our pensions when M.Ps and Judges have just secured theirs? What a bunch of hypocrites, one law for them and another for the working man and woman.

Vanessa Smith ● 7444d

Sickness? -  People moving around disperse virus’s germs etc as they go.  You are dealing with a huge number of people from a variety of backgrounds.  Whereas a number of them would not have gone into a job that day because they were ill, they will still go in to sign on and satisfy the criteria to obtain their benefit on time, knowing that they can crawl back into bed later on.  They bring all those germs with them, to share with you!  You should be on danger money!  Do you have a department vaccination programme to aide you?  The Civil service used to sell their staff subsidised vitamin tablets – can you still get these?

Sarah Felstead ● 7444d

It seems as though other public sector unions such as Unison are also cutting up rough now, they are all meeting this week and there is talk of ALL public sector unions co-ordinating a strike. Just in time for an election!

Vanessa Smith ● 7445d

VanessaI guess you know my views on this anyway but I'm in total agreement with you. I feel an attack on civil servants coming on, so I'm off to my sick bed.

Gareth Evans ● 7446d