A Winter Of Discontent

[Barrs Court Red]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11278570

The last throw of the dice from a wasteful and inefficient bureaucracy, or a valid reaction to severe cuts that are not in the public interest?

[Economou]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...litics-11278570

The last throw of the dice from a wasteful and inefficient bureaucracy, or a valid reaction to severe cuts that are not in the public interest?

I'll bite.

The Unions are sticking up for;

a) their members. I have not had a pay rise for two years, with a pay freeze due for the next two. My pension has already been cut and there is fear of it being reduced further. (I'm sure your heart bleeds)

b) fairness. For example if care homes, meals on wheels etc are flogged off to the private sector it'll be the elderly & infirm that'll suffer in the pursuit of profit.

Of course there's waste in the Public Sector, notably in effing useless managers/consultants, but don't tar everyone with the same brush. We've had people join our organisation from the private sector and I assure you they do not think we have a cushy number.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Agree with poster above.

Can certainly imagine there would be waste of course, but looking to defend one's pay and conditions is hardly unnatural- especially if it will be drastically slashed.

[Barrs Court Red]

So would you say, for example, someone like Bob Crow and his comments are acceptable?

[Economou]

So would you say, for example, someone like Bob Crow and his comments are acceptable?

Ah, Bob Crow, the tories latest bogeyman.

What did he say, there might be strikes ? Possibly true, I think this could be a fight to the end to protect public services & jobs.

The tories Big Society nonsense, which I think they're serious about, where charities, pushy parents, business etc would effectively run public services would be a disaster, both for union members and joe public. What makes it worse is Clegg's Lib Dems have fallen for it.

[Barrs Court Red]

He said the cuts were a "class war".

Personally I think given our record public borrowing level, the likes of Crow and his £145k salary should be first for the shop.

Do you think Public Services offer good value for money then?

[Economou]

He said the cuts were a "class war".

Personally I think given our record public borrowing level, the likes of Crow and his £145k salary should be first for the shop.

Do you think Public Services offer good value for money then?

He may well be right, after all the cabinet is stuffed with public schoolboys, led by an old Etonian, and the Institute of Fiscal Studies reported recently that the budget would disproportionally adversely affect the poor.

I do like Bob Crow, he tells it how it is. May occasionally go over the top his heart's in the right place. Don't think he's as influential as people such as yourself assume though as the RMT isn't the biggest union in the TUC. I would also assume his salary is not funded from the public purse.

Re. the deficit wasn't the majority of that caused by billions of pounds of public money being used to prop up the banks ??

Depends which public services you mean and depends how you class value for money. If you're referring to public transport, probably no, eg. First Group. If you mean the NHS, Social Services, Education then probably yes, mainly because the public sector is providing the service (in most cases) the staff care about providing the service and profit isn't the prime consideration.

I think a civilised country should have public services to be proud of, sadly this will be pipedream in the UK with severe cuts/privatisation on the horizon.