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Originally Posted by GrimUpNorth
As a UNISON steward I'm hearing horror stories of life as a care worker. To start with the service is short staffed and just can't compete with supermarkets wages for staff and the sickness levels are rising as the staff can't afford to put fuel in their cars with some having no choice but to call in sick at the end of the month because they have no money left.
Public services are more than creaking under the pressure and something's going to give sooner or later. I understand the issues with inflation busting pay rises, but one compromise might be to stop tinkering round the edges and give everyone a one off cost of living payment and a reasonable pay rise. If you look at the billions the prospective candidates are talking about giving away, sending a descent sized cheque to everyone is more than doable.
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Raising the income tax threshold is probably a good way of achieving this.
---------- Post added at 09:22 ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sephiroth
Yes - something's going to give eventually.
The bleedin' obvious occurs to me that private sector profit taken in the utilities and railways is the difference between decent pay and the squeeze we are seeing.
Don't get me wrong - I'm no socialist. But the utilities and railways need to be not-for-profit. Question: What personal interests do the Tory political barons have in the utilities and railways?
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I think the utilities were privatised due to the need to get money in the bank, ideology (belief that private = more efficient) and the fact that investment was needed which always competed with health and education so never happened.
Railway privatisation was John Major's baby. Thatcher saw that it was a privatisation too far and British Rail under her regime was allowed to get on and run itself and was pretty efficient. Obviously, the City was up for it but it's also hugely benefited train drivers as their bargaining power has increased as there is no monopoly buyer of labour. This is a biased source but you get the drift!
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/473868...litant-unions/