Quizzes & Puzzles0 min ago
Public Sector Pay Freeze
You couldn't make it up could you? Yesterday the government pledged to splurge billions on machines of war and today it's freezing the pay of those people we need most.
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Does this government have ANY moral scruples?
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Does this government have ANY moral scruples?
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One can't splurge on supporting the deliberate closing down of the economy and increase public sector budgets at the same time. Clearly there are a few areas that have been considered exceptions, but finances need to be carefully managed for a while. Spend for investment and kicking the economy back off, not where one needs to accept it's a difficult time due to the government's poor cov responses.
//… there are clearly some rubbish schools in Wales if what you describe is true.//
There must be some rubbish schools where I live (and many other places besides) as well then. My immediate neighbours have two children at (a very good) local primary school. During their six month sabbatical they received enough work to keep them busy for about a day a week for three of those months. Fortunately their parents were in a position to keep them educated as well as they could, but of course when they returned not all of their classmates had been so lucky and the entire class was treated as if it had been off for six months. There was a Head Teacher on the telly explaining that her staff had done virtually no work during the summer term.
On a general note, those employed by either local or central government have received 100% of their pay throughout the pandemic. As an example, my local library closed for almost three months from March to May (until they worked out how to accommodate people “safely”) and now it opens for four hours a day, four days a week (though why they bother I really don’t know because nobody can touch any books or computers). So what have all the librarians been doing? Who knows? But they have been receiving 100% pay.
As far as freezing the pay of “those we need most” goes, whilst it’s true that we do need many people in the public sector, many of them are completely superfluous. Take a look in the public sector vacancies section of the Guardian (405 vacancies today). An example:
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Wellbeing and Health & Safety Lead
• London (Central), London (Greater)
• £52,000 - £57,000
• HM TREASURY
You will provide policy and program management expertise to support the wellbeing steering Group and its Chair.
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An extract from the job description:
"Our Human Resources team, comprising around 45 people, is currently delivering a wide-ranging change programme! We have been adapting to many changes in our working lives following the outbreak of COVID-19. As a department we are very keen to ensure we adapt and support colleagues during this period. You will contribute to improve outcomes for staff working in HM Treasury. This will be through effective co-ordination and delivery of the wellbeing program. You will provide policy and program management expertise to support the wellbeing steering Group and its Chair. Oversight and an enabling approach will be needed for key projects. You will also lead the wellbeing champions network ensuring you have a real understanding of the needs of the department and that key messages reach their intended audience."
Basically a £50k job helping those on a far greater salary to teach people how to work from home. Could a private concern afford fifty grand a year for such an extravagance? None that I know could (or would). So please don’t tell me that position is for someone among “those we need most.”
There must be some rubbish schools where I live (and many other places besides) as well then. My immediate neighbours have two children at (a very good) local primary school. During their six month sabbatical they received enough work to keep them busy for about a day a week for three of those months. Fortunately their parents were in a position to keep them educated as well as they could, but of course when they returned not all of their classmates had been so lucky and the entire class was treated as if it had been off for six months. There was a Head Teacher on the telly explaining that her staff had done virtually no work during the summer term.
On a general note, those employed by either local or central government have received 100% of their pay throughout the pandemic. As an example, my local library closed for almost three months from March to May (until they worked out how to accommodate people “safely”) and now it opens for four hours a day, four days a week (though why they bother I really don’t know because nobody can touch any books or computers). So what have all the librarians been doing? Who knows? But they have been receiving 100% pay.
As far as freezing the pay of “those we need most” goes, whilst it’s true that we do need many people in the public sector, many of them are completely superfluous. Take a look in the public sector vacancies section of the Guardian (405 vacancies today). An example:
=======
Wellbeing and Health & Safety Lead
• London (Central), London (Greater)
• £52,000 - £57,000
• HM TREASURY
You will provide policy and program management expertise to support the wellbeing steering Group and its Chair.
=========
An extract from the job description:
"Our Human Resources team, comprising around 45 people, is currently delivering a wide-ranging change programme! We have been adapting to many changes in our working lives following the outbreak of COVID-19. As a department we are very keen to ensure we adapt and support colleagues during this period. You will contribute to improve outcomes for staff working in HM Treasury. This will be through effective co-ordination and delivery of the wellbeing program. You will provide policy and program management expertise to support the wellbeing steering Group and its Chair. Oversight and an enabling approach will be needed for key projects. You will also lead the wellbeing champions network ensuring you have a real understanding of the needs of the department and that key messages reach their intended audience."
Basically a £50k job helping those on a far greater salary to teach people how to work from home. Could a private concern afford fifty grand a year for such an extravagance? None that I know could (or would). So please don’t tell me that position is for someone among “those we need most.”
