British Home Stores

[Monty]

This makes an interesting read, but bear in mind it was 3 years ago and things have got a lot worse.

https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.o ... 913-en.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kwacky]

That makes for depressing reading. We're staring down the barrel of a gun.

This line is worrying

While austerity measures have had some impact on reducing the deficit, they have delivered little growth, and public debt has risen from 56.6 per cent of GDP in July 200911 to 90 per cent of GDP (£1.39 trillion) in 2013

That's a country close to being bankrupt.

[Monty]

I'm getting increasing frustrated with Labour and the left wing press, how many home goals do they need?

People need to wake up and realise that austerity has nothing to do lowering the deficit it's all about shrinking the state. They started demonising the unemployed the moment they got in, remember all the striver and skiver rhetoric. Which is somewhat ironic as last year they moved on to shafting he striver! Then there is the disabled!

They know exactly where the real cost to the state is and it's not the unemployed, working poor or the disabled.

[D41]

The Left Wing will be the cause of their own undoing....the Right should just sit back and buy some popcorn with which to watch the show.

It's a comedy BTW.

[Kwacky]

Sadly the press is pretty much in the hands of the Torys.

Jeremy Hunt was squirming this morning when he was repeatedly asked if the new contract would mean doctors having to work more hours each week. Yet I still see people having a go at doctors for strike action, which is the line most of the press is taking.

I'm sorry, but if you think doctors are selfish and greedy then there's something wrong with you.

[Jack]

[duke63]

Sadly, i reckon Monty most of the Labour party is drawn from the same cess pool as the Tory party...as is most of the UK Parliament.

Which is why we never go anywhere and are in fact going backwards. We need a completely new system but the Tories and Labour made sure that doesn't happen.

[D41]

Sadly the press is pretty much in the hands of the Torys.

It is??

Just questioning that....what you read...what others do...how the political winds shift, etc......I mean, readership has to be their primary goal, and "Everything Is Great Today!" doesn't make for sales....many, if not most people, tend to just want to read about how crappy everyone else is doing just so their own lot in life seems all 'roses & blowjobs'.

[Kwacky]

Headline of the Daily Mail is telling you not to get sick today because of the junior doctors strike. Even though hospitals are open and emergency rooms are operating as usual. Striking doctors will also leave the pocket line if needed.

[D41]

Well yeah...but the Mail and Express have always been for the Tories.
I think a lot of doctors & nurses get in there doing their internship and quite honestly get their asses worked to the bone just as part of the programme...and they'd do that no matter who is controlling the pursestrings....see how they do etc.

And a hospital is there whether it gets used or not, so the costs involved are virtually impossible to figure out with any reasonable degree of accuracy.

[D6]

Dunno how accurate this is. But an army medical doctor sent me this on whatsapp. Adds another side to it if true.

The junior doctor strike is fascinating from a social observation point of view. I work with doctors so have an understanding of the issue- my boss had to negotiate with the Government to get exemptions for Regular and Reserve Army Doctors from the hours constraint I will outline later. The BMA has been really clever in how they have sold the strike. It has morphed from pay, to conditions to now saving the NHS. They claim the government has not discussed or negotiated with them. But for 3years this has been negotiated with over 80% of their demands met. That is a great negotiation. Really examine the issue now. Apparently it is safety- jr docs will have to work too many hours over a weekend. I would agree if that was a legitimate concern. The new contract has a 7day shift pattern with rest days between coming off lates or nights built in as well as days off. Ask Lee if he gets that when he chsnges shift. But what the real issue is boils down to a jr docs ability to undertake locum work. Currently, on their day off they are free to work as a locum in another trust at up to 4x daily rate. This new contract sets conditions on this ability. First they have to have hours available- i.e if they have worked all 48hrs they cannot do agency hours- if they go over their hours it is unsafe as they claim. Second, if they are free to work they are to first offer their service to their own NHS Trust. This is not to be at locum rates but rather overtime. Only if they have hours and their own trust don't need them can they go locum in other Trusts. If this were any other group arguing that this is unfair there would be no support. But the government is shit at explaining this claiming death rates go up etc and the BMA really good at playing the NHS sacred cow card. That is why it is fascinating.

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

[D41]

Hang on though....the courses any prospective doctor takes last years, and they already know the state of things before they even get themselves into it...so why the feck do they do it?? (Rhetorical)

I've worked for tons of doctors over the years....and nearly all have been exceptionally cool people.
BUT....they are seldom good at business, and seldom good at managing finances....the two are one & the same to my mind but that's beside the point.
So...they're no good with money...they don't get any ATM...and yet they want more so they STILL won't have any, they'll just waste more instead.

Feck 'em.....whiney feckers.

[Kwacky]

they want to increase the total hours worked for the same money

They've done the same to the police but the law bans police from striking.

[D41]

It does indeed....but I don't think any cop gets into that line of work with financial gain as their primary motive.

I'd hesitate to call it a vocational job but I think that's essentially what it is....it's what we'd call 'being of service'.
I wouldn't ever put a job in law enforcement in the same classification as the medical profession. That's not intended to offend anyone in the medical field, but when you walk out that door every morning as a LEO, there's no guarantee that your job is not going to end your life that day....I know I went through a living hell as a kid during the miner's strikes....I'd hide in my room and peer out the window waiting for him to come home safely, but at least come home.
And I wouldn't change any of it....we were always moving house when I was a teeny bairn, and the cop kids always hung out together...or else everyone else at school would beat the feck out of us!! LOL.
It was great....the lows were very low, but the highs were stuff that stays with you forever, and I still miss it to this day.

/gets hanky.

[Kwacky]

Police pensions used to be excellent and you could retire early

[duke63]

They still are.

[D41]

Police pensions used to be excellent and you could retire early

I'm just not getting what this whole 'early' thing is....early from whose point of view??....people who have to work until later in life?? Their problem, no-one elses. They should STFU and fetch me a burger, the miserable feckers.