public service worries

Tankrizzo_2

I_luv_cats wrote: »

How can councils save money from day one if they make staff redundant with associated severance pay etc. or give early retirement and that'll mean early ongoing pension costs!!!

Because although there is some short-term expenditure, it is better for long-term costs.

Example, a person surplus to requirements on £30k pa is made redundant with a £15k severance payout. Up front costs, £15k. Net savings every year, £30k.

The pension payout for ER in most cases will be less than the yearly salary.

STOCKWIRE

Sorry I have no sympathy for LA workers. Last year they striked over the pay settlement, when the vast majority of private sector workers were facing paycuts and the threat of redundancy without the "enhanced" settlements offered to LA workers. Single status regrading, Duvet Days and over zealous Health and Safety officers have added millions to the wage costs of local authorities. When I first started working for the LA I was shocked at the level of waste and the attitude of officers. As they had secure jobs they did as little as they could get away with and took as much as they could get. Sick pay was regarded as an extension to their holidays and if you pulled the staff up on anything you were accused of being a bully.
Lets hope this will weed out the time wasters, put the remainder on an equal footing with the private sector and maybe the public will start getting the services it pays for.

ekkygirl

If you look at what's being suggested for cuts, It seems to be the services that are provided at the moment that the government do not HAVE to priovide. For example fullyu supported homeless accommodation for over 18's. Morally it needs to be in place but legally they don't have to provine it.
Surestart is an excellent way to spend our taxes and they provide an excellent service. Goverment don't have to provide this help. We all know that the social problems of not providing it would soon surface but that is another thread.
Care Leavers in my county who go to college have always been funded, rent has been paid along with a weekly living allowance not any more, income support and housing benefit pay (same money different pot).
My job which has had funding yearly for the last 9 years has never been so at risk and I think it will go.

Tis a good job I dont worry about thibgs I can't change:rotfl:

lady1964

STOCKWIRE wrote: »

Sorry I have no sympathy for LA workers. Last year they striked over the pay settlement, when the vast majority of private sector workers were facing paycuts and the threat of redundancy without the "enhanced" settlements offered to LA workers. Single status regrading, Duvet Days and over zealous Health and Safety officers have added millions to the wage costs of local authorities. When I first started working for the LA I was shocked at the level of waste and the attitude of officers. As they had secure jobs they did as little as they could get away with and took as much as they could get. Sick pay was regarded as an extension to their holidays and if you pulled the staff up on anything you were accused of being a bully.
Lets hope this will weed out the time wasters, put the remainder on an equal footing with the private sector and maybe the public will start getting the services it pays for.

Please don't judge us all by what you have experienced. Myself & my colleagues do a damn fine job, under often difficult circumstances with often very difficult young people. Some LA workers may have a poor attitude but we're not all the same. Where I work, we're only off sick when we absolutely have to be, we're too concientious to be otherwise, we know we'd be making the working day more difficult for the rest of our colleagues, and possibly letting down our service users. We don't have duvet days, a few haven't even taken all their annual leave, or toil time due in the past, we'll be making sure we do now, now that it looks like the end of the line for us.
My husband works in the private sector and he took a 5% pay cut, his manager took a bigger hit and he's had concerns over his employment in the past. Thankfully, things appear to be much more secure now but who knows if that will last? And don't think shirkers only exist in the public sector, they don't.
I agree cuts have to be made and there are some cuts I agree with, but this will hurt the vulnerable young people in this country, when crime rates and teenage pregnancy rates go up, along with more young people who won't get jobs or training, perhaps then the Government will realise they may have made a mistake.

MumOf2

Well, I posted on 10th Jan saying that university staff were under threat. And 2 days later my husband was advised out of the blue that he's in a pool at risk of redundancy - senior professor with a wonderful local, national and international reputation as a leading scholar in the top 5 globally in his field. High profile media appearances, devoted students and staff, prolific publisher of academic and research texts. 50% of the pool will go.

We're reeling.

MumOf2

herbily

Mumof2, so sorry _pale_ I've just been told I'm in a similar position (without of course having the international reputation, publications etc) so I know how bad that feels. It's not just that it's being done, it's being done so badly, in a way likely to cause maximum ill-feeling. I used to work in the private sector, and there it was done quickly, and you generally knew it was just business, nothing personal. At the moment it's like being at the dentists for weeks without anaesthetics. Hope your husband pulls through.

MumOf2

So sad for you, Herbily. I do hope this all works out OK for you.

You're right - weeks at the dentist having root canals without lignocaine. The process itself is like chronic and prolonged torture. They've told him different versions of the background and the current situation, haven't given him correct or full information about the process from this point forwards, and are now talking in some strange language and in a tone he doesn't recognise at all. They've contravened the Data Protection Act too.

He's being his usual wonderful self. I alternate between crying and shaking. This may sound awful but it's not the money really, it's the job he was born to and loves, his research students, his own research, his colleagues here and overseas. Also the fact that if he stays it will never be the same again. All trust is gone and it will leave a very bitter taste. And deep-seated empathy and sympathy with the ones who do go, all of whom will leave a huge hole in everyone's life.

Do you know the other thing that really p**sses me off? University managers are often failed junior academics who are moved into management because they're dead wood in academic posts. And the union reps have a huge amount of influence in the decision-making process. These two groups of people have the gall to sit in judgement on the worth of a senior professor.

I'm going to cry again.

MumOf2