Another public sector pay outrage

Thrugelmir

adouglasmhor wrote: »

We have lumberjacks in the UK? I think it's harvesters, machine operators and foresters.

FISA are extremely proactive in the forestry industry and safety standards have risen dramaticaly since the days of axes and wedges.

People are still foolish. I worked in the Agricultural sector for some years. Worst we had was a death when an employee fell into a grain silo and drowned. Needless to say the Company was hammered by the HSE. As many hazards including chemical, fertiliser, mill machinery, grain bulkers , fork lift trucks etc to take account of.

J_i_m

CLAPTON wrote: »

yes of course

so what are the figures for public sector jobs that don't have these issue e.g. many local government workers, central government workers, london transport workers etc etc?

I don't know, I've never needed to know the statistics. If you're interested why don't you contact various trusts under the freedom of information?

vivatifosi

chewmylegoff wrote: »

the majority of public sector employees sit behind desks and the only additional danger they meet every day compared to private sector employees sitting behind desks is the fact that the ceiling is slightly more likely to fall on their heads because their offices are always grotty.

Anecdotally I can say that isn't true. I worked in a very swanky interior designers office that wasn't even slightly grotty and a ceiling tile fell out and hit me on the head. It was definitely in the private sector. I haven't been the same since.

BillJones

Tromking wrote: »

It`s good you acknowledge that your own personal experience of the public sector was only as a Desk Johnny.

Hmm. Well, that's quite a dismissive term for people doing valuable work, bit more to the point, I didn't "admit" that at all, so please don't put words into my mouth.

Saying that I spent some time behind a desk is not the same as saying that I did nothing other than that.

Graham_Devon

BillJones wrote: »

Only if you rather dishonestly cherry-pick the examples, of course.

Yes, that would be a particularly silly way to debate and it's a good point which you have bought to the table. It's a good job I highlighted frontline workers!

Do you genuinely believe that lumberjacks, scaffolders, hod carriers, or trawlermen have less dangerous jobs than a desk-jockey in the MOD

Doh!

CLAPTON

J_i_m wrote: »

I don't know, I've never needed to know the statistics. If you're interested why don't you contact various trusts under the freedom of information?

I just thought that, as you posted so eloquently on the inevitability that the public sector would have higher sickness rates compared to the private sector (for all the 'right' reasons) that you may actually know some facts about the situation.
It appears that neither of us actually know on a 'like for like' similar job basis whether one is higher, lower or about the same.

adouglasmhor

Thrugelmir wrote: »

People are still foolish. I worked in the Agricultural sector for some years. Worst we had was a death when an employee fell into a grain silo and drowned. Needless to say the Company was hammered by the HSE. As many hazards including chemical, fertiliser, mill machinery, grain bulkers , fork lift trucks etc to take account of.

Chemical, fertiliser, fork lift trucks, mechanical diggers, scafolding, roofing, high cradles, stage lifts and gantries, etc. are all used in the public sector as well, not everyone in the Public Sector is a desk jockey or emergency services.

They have foolish people too, just like everywere else.

chewmylegoff

vivatifosi wrote: »

Anecdotally I can say that isn't true. I worked in a very swanky interior designers office that wasn't even slightly grotty and a ceiling tile fell out and hit me on the head. It was definitely in the private sector. I haven't been the same since.

But if you'd been in a public sector office two tiles would have fallen on your head and one of the lights would be flickering resulting in a perpetual headache.

Actually when I was in the civil service I worked in an overflow building which was actually nice and modern but our HQ was totally horrendous. The inside of New Scotland Yard was probably the worst office I've ever seen.

vivatifosi

chewmylegoff wrote: »

But if you'd been in a public sector office two tiles would have fallen on your head and one of the lights would be flickering resulting in a perpetual headache.

Actually when I was in the civil service I worked in an overflow building which was actually nice and modern but our HQ was totally horrendous. The inside of New Scotland Yard was probably the worst office I've ever seen.

When I worked in commercial property in the 1980s, we used to say that we'd let our worst property to the government or to British Telecom because they'd take any old cr*p. After British Telecom was privatised, there was only the government to rent your large floor plate cr*p to. Things have changed since then, but I bet with 25yr FRI leases there's a lot of horrid legacy stuff.

J_i_m

CLAPTON wrote: »

I just thought that, as you posted so eloquently on the inevitability that the public sector would have higher sickness rates compared to the private sector (for all the 'right' reasons) that you may actually know some facts about the situation.
It appears that neither of us actually know on a 'like for like' similar job basis whether one is higher, lower or about the same.

That's not exactly what I implied though. I don't know which sector actually has the higher sickness rate, nor do I or did I pretend to.

I used my experience and knowledge of some of the working environments to give valid reasons for how or why some public sector roles may be more susceptible to stress related illness. And why it isn't fair to make a general sweeping assumption that public sector workers on sick leave are simply on the take.

I wouldn't want to make sweeping assumptions about private sector sickness either, although in general I'd concede they are probably more private employers who'd take a stricter stance on the matter.

I think we as people need to be wary of judging others, for one can not pretend to know the next persons situation and contributing factors to taking time off work what ever sector they belong to.

I think we need to get away from this private v public, us against them thing.