PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS TO STRIKE

Well what does it take for Public Sector workers to realise that they are not exactly liked by anyone other than themselves?  The Private sector quite naturally envies public sector pensions, the length of their working week, and their holiday entitlements.  And who in the Public Sector would like to compare their general level of sickness absence with that of the private sector?  Oh no !!! Do I hear my public sector colleagues mumble the word "stress"? Well guess what ? Stress also exists in the private sector where frankly in my observation it is greater and more prolonged.

Make no mistake the perception of many a normal fellow is that public sector workers are already an over-paid, under-worked, under-performing bunch with disproportionately generous pension arrangements,  who on the whole are responsible for a scandalous waste of tax-payers money given the overall benefit derived. That is the perception and it's only reinforced by any amount  of whimpering.

For example take the MOD.  I've no idea whether servants in the MOD will join the strike but if they do they should bear in mind that Lord Levine has described that particular bunch as bedevilled by weak decision-making and poor accountability with insufficient focus on affordability and proper financial management ( or words to that general effect ). Heaven forbid ! What has been going on ?  This suggests that not only are the numbers of staff excessive but that quality is also lacking.

I'm going to hazard a guess that similar deficiencies could be found to a greater or lesser extent in pretty much every government department, in hospitals, throughout the education system, in the police and fire services, the courts and job centres (?!),  prisons and no doubt others.

If this country is going to avoid going down the drain along with several of its inefficient and / or lazy European bedfellows it will have to pull itself together. Whether or not we like it this surely means doing everything possible to stop any scandalous waste of taxpayers money ?  Given that striking workers are not paid by their employer perhaps Thursday's planned strike will be the start of an inadvertent step in the right direction.