Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Pay
That means, in effect, that I will be getting a pay cut!
You can be sure that when it comes to MP’s pay rises that they will be above inflation and they will get a huge amount of extras. Mr. Brown, I’m sure, will be pleased to accept his pay package.
The other thing about working for the County is that pay scales and details of pay rises are not exactly well publicised. When I worked for Asda, although the pay was poor and rises were poor, at least you knew what you were getting and when. There was no doubt about what and when you were getting.
I think the Council could learn a thing or two!
School Holidays
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Teacher. You are employed on a full time (or part time), 52 weeks per year contract and get 13 weeks holiday. You are not expected to work in the holidays (although to be fair some do).
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Full time support staff. You are employed on a full time, 52 weeks per year contract and get roughly 6 – 8 weeks holiday depending on length of service. You have to work in the holidays.
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Part time support staff. You are employed on a part time, 39 weeks a year contract (term time) and technically get no holidays as you are not employed for those weeks. However staff are paid over the full year.
So why is it the majority of non teaching staff are part time? Cost of course, it’s a lot cheaper to not pay people for 13 weeks a year.
The other side of the coin is why are teachers paid for 52 weeks a year? I guess it’s all down the power of the teaching unions and the lack of power and interest from the unions representing the support staff.
Oh well, at least I’ve got a few quiet weeks before my hols!
Terrorism, London, Glasgow, Chesterton & Bradwell!
I feel sorry for the kiddies of these people. If they are involved (and we must assume innocent until proven guilty), what will it mean to them? Mummy and Daddy tried to blow people up!
Also, it seems that the local F***wits are out in force again by hurling abuse to any person who may be Muslim – makes you proud doesn't it? 😉
Smoking
It will be nice to go into a pub or pub / restaurant without coming out smelling like an ashtray! There is an argument by the pro smoking lobby that it infringes their human rite to smoke. Tough! It's my right not have smoke blown at me. Even if there are non smoking sections, smoke always drifts.
It will be interesting to see what people say in the press over the next few days / weeks!
New PM
Oh joy, we have a new Prime Minister.
Personally, I think his first job should be to call a general election!
Etruria and Longport
Election Results 3
We only have to put up with the useless man on the County Council for another 2 years!
Election Results 2
Election Results 1
Oh dear, the residents of Bradwell weren’t sensible enough to boot out Labour 🙁
Election Day
Oh well that’s what I think, just hope people at least go out and vote!
Election Time is Here Again!
Well the Borough Council elections are next week and what’s happening?
Seems like Labour are still in a massive sulk as they lost last year :-). I can only hope they keep up their sulking and self destruct.
One thing that will be interesting is that in Wolstanton, my favourite County Councillor, who is also a Borough Councillor is also up for re-election. It’ll be funny if he gets kicked out!
Wi-fi is dangerous say Teachers
Oh dear one of the teaching unions are now saying that Wi-fi networks in schools are potentially dangerous.
MRSA
My Mum went to see a consultant yesterday as she has a hernia that needs operating on. She is, quite reasonably, worried about MRSA. Her consultant told her that as she's only going to be a day patient that it shouldn't be an issue.
What he did say though was that the number of nurses have decreased and the number of administrators have increased! So much so that it's the administrators who decide where cleaners go and where patients go on ward, not the doctors and nurses.
Which means in simple terms cross contamination is a major issue. It's all gone to pot in the last 8 years or so apparently.
So that would be only 2 years after Labour won power……..
What Is the Country Coming To?
The Government have decided to give pay rises to nurses etc. lower than the rate of inflation! Makes me wonder how bad my pay ‘rise’ is going to be in April. You can bet that MPs award themselves a hefty pay rise!
The County Council have raised their Council Tax by over the rate of inflation, but Newcastle Borough Council have managed not to. Having said that, the Labour Councillors are saying that’s because they were in power last year! This came from my County Councillor who is also a neighbouring Borough Councillor. One of the other Labour lot said that if they’d still been in power, they would have had a lower increase, but declined to say what it would have been. This is the lot who increased the Council Tax by nearly twice the rate of inflation last year!
They still have it in their arrogant little heads that they should rule by divine right! Fools, they’re as useful as a chocolate teapot! 😉
WHY?
The thing is, our ambulance service is the best in the country and West Midlands, put simply – isn’t! So we get the short end of the straw – again…………