Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 12:43 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

If that is what the government can afford then yes it is - why should this be any different from a commercial enterprise which incidentally is actual funding the increase.

Is it OK to award pay increases if productivity drops - a simple yes or no to both questions will do nicely

On point 2, I agree.

On point 1, I dont know if you are being deliberately daft or, whether you understand how local government in funded ?
The only way for local government to increase it's income is from local council tax or government grants, they aren't selling chocolate bars that they can increase the price or, make the bar smaller or, put out a 3 for 2 offer.
Their revenue comes from me and you and if we dont adequately fund our local services and reward the staff properly, what will happen to those services ?
Yes they can alway manage costs a little better and maximise the efficiency of their various departments, just like any other business but, then what ?
We've had the brakes on for the last 7 years, how much longer do you want to reduce the living standards of those who work in these organisations or should they employ people who cant find work elsewhere and are just "happy" to have a job.

Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 1:03 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

On point 2, I agree.

On point 1, I dont know if you are being deliberately daft or, whether you understand how local government in funded ?
The only way for local government to increase it's income is from local council tax or government grants, they aren't selling chocolate bars that they can increase the price or, make the bar smaller or, put out a 3 for 2 offer.
Their revenue comes from me and you and if we dont adequately fund our local services and reward the staff properly, what will happen to those services ?
Yes they can alway manage costs a little better and maximise the efficiency of their various departments, just like any other business but, then what ?
We've had the brakes on for the last 7 years, how much longer do you want to reduce the living standards of those who work in these organisations or should they employ people who cant find work elsewhere and are just "happy" to have a job.

I think you don't understand productivity - productivity isn't an increase in revenue its a way of doing the same with less resource or doing more with the same resource. This country has one of the lowest productivity rates in the EU perhaps if we increased our productivity the brakes would be released - just a thought?

Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 1:05 pm  

bren2k wrote:

As my unlikely new hero MC Saskilla said during an interview with Victoria Derbyshire the other day: "Theresa May doesn’t care about the mandem, she don’t care about the gyaldem, she don’t care about the under privilege, she don’t even care about black people, she don’t care about nobody, let’s be real."

Although I'd amend it slightly - what she cares about is clinging on to power at, it appears, any cost - including the tentative peace in Northern Ireland. Her own MP's are now having to defend and justify her robotic incompetence - and they won't put up with that for long, as the Tories hate weakness; she'll be gone before conference.

Agreed - she cannot last behaving the way she is.

Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 1:23 pm  

So Jeremy Corbyn went to visit the people who live around Grenfell as did the Queen, but Theresa 'Robot' May wont. Is this really the kind of person who wants the best for our country?

Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 1:24 pm  

bren2k wrote:

what she cares about is clinging on to power at, it appears, any cost

And why is her hubby always hanging about like a bad smell? Is he just making sure wifey is acting in his, I mean the country's best interests?

Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 1:33 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

On point 2, I agree.

On point 1, I dont know if you are being deliberately daft or, whether you understand how local government in funded ?
The only way for local government to increase it's income is from local council tax or government grants, they aren't selling chocolate bars that they can increase the price or, make the bar smaller or, put out a 3 for 2 offer.
Their revenue comes from me and you and if we dont adequately fund our local services and reward the staff properly, what will happen to those services ?
Yes they can alway manage costs a little better and maximise the efficiency of their various departments, just like any other business but, then what ?
We've had the brakes on for the last 7 years, how much longer do you want to reduce the living standards of those who work in these organisations or should they employ people who cant find work elsewhere and are just "happy" to have a job.

I don't know why you're engaging with this facile, Trumpesque argument that a country can be run like a business - it patently can't, and to distill it down to such simplistic notions misses even the most obvious differences between the two.

Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 1:47 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

I think you don't understand productivity - productivity isn't an increase in revenue its a way of doing the same with less resource or doing more with the same resource. This country has one of the lowest productivity rates in the EU perhaps if we increased our productivity the brakes would be released - just a thought?

Yes, I covered that one with "an increase in efficiency"

Even if the brakes were released AND there was an increase in efficiency, which going by numbers of patients treated in the NHS, does seem to have increased in some areas, Mrs May, STILL doesn't want to pay these people more than the 1% cap allows.

BTW, having been a company director for 25 years, I think I might know a little bit about productivity and cost management

Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:22 pm  

bren2k wrote:

I don't know why you're engaging with this facile, Trumpesque argument that a country can be run like a business - it patently can't, and to distill it down to such simplistic notions misses even the most obvious differences between the two.

No one is saying it should be run like a business - however the basic principles of operational and fiscal cost control and the drive to do things in a more efficient manner should still apply to the public sector?

1% efficiency saving in the NHS is worth £800m - that is my argument with Corbyn - who has suggested nothing about efficiency savings all he is saying is let's throw money at it primarily pay people more to do the same job.

Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:25 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

Yes, I covered that one with "an increase in efficiency"

Even if the brakes were released AND there was an increase in efficiency, which going by numbers of patients treated in the NHS, does seem to have increased in some areas, Mrs May, STILL doesn't want to pay these people more than the 1% cap allows.

BTW, having been a company director for 25 years, I think I might know a little bit about productivity and cost management

If you have been a director as long as you say then you would understand that the finances are not a bottomless pit and difficult choices sometimes have to be made. It easy in Jeremy's world - just give everyone what they want but you like I know that simply isn't possible in the real world.

Re: General Election 8th June : Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:36 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

If you have been a director as long as you say then you would understand that the finances are not a bottomless pit and difficult choices sometimes have to be made. It easy in Jeremy's world - just give everyone what they want but you like I know that simply isn't possible in the real world.

Corbyn is a Bruce Almighty!!