[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by Livia

To answer both your questions...

No, I don't work in the public sector, although you already knew the answer to that. My father though - first a soldier and then a paramedic with the London Ambulance Service - has never been on strike. In fact, he's crossed picket lines because he disagrees with militant people striking and putting other people's lives (and in this case, educations) in jeopardy. Considering the amount of money people pay to their unions you think they'd expect them to drag themselves out of the 1970s and represent them a little more effectively, frankly.

I think teachers don't work in holiday times because one of my best friends is a teacher in an inner-city primary school, and her husband is a teacher in an inner-city secondary school. While there is some lesson prep and marking etc. they generally don't work during the holidays.

I work with the public sector. Not directly with public services... but I do have contact with city, council and district councils and I have to say that most of the people I'm forced to deal with wouldn't be able to hold down a job in the private sector... and in many cases couldn't find their arse in the dark with both hands.

Having worked on both sides of the fence - I have to agree here. I've never seen so much laziness, waste of efficiency, time, equipment and work to rule as I did when I worked in several sectors of both civil service and in the public sector.

So much so that I went back into the private sector - so pissed off it made me watching people on inflated wages, booze hidden away in drawers, topping up their coffee with a quick slash and not one person bothering their arses, 2 hour lunches down at the boozers and coming back half cut - and watching the temps bust their guts and doing far better jobs for far less money.