I don't have any idea why it happens, but asking for a double digit pay rise to bring you back into line with several years single digit pay rises in the private sector is always a hard sell. And I doubt the unions can negotiate a triple lock or something similar to achieve standard pay rises throughout a period of 'steady' growth.
Comparison to the private sector in general is fraught with issues, you'd have to find comparable sectors and factor in the lack of risk with working in a nationalised industry.
Glad I bought up the topic though, it's going to be really interesting to see how the unions and labour mix. My suspicion would be that the unions accept the low end of fair and labour agree to regular, not drawn out reviews , maybe a pay review body. Labour's biggest risk at the following election will be if they are seen to have been bent over by the unions.
I remember a conversation I had with someone many years ago that's stayed with me to this day.
Any soft bas.. can make cuts, any soft git can come in and chop chop chop. that takes no skill. the real skill is creating, creating jobs and growth in the company or the country in this case, always did my head in when these Torys were given credit for taking what they called difficult decisions. boll. it wasn't difficult to chop, anyone can do that. it's being able to cut out inefficiency while continuing to grow that should impress.
Wes Streeting was talking about cutting out the STUPID in the NHS, he gets it. about time too, ask the NHS workers themselves for imput, what annoys them the most when it comes to wastage and money thrown down the drain.
The same attitude should apply to all nationalised company's, cut out the inefficient practices but don't chop just to get profits bigger. it's also about providing a service.
I don't know about anyone else but I don't look at our Railways as in the same group as the NHS, Electricity+Gas and maybe Water. another set of wage negotiations should be set up for them.
Recent Posts
