Public sector strikes

[Deleted member 18588]

Have not users of the east coast line requested it stays in public hands? And it turns a profit I believe...

If your house was on fire and a team from G4S turned up I think you'd be a little disappointed...

Would never suggest emergency services, justice system or NHS should be privatised but, on the other hand, do you recollect the nationalised telecom system.

By either design or default spread into areas where the State has no need and, perhaps, no right to be involved.

 

[Old Skier]

Would never suggest emergency services, justice system or NHS should be privatised but.

So it's selective privatisation. They are as badly run as all the others.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

So it's selective privatisation. They are as badly run as all the others.

Yes it is selective, see my second paragraph.

 

[MegaSteve]

do you recollect the nationalised telecom system.

Sadly, I am plenty old enough to remember those days... Knew quite a few that did their apprenticeship with them in the days an apprenticeship was for 5 years not 5 weeks...

 

[Old Skier]

Yes it is selective, see my second paragraph.

If you think there is no need for them to be involved in the utilities to name but one, you need to spend a few days with me when I do my casework for a couple of well known charities.

I suppose if profit means everything then you have a good case.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

If you think there is no need for them to be involved in the utilities to name but one, you need to spend a few days with me when I do my casework for a couple of well known charities.

I suppose if profit means everything then you have a good case.

There are services such as health, defence, justice, law & order,fire service etc; the costs for which are met from direct taxation and the responsibility for their provision, therefore, falls upon the State.

The utilities and transport are products for which we pay from our disposable income and thus competition is essential.

I am certainly not suggesting that the current situation is perfect, far from it, but I do not accept that the old nationalised providers were better than the current.

 

[Old Skier]

There are services such as health, defence, justice, law & order,fire service etc; the costs for which are met from direct taxation and the responsibility for their provision, therefore, falls upon the State.

The utilities and transport are products for which we pay from our disposable income and thus competition is essential.

I am certainly not suggesting that the current situation is perfect, far from it, but I do not accept that the old nationalised providers were better than the current.

Unfortunately the private sector will always cherry pick which leaves many genuinely disadvantaged in a right pickle. Just looking how the care industry is going is enough to convince me there must be a more middle way.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Unfortunately the private sector will always cherry pick which leaves many genuinely disadvantaged in a right pickle. Just looking how the care industry is going is enough to convince me there must be a more middle way.

I agree regarding the care industry which, to me, should be part of the health service and, therefore, provided by the State rather than the private sector.

There is also no reason why the provision of products and services by the private sector cannot be regulated, but not controlled, by the State.

 

[Old Skier]

There is also no reason why the provision of products and services by the private sector cannot be regulated, but not controlled, by the State.

If OFCOM, OFGEM and all the other OFs are anything to go buy I'm not sure that works to well.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

If OFCOM, OFGEM and all the other OFs are anything to go buy I'm not sure that works to well.

The poor and disadvantaged were still cut off by the nationalised energy providers.

As I have said the current situation is not perfect by a long way but that is no reason to return to the equally failed old system.

Effective regulation should not be beyond the whit of any government (just the last few we have had).

 

[SocketRocket]

Would never suggest emergency services, justice system or NHS should be privatised but, on the other hand, do you recollect the nationalised telecom system.

By either design or default spread into areas where the State has no need and, perhaps, no right to be involved.

I would agree with that but have grave doubts about the NHS. It wastes massive amounts of money as people have no understanding or need to be cost effective. Personally I don't care who runs it as long as we get the very best value for our money and we are getting far from that.

 

[Foxholer]

I would agree with that but have grave doubts about the NHS. It wastes massive amounts of money as people have no understanding or need to be cost effective. Personally I don't care who runs it as long as we get the very best value for our money and we are getting far from that.

To be cost effective is NOT one of the NHS's targets! If it was, there would be many treatments and services it would not undertake, so many would die or suffer that wouldn't need to!

It should, however, not be 'wasteful', an accusation easily made and often embarrassingly correct - more often from personality clashes and hush-up edicts from management than clinical situations, though there have been a few disasters in that area too!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

To be cost effective is NOT one of the NHS's targets! If it was, there would be many treatments and services it would not undertake, so many would die or suffer that wouldn't need to!

It should, however, not be 'wasteful', an accusation easily made and often embarrassingly correct - more often from personality clashes and hush-up edicts from management than clinical situations, though there have been a few disasters in that area too!

The NHS is a shambles governance-wise., Senior management talk and act tough when it is easy. Middle management have too much hassle dealing with senior management doing so - and as a result let those they are supposed to manage pretty much manage themselves. And those who are supposed to be being managed are so fed up with not being managed properly and as a result their working life is chaotic that they just take advantage of the dysfunctional management 'system' to suit themselves. That's not to say the workers don't do a good job - many if not most do - just that a lot do it as, and often when, it best suits them.

 

[SocketRocket]

To be cost effective is NOT one of the NHS's targets! If it was, there would be many treatments and services it would not undertake, so many would die or suffer that wouldn't need to!

It should, however, not be 'wasteful', an accusation easily made and often embarrassingly correct - more often from personality clashes and hush-up edicts from management than clinical situations, though there have been a few disasters in that area too!

Being cost effective should be the aim of any organisation. The NHS spends very large amounts of money on equipment and consumables for example but there is no common purchasing policy that gets the very best price for the outfit as a whole. Treatment is different but even that should be offered in a cost effective manner so that nothing is wasted.