Yesterday I attended a PCS privatisation forum in London, which set out to inform and prepare reps for the continuing and increasing threat of privatisation to public services. There were many interesting speakers who explained how the various initiatives are flawed and do not provide better, cheaper more efficient public services. One of the speakers also pointed out that many countries who have privatised their public services are in the process of putting some of them back into public ownership.
The aim of the forum was to give ativists the opportunity to discuss the issues and help them face the challenges ahead.
Before catching the train back a few of us stayed behind for a chat to catch up with each others past and future events etc. A couple of us left to catch the train before the others, I especially didn’t want to be wandering round my local railway station too late at night when the goblins were out.
The train journey was quite smooth, apart from my ticket not opening any of the automatic barriers. I had to flash my ticket and be let through manually every time. Unfortunately due to the disconnectedness of the different rail companies, the London train arrived in Birmingham one minute after the one we needed to catch out of Birmingham. This meant an hours wait on Birmingham station! Then of course we had the usual problems with the signals that caused the train to keep stopping!!!
By some sort of strange anomly in space-time continuum the two people who left an hour after us managed to overtake us and ended up joining us on the train at the first stop after Birmingham…
I didn’t think there were many public services left that are not privatised, apart from the Royal Mail of course, and that won’t be long.
As to the time warp, I think that the railways companies do it on purpose just to prove that they can:)
There are still quite a few in the Civil Service, but that is slowly changing. The PCS Union has worked to stop and delay some of the initiatives. I think not being affiliated to the Labour party helps.
I think I figured out the trick to the time warp
These are very difficult times for our health service with longevity and a booming population. I am particularly concerned about our care for the elderly, particularly those with dementia, who have so many difficulties and are often alone with noone to speak up for them.
I hope you are well, and keep up the good work.
Very difficult times for the health service, they really need to get rid of some of the admin staff and get more nurses etc.
I am well and thank
I think Connex illustrated your point some time back.
Yes they did, I had forgotten about that!
I always think of train travel as so much better than travelling by plane but it does have its downsides. I once wrote a rather romanticized post about travelling by train and a friend from India said, you haven’t travelled on Indian trains. No indeed. Maybe it could have been worse Cherie.
I think the problem was that my ticket didn’t work at the barriers and on one occasion there was a bit of a problem going on so it was difficult to get through manually… So apart from that it was quite a nice journey
The curse of the Health Service are Administrators – bring back Matrons.
If you can get the Warp to work, go back and get rid of Beeching.
That would be a most excellent idea if I could do it!