Doctor's strikes

Neither did the private sector!. The Banking system did cause the Global financial melt-down but after government prolific spending that gave us the highest debt in Europe with little to show for it also shares a responsibility. It failed to regulate the banking system and cosied up to that economy and left manufacturing to fend for itself. Now we know that choice has failed our chance of a quick recovery, it was O.K. while the sun shone but we are in a b....y hurricane now.

As I have just said on another thread. As Liam Byrne said on leaving government, ' Good luck, there's no money left'. Said it all to me.

This is what really gets me POGS there is no money left and "they" just don't get it. Still pushing for more money, better pensions etc. and still heaps of non-jobs.

I have friends working in the public sector who don't actually know what it is they are supposed to do and are now biding their time to retirement. why do we think this can continue?

Manufacturing in this country has been ignored for so long. Speaking from experience it is impossible to get any help from the bank, loans and grants are very much a thing of the past.... But the economic development department in our local authority is thriving ! Doing what I wonder?

I fail to see why the public sector should not be affected in the same way as the private sector. Yes, we are all in it together whether we like it or not and there is no good reason to treat either sector differently.

I agree with you, POGS, gillybob and Alison.

Gillybob please don't tar all private sector businesses with the same brush. We have a company with 30 employees and like to think we are family orientated - time off for emergencies; shifting of hours for school runs, sports days, nativities etc and no pay docked. Many have elderly parents needing help and we do our best to accommodate requirements. We are not alone in this because businesess find that overall employees don't take advantage but give of their best if there is understanding. After all we spend a great deal of time at work! If they do take advantage then that's a different story and luckily very rare.

I think you are therefore very lucky goldengirl . This is certainly not typical of the private sector and certainly not in North East manufacturing or retail.