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Public Sector Strike, Wales, 30 Nov 2011
I watched a march in Carmarthen by public sector workers striking against Pension Cuts.
On this day schools, libraries, theatre closed while many buses were not running and the small bus station was unmanned with coaches coming in from other towns.
The march was only about 100m or so as they walked up the hill to the Castle Gate.
This is my opinion, with 300,000 unemployed in Wales and many public sector workers losing there jobs there is no economic argument to Strike. Even if pensions are cut many in the private sector have not or cannot afford pensions. In my opinion, not all but a percentage of the unemployed would be able to fill these positions. If there was a more competitive nature in place to public sector position these strikes would not happen.
After watching the noise of the strikers I walked around the town with many shops boarded up due to the economic recession and saw small traders in the rain carrying on as normal. Some traders not knowing a strike was going on a street away.
One trader-craftsman I spoke to does not make alot of money and has no private pension in place. Analysing who the strikers were it was not the young. lower paid or more expendable; it was the middle aged and more vociferous with better pay and probably in some cases a managerial role who were causing the mischief.
Private sector workers in many cases have higher educational levels and there is a different culture operating; if they do not like the price of a job or contract they just don’t do it and will not complain (or strike!) but in Wales it’s the public sector guys who in many cases are the better paid and have higher levels of job security.
In an economic recession there should be more pertinent reasons to strike than wage or pension levels. My apologies if I have annoyed anyone but I’m looking at things holistically.
My new Novel ‘Leaf’
At Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leaf-ebook/dp/B005Y0MX3S
at smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/99942
Environmental novel, exciting stuff!
Lot’s of thrills and Environmental philosophy rolled into a novel
St. Pauls Protest
Fantastic what the protestors are doing and the whole world is watching. Got to understand the problem is not a centre-right or centre-left government that is the problem but the size of government . Big government equals big business and big, big banks who have a devil-may-care attitude to lending and risk taking>they cannot fail.
Smaller govt>smaller banks>smaller businesses
Govt caused banking collapse by giving in on tax benefits
and unwritten guarantee that banks would be bailed out. We need small banks>mor eintegrity>less bureaucracy>more trust
let’s see if govt can get its act together
Protestors well done!!!
Seeing the Anglican Hierarchy in it’s true light; Christ favours the poor and small guy but not the powerful and the authorities, Who is the Anglican bishop of London Backing?
Climate sceptics winning against scientifc truth
Proves that PR is more important than truth. The swanky communicators are more pervasive than the climate scientists.
Is global warming discernible to the average person ? Do we feel global warming?
For me I think it is slighly warmer than it was 20 years ago. Maybe subjective analysis like (and yours) is more truthful that stats flying about!
White Hart seen again
The animal that gives the name to so many English pub’s (or bars) has been seen again.
Hardly anyone has ever seen one including myself.
I have seen an albino swallow (very rare) and an albino blackbird but not sure if the White hart is affected albinism.
London Pulp; Short Synopsis
This gallery contains 2 photos.
London Pulp is the second novel and the first e-book by the Irish author Julius Johnston. Written in 2010. The novel is set in North London around Islington and in South East London in the borough of Woolwich. The novel embraces modern technology and how it affects our lives. Particularly the Internet Blog and the ability … Keep reading
Birds doing Better in Northern UK than in Southern Britain
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/its-grim-down-south-for-birds-as-species-fare-better-in-the-north-2359440.html
The linnet is down but the Chiffchaff is up. The decline of Birds in the South of England continues but the North does better. The author does not mention Wales. I have never seen or heard a linnet in Wales. The only skylarks I have seen are over on Ramsey Island. Farming is minimal on this Island.
The author blames a greater intensificatiuon of farming in the South. Also the possibility that Global warming is pushijg migratory birds Northwards.
The Willow warbler and chiffchaff are both recorded to be declining from woodlands in Southern England but are up over 31% in the North. The project does not mention Scotland or Wales which is a shame. Do birds give a shit about political boundaries? It would be interesting to see how declined Wales is in farmland birds or what the situation is in Scotland compared to the rest of UK. Politcs and Devolution……..!
fruit shake
Just love this new theme from wordpress. Banana’s! makes me want to eat more.
We are all running the wrong way < …?
Just an afterthought to my previous post on Ecological debt.
I think we are running the wring way. Not of course in ther developing world where poverty has a natural aquaintance with being Environmentally not over exploitative.
What do I mean? In the West and in my experience of living mainly in the UK and for a bit in the US …we are consumers, you don ont need me to tell you this! Consumerism is hand in hand with ‘Growth’ . Economies need to grow. Or that’s what politicians need to tell us. Inflation is always on the Up so healthy countries need to be going forward. We need to consume more. Get the new gear. Chuck your old PC in the trashcan. It’s gone baby. It’s the past. ‘Growth’ means future in economists lingo.
But growth and sustainability seem to be opposites. ‘Sustainable development’ . Development of what? Where is Jacques Derrida. I’m deconstruction talk.
We need to turn 180 degrees and go back. Let men and women do the labour machines do today for full employment. We need to go ‘Local’ to cut transport costs. Stop getting apples from a million miles away or buying mineral water from the alps when we can drink local .
No way we can stop it unless we all become anachronistic thinkers and look at the whole picture and that ain’t gonna happen.
