But the British farmer is having a bad time at pressent don't pick on him
I was merely pointing out that the farmer seems to enjoy the same invincibility to economic law as the firemen do.
The subsidy system and compensation for foot & mouth are issues that i deal with regularly at work. What you need to consider is that farmers do not only have the benefits of subsidies and compensation schemes, they also enjoy generous Tax, VAT, and surplus production purchase policies which make it a much safey business than most. If i set up a shop, and am unable to make a profit then i will go bust - not so the farmers. Also, they may make small net profits when expressed as percentages of sales (and other) income, but i think you will find that due to the high level of sales involved, it is still a good money spinner
Put it this way - EVERY SINGLE ONE of my farmer clients gets more money in their pocket per year than i do. Its a hard life eh?
Current subsidy system for farmer results from our inability of to feed ournation during WWII and the resitsance of european nations to change the system in partiular the frence where 6% of the nation are employed on the land as oposed to less than 1% in UK. The UK is one of if not the most efficient farming industry in Europe.
Many industries in a similsr situation have failed (coal) of moved prodution abroad which is not practial of politicall desirable
Like any industry in flux which is being politcally manipulated there are winners and losers
> In the face of industrial action by members of the armed forces, the
> government has announced that the Fire Service will, as an interim
> measure, carry out military operations in Iraq.
>
> The army, who have demanded a 40% pay increase on the basis that
> their job has become rather more technical since 1945, will recommence
> strike action next Thursday unless a compromise pay deal can be agreed
> in the meantime. Their intensive training will commence with reading
> newspapers, standing around little bonfires, rubbing their hands
> together and waving at passing vehicles who honk their horns at them.
>
> Crack Fire Service personnel, highly trained in playing darts,
> brewing tea, sliding down poles and playing volleyball, are understood
> to be on standby to take up front line operations. Using their "red
> goddess" vehicles instead of tanks, they will race towards Iraqi lines
> and attempt to annoy the enemy into surrendering by making a lot of
> noise and spraying them with water.
>
> Prime Minister Tony Blair has already stated that the Fire Service
> strike of last year proved that a vastly undermanned service with
> limited training and unsuitable equipment can perform the duties of a
> well-trained, well-equipped and well-manned professional force equally
> as efficiently and without loss of life.
>
> When it was pointed out to him that the bright red fire engines might
> make an easy target for enemy fire, Mr. Blair said, "Never mind, we've
> got too many firemen as it is. err, is that camera running?"
>
> Asked for his comment, Britain's partner in the coalition in the war
> against Iraq, US President George W. Bush, said: "Can I have a go on
> the siren?"
And Mr AWOL...good points about the farmers...did I forget to mention that all three of the Armed Services were "called" up during the Foot and Mouth crisis to burn and dispose of Britains cattle. I bet not many people realised that, it was a considerable number of people too....not many firemen (if any) helped with this most unpleasant task and come to think of it, it was very upsetting for the farmers too...Ho hum...
Cutting fire stations and Firefighters job will put more members of the public at risk and more people will die. At the moment if you dial 999 and ask for the Fire service you will get a Fire engine on its way to you immediatly, ask for an ambulance it will take them much longer to reach you if they have one available!! As for the police you might get someone eventually depending on what the problem is !!. Firefighters arnt just striking for a pay increase now they are striking to protect not only their own jobs and safety but also the safety of the general public !!
Yes, and if you believe that you'll believe anything....
If they've really got public safety foremost in their minds, why not take a 3% payrise like other public sector workers are getting and campaign for all the extra money they wanted to be spent on more engines, more modern equipment etc etc instead of demanding it goes in their pockets!
You just dont get it do you, the old pay formula which was well out of date would have given a pay rise of around 3-4%, now the deal is 3-4% and cuts and so called modernisation?, how does that work then?. And how do you suggest a campain to get more money for new appliances would work?. Should Firefighters go out and collect for it at the local supermarket ?. The problem is the general public only want the fire serivce when they need it , basically when they are in trouble, then Firefighters are everyones best friends. At the moment Fire services are punished for doing a good Fire safety job and driving calls down, they have thier budgets cut !!. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but it is afact that you wait for Police to attend incidents and the same with ambulances, when you dial 999 when your house is on fire the last thing you want to be told is "sorry we've got no one available at the minute, we will get someone around as soon as possible". Trust me if the government has its way that is what you will be looking at!!
when you dial 999 when your house is on fire the last thing you want to be told is "sorry we've got no one available at the minute, we will get someone around as soon as possible". Trust me if the government has its way that is what you will be looking at!!
No, if the government has its way, some of the fire fighters will resign, they will be replaced by some of the thousands of people currently prepared to do the job on current pay levels, and the world will go back to normal.
See the post where erm is offering someone his chrome hoops for £300, and read his little economics lesson. The firefighters need to realise that only when supply is short can you hold people to ransom for a product or a service!
40 appliacants for each job, yep thats true, a percentage won't get past stage one of selection, a percentage fail the fitness part, same for the medical, and so on, when you finally get to the interview you might end up with one possibly 2 who are suitable to go on the training course. i am sure loads of people would want to be brain surgeons or Airline pilots but how many are suitable?. You shoudnt be so quick to belive and quote everything you read in the papers.
