To think the public sector will get worse under Labour

That's interesting as I've worked in both the public and private sector in schools

By far the easiest job I've had was at a private school where I had 14 in my class, a full-time TA and plenty of non contact time for planning, marking etc, while my class had lessons with specialist music, PE, French and swimming teachers.

So I have to say I disagree.

@askmenow

Thank you for your voice of reason.

I temped in a public sector organisation a little while back and, having come from a private sector background, it was almost laughable.

What people counted as 'stress' was generally a little bit of pressure. Almost all had a complete lack of 'oomph', the pace made me want to stick needles in my eyes.

You're 100% correct that the vast majority of public sector workers would get eaten alive in a truly high pressure private sector environment

Given that I already work over my hours every week and don't get paid for overtime (instead we get to write it on a time owing sheet and watch it accrue as we can't take the time back) then that sounds a much better prospect tbh.

I'm public sector. You get the odd person who takes the piss but then I've come across those type in the private sector too. If anything me and my colleagues tend to drag ourselves in when we really should be off because we know the staffing is so abysmal.

I looked at the graph.

It indicates that since 2020 sickness absence in the private sector has increased by 44% and in the public sector it has increased by 33%. That points to increased sickness absence being caused by a broader societal issue rather than something unique to the public sector. Your graph also shows that sickness absence in both the private and public sectors trended downwards the last time we had a Labour government. How do you think it shows it will go up under Labour?

The graph also makes the gap between the two sectors look larger than it is by not starting the graph at zero, a pet peeve of mine in this sort of data. There’s no real reason for the graph to start at 1.5% and it makes the first-glance impression deceiving.

Oh goodness. Compare that graph to the one the OP linked in her opening and was annoyed that people weren’t referring to. I know us humans are hard wired for pattern recognition but I think next door’s cat could see what I’m seeing 😆

I will soon show up in those sickness statistics. I have cancer. In public sector I’ll be on unpaid sick leave soon enough ( the benefits aren’t as amazing as everyone makes out) ! If I had my old job in private sector I’d be facing unemployment instead so I wouldn’t show up as sick in their stats. I imagine I’m not unique in that respect.

The public sector is under massive strain because the Tories have made experienced staff leave (they changed their T's and C's to reduce them first) and privatised many services. The private contractors then offer a reduced service; less staff etc do that they can continue to make a profit.
That's why it's taking years for cases to get to trial, fewer staff to answer phones and queries, reduced nhs services, fewer border staff etc etc.

Can it get worse? Seriously!

Maybe connected to this?

Well it took 14 years for the Torys to run things down to the state they are in today, but the people shouldn't stand for it if everything isn't fixed straight away and paid for with beans because of the fallout from the Trussterfuck?

Lots of public sector workers have to work at home due to them selling off offices due to under funding. This happened at the council I worked at 8 years ago - long before the pandemic.

I would imagine long term sickness has to do a lot with having to support people with no funding. It’s heartbreaking trying to help people in social care when you know there is no money to do so.

Goodness yes. You don't want Labour throwing money at the public sector when rich Tories need it.

Yes, but it will get worse whoever gets in.

@Voterswung completely correct. There's plenty more to come if Labour win this election.

www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2023-07/atisn18602.pdf

@Elphame and if I am correct 100 grand on stonewall.

Stonewall was possibly given 100 grand by the Welsh gov.
I don't feel confident quoting figures as there is usually some caveat. I'd be happy for someone to fact check me.

I can’t speak to what’s been going on in Wales, I’m aware of the things you mention but don’t know the details so this may not be a good response in this case.

We get that sort of criticism quite often ‘why are you building that when we want this’ sort of thing. We actually have very little discretionary budget. Most of the big things we do are as a result of a central government decision which is often announced before speaking to anyone here first - an example here is a new by pass for one of the towns, another town needs one more and the town getting the new by pass is losing its library, leisure centre and a whole chunk of park maintenance. The trouble is that central government ponies an amount of money that sounds like a lot but is usually about 60% of the actual cost, plus we have to draw it down in this financial year. This results in two things - officers have to leap away from the work they are doing on local priorities to try to deliver and try to make the best of it, plus raid the discretionary budget (that had been allocated to local priorities) to make up the shortfall. We cant raid the money from other central government demands, they ring fence that so everyone else gets another salami slice off their budget.

Without a doubt if Wales is any indicator.

Labour has cut public service funding again and again and again but still seems to find the money to spend £33m on new 20mph road signs and even more money for another 30 or so Cardiff politicians. They don't seem too bothered about the £120m that went missing from the North Wales health authority either.

Our local council has just had to slice 5% from their education budget. Hundreds of jobs will go and the children who are already being short changed will have their educational prospects worsened still further.

@DontBiteTheCat it's not a question of funds it's what they do with it.

Millions on a relief road that was scrapped
Millions on a farm for a festival
Millions on putting WiFi in A&E
Millions on road signs and a potential few million more to change some of them back
Millions on new members of the Senedd

No money for education.

No, why would it? It’s the CP that has declared it will lose 80,000 civil service posts.

No not at all.

Who funds the Labour government in Wales?

In all honesty it most probably will.

Labour government here in Wales who are ruining the public sector.

Only today we've had 245 school staff made redundant here, 100 of them teachers. The laughable thing is they have somehow found millions to add over 30 new members to the Senedd but there's no money for education.

If Starmer was telling the truth when he said Wales would be the blueprint for a Westminster labour government then best of luck.

I can't imagine, in the face of cuts, Covid, etc why some sectors have higher sickness levels - such as the NHS, Schools, Social Care, Police?

All the services cut drastically, increase in demand, stress and pressure - it's going to cause long term issues with stress - oh and you know, pesky things like long covid?

Working from home during lockdown meant I could work when I had Covid - I wouldn;t have been able to go into the office!

Was just thinking the same lol 😁
AIBU to think the sky will fall in under Labour?
Reminds me of Chicken Licken 😁