howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
15 February 2010
21:0340712just been watching the edited highlights of mr smooth and the shadow chancellor giving it large.
between them they were going on about the poor and how the reds have let them down and then espoused the virtues of workers co-operatives.
it looked like they were ready to call each other comrade and give a duet version of the red flag.
yours utterly confused
dover
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
16 February 2010
00:4640725Took this picture of the sky last summer.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
16 February 2010
00:5840726 Not sure where the helicopter was going, but they`ll be more sky news tomorrow.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
16 February 2010
08:0040730Howard. No need for confusion at all this is just a logical next stage development of Mrs T's privatisation policies and small Government. Pure Conservative thinking though he is using language previously been more associated with the left (though not the actuality of the policy).
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
16 February 2010
08:3140732To expand on my last post and explain further.
Back in the 80's one of the successes was the privatisation of local services through contracting out. This saved taxpayers a lot of money and, when they got the contracts and contract supervision right, led to better services. Though I admit that at times there were some 'false starts' when trying to get it right. The first loo contract in Dover being an example, the first was a bit of a dud and required action to resolve but the subsequent contract worked well.
The employees were given the chance to bid for these contract for their particular service and often won the bids.
So these co-operatives now featuring in Conservative policy are a development from that. This could work well for services that would not be appropriate to fit the older more commercial model for contracting out.
This is perfectly in line with the whole shift of Conservative policy towards personal responsibility and small government. This is about an end to top down control and giving staff more say and influence over their workplace and even their pay.
I was encouraged by the opposition to it from Unite, the Union, they hate it for exactly the reasons I like it. this will reduce their influence and end national pay bargaining.
16 February 2010
09:5240741Success? Contracting out of services? There has been more infection, death and hardship caused by the contracting out of domestic services in hospitals than any amont of dirty hands.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
16 February 2010
10:1240744No bern you cannot blame that on contracting out. You can blame that on managers and on the way contracts are drawn up and the contract supervision. Ultimately its the managers fault.
16 February 2010
10:2340751But, with the greatest respect, it did not happen when domestics were part of the teams o wards, and managers managed everything to do with their own locality. Owenership of and buying into a project cannot be franchised out.
16 February 2010
10:2440752Now come on Barry, be fair. You and I both know British Managers don't receive the level of training required to be properly effective at what they are expected to manage. Therefore the fault must surely lay with the workers who are usually a lazy bunch of so and so's?
16 February 2010
10:3140757Bern is absolutely right. The domestics were an integral and valued part of the ward team. They always knew how Sister liked the ward run, and believe me in the old days, Sister's word was law. But cleaning in the wards was not always down to the domestics. Nurses also used to be responsible for cleaning their equipment. I remember many a happy (!) afternoon spent cleaning out the sluice.... But however, we also used to clean trolleys, including their wheels, ditto beds. People say these things were a waste of time, but we had nothing like the level of infection that exists now. Everything was constantly cleaned. Heaven help you if found standing around - tho' fat chance of that - because there was always something to be cleaned. This was only 35 years ago. Sorry, have veered off the original topic but feel so strongly about this!!
16 February 2010
10:354075916 February 2010
10:5240763Diana is right - back in the dark ages when I trained as a nurse we used tio seek out things to clean! On nights I would strip out the clinic room and clean it. The infections and cross-infections we have now were not a risk then. The way teams are managed matters and it is simply not viable to manage multiple teams in one area into which members have to buy, or feel accountable. Some things cannot be franchised out, no matter how good the managers!! But Sid is also right - the buck stops with management, sadly (I speak as one who knows). If the staff are idle, sack 'em!! But do it the right way, for goodness sake!!!
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
