Lock Down?

[Johnsond]

11 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

I get that. I used to think the same. The thinking is sound, private companies are only interested in the shareholders, not the people they 'serve'. Being State owned the companies only goal would be to provide the best service to the customer. The thing it will never work like that. We just have to look at the NHS and how its ran to think what a disaster nationalizing the above services would be. Half a million in the NHS on over £100,000 a year. I never even realised they had that much employees.  The NHS pays ridiculous amounts for things like paracetamol compared to what it costs in tesco. Nationalise the Trains and we'll see variable force applicators being bought for eighty quid a pop.

 

We just have to look at the industry we're in. Why does Shell, BP, ENI, Equinor not have their own Well Services, Catering, Drilling,  Production, and Diving crews? Even in light of the fact all these services needing to turn a profit its still cheaper and more efficient for the operators to have all these service companies fighting over contracts. It drives technology, keeps prices at an absolute minimum and ensures efficiency. Where these services to be apart of the Oil Companies these services would become bloated and inefficient. 

 

I seen a documentary on the Rail Service a few years ago and it had past National Rail guys from Mechanics to Managers echo the same sentiments. Wish I could find it. I'll keep looking. 

Agreed and understood but I can’t help but want an alternative to the two options discussed. Efficiency and competitiveness etc equals profit and invariably the guys at the bottom of the ladder getting fucked over which pretty much describes the UK sector N Sea as it stands right now. 

[trigger_andy]

Just now, Johnsond said:

Agreed and understood but I can’t help but want an alternative to the two options discussed. Efficiency and competitiveness etc equals profit and invariably the guys at the bottom of the ladder getting fucked over which pretty much describes the UK sector N Sea as it stands right now. 

Well there's that too. The UK sector is in a seriously bad way right now. Ive buddies all over the globe seriously worried about their jobs. No one going to work, no planes flying means no demand for Oil, as you well know. 

 

But again looking at the NHS, do they look after their nurses? They are on peanuts for what they do. A qualified position, with real and increasing dangers and 24/7 BS from Drunks and they are paid something like £20k a year? Thats not even the bottom of the ladder and they are getting royalty shafted. 

 

I wish the bloody Council was privatised. A bigger shower of cunts you'll not see. Make those twats fight it out for contracts and need to economise.  

[Rough Hewn]

Well thats very true.
 
But with a raft of measures being put in place to allow the deferral of mortgages, rent, MOT, loans, gas, electricity etc what little some of us might have put by should see us good for food right?  
 
These are gonna be tough times, do we want wrapped in cotton wool? Are we now asking for a Nanny State? 

Deferral.
Build up a mountain of debt?
If I had to pay 3-4 months bills in one go I'd be bankrupt.
I've spent over 12 years investing in skills,training,machinery and a list of other crap too long to mention.
Sacrificed so much to be able to run a self sustaining business.
I started with a wheel barrow and a dying domestic chainsaw mate.
I've never had help from banks or other institutions.
Never had a bank loan or any other.
Paid for all my own tickets,
All my own kit.

And now I should just sell it all get a job in tescos????????????

Literally over my cold dead body.
?????

Essential work?
Yeah.
Being able to support my family is essential.
That's why I've got to go out to work.

I hope you get your 80% furlough mate,
Genuinely. I know you've got a tribe to care for too.
[emoji106]

[doobin]

23 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

Deferral.
Build up a mountain of debt?
If I had to pay 3-4 months bills in one go I'd be bankrupt.
I've spent over 12 years investing in skills,training,machinery and a list of other crap too long to mention.
Sacrificed so much to be able to run a self sustaining business.
I started with a wheel barrow and a dying domestic chainsaw mate.
I've never had help from banks or other institutions.
Never had a bank loan or any other.
Paid for all my own tickets,
All my own kit.

And now I should just sell it all get a job in tescos????????????

Literally over my cold dead body.
?????

Essential work?
Yeah.
Being able to support my family is essential.
That's why I've got to go out to work.

I hope you get your 80% furlough mate,
Genuinely. I know you've got a tribe to care for too.

I'm in a similar boat, but the difference that stands out for me is that I've had (and have) finance plus bank loans. Financing new machines was the thing that really got me going, to the point where I reckon I can weather this OK.

 

I've emailed this morning asking for 6 month payment holidays just because. The promised SE grant will be towards the top of the scale for me (so long as on net, not taxable income) and I do appreciate that that's more a question of how long you've been going (12 years in my case also)- to begin with, you have very little net profit as you are buying so many bits and bobs. Larger items come later, which are eligable for capital items relief.

 

My point is, not all debt is bad. That said, I don't think people should be force to take on debt for essential living costs due to government mandate shutdown- nobody could have forseen it and anyone who says they've made contingency plans for a pandemic well in advance is a fucking smug liar in my book. Nobody ever plans for the government closing down their business overnight. So I don't blame you for going to work to keep money coming in. I'm about to do the same. After all, this money coming in may well dry up entirely in the not so distant future.

[woody paul]

Had to go to doctors yesterday to get a wound looked at, strange ring bell on door redirected by staff to another door greeted by nurse looked at it cleaned and dressed it then wait for antibiotics stood at a distance till card machine put on desk contactless payment then stood back tablets put on counter and then stepped forward to pickup strange. 

Quickest I have been in and out of doctors, great service in these times we are in.

[Logdaft]

Heard a Dr. on TV saying in this time of Coronavirus staying at home we should focus on inner peace. To achieve this we should always finish things we start and we all could use more calm in our lives. I looked through my house to find things i'd started and hadn't finished, so I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Chardonnay, a bodle of Baileys, a butle of wum, tha mainder of Valiumun srciptuns, an a box a chocletz. Yu haf no idr how feckin fablus I feel rite now. Sned this to all who need inner piss. An telum u luvum. And two hash yer wands, stafe day avrybobby!!! 

[trigger_andy]

1 hour ago, Rough Hewn said:

Deferral.
Build up a mountain of debt?
If I had to pay 3-4 months bills in one go I'd be bankrupt.
I've spent over 12 years investing in skills,training,machinery and a list of other crap too long to mention.
Sacrificed so much to be able to run a self sustaining business.
I started with a wheel barrow and a dying domestic chainsaw mate.
I've never had help from banks or other institutions.
Never had a bank loan or any other.
Paid for all my own tickets,
All my own kit.

And now I should just sell it all get a job in tescos????????????

Literally over my cold dead body.
?????

Essential work?
Yeah.
Being able to support my family is essential.
That's why I've got to go out to work.

I hope you get your 80% furlough mate,
Genuinely. I know you've got a tribe to care for too.

Who said you should get a job in Tescos? 

 

Seems like the guidelines are slightly less muddied and folk can continue to go to work. Like I said in a previous post, your family comes first. Id be ignoring all the other bills.

 

As Ive not worked since December moneys been a bit thin, so Ive already had to call a couple of banks and tell them I'll not be paying them for a while, then this struck just as I was finally able to get back to work. Ive already burned though most of my savings. There is literally nothing left. The next thing I'll have to do is sell my old car, in a time like this Id be lucky to get half its value, if it sells at all. If I get furloughed, which thankfully is looking less likely, Id get zero help from the UK or Norwegian Governments. If I do get some work I'm gonna have to be away for my family for 6-8 weeks. Ive not had to do that for over 10 years now. Its going to be incredibly difficult for my wife with the wee ones and no real money coming in till 4 weeks after I actually do start working. The bills will get covered but thats about it. 

 

So we're really all in the same boat. For both of us providing for our families is essential and its gonna be tough for a while, for all of us. 

Edited March 27, 2020 by trigger_andy

[woody paul]

Hay fever season on the horizon so a lot more people will be sneezing, O shit.

[Stubby]

13 minutes ago, woody paul said:

Hay fever season on the horizon so a lot more people will be sneezing, O shit.

Sneezing shit ? that's a neat trick ! ?

[Khriss]

On 25/03/2020 at 18:08, Stubby said:

I notice , Andy that you have referred,  several times, to   C19  as " The Rona "  No one else does , is this the cool way to describe it ? ?

No, too much television is to blame there, like mam said,  k

Edited March 27, 2020 by Khriss
An too much time spent on social media...