trigger_andy

Well not to delve into Moonbat territory but spunking that much on Smartmeters and the almost constant bombardment of advertising/propaganda to have one installed coupled with the slow but sure enforcement to have one installed including only offering the best rates if you get one installed is clearly not for our benefit is it? If you look at how the Energy Companies, Offcom and the Government have held us in utter contempt during the supposed Energy Crisis you’d have to be deluded to believe that installing a Smart Meter is for the Consumers benefit at all. In fact the benefits touted for installing one is the supposed savings that come with their installation is purely from your own personal monitoring of your own personal usage. So only time will tell how the millions upon millions invested is clawed back and how it will be used in their favour.

I doubt they’ve spent millions if not billions upgrading everyone to a Smart Meter so it’s slightly less inconvenient for us to take a reading.

That’s about it just now…..

Most folk have water rates added onto their Council Tax but its not much if I remember correctly. Im band E and £1600 a year. I dont know how much the standing charge for water is as im not on it. But a quick google search says its £270 a year.

Fair enough. I know farms and large users are metered but did not know homeowners where. I'm lucky in that Im not metered nor do I pay for water on my Council Tax as Ive fallen through the cracks. Maybe its to do with my house being an old farm house?

Is there many on a meter in Scotland? I know a water charge is included in your Council Tax but then you can use as much as you want.

Gotta love free prescriptions. We’re so stocked up in our house it’s like we’re waiting on the Zombie Apocalypse.

Covid has been a massive boon for many corporations in that it’s been used as an excuse to set back working conditions hard fought for and won years if not decades. It’s primarily through Unionisation that these corporations have somewhat been held to account. The very generous working conditions and pay that we enjoy in Norway are constantly under attack from the Corps. But thanks to strong union laws, large scale unionisation and general support for the Unions we managed to fight off any degradation of our working conditions and pay. In fact through the threat of strike action and actual strike action we won better working conditions and better pay. Standing on your own two feet only gets you so far. Everyone is stronger when they work together.

I see you’re really struggling with this.

If you’re alone in your views on employment than that’s certainly the most viable option. If you’re unionised and find a significant percentage of the workforce is not happy at the proposals then you have the option to fight to ensure the working conditions you sighted up for are not eroded in the name of even more corporate profits. 🤷‍♂️

Royal Mail posts £726m profit amid pandemic demand for parcels | Royal Mail | The Guardian AMP.THEGUARDIAN.COM Growth in online shopping during Covid outbreak fuels dramatic turnaround for delivery company<br> Quadrupled profits yet they want to slash working conditions for their workers? Strike action is always the last resort and I for one fully support them if they do.

I really don’t agree. I have actually spoken with my local postie and it’s primarily not about pay but an erosion of working conditions. A serious erosion. Why should they put up and shut up or leave? There’s a 🤡 here that keeps spouting about how nurses signed up for their working conditions, well Posties have not signed up to have their contractual working conditions worsened. The RM has been ran into the ground since it’s been privatised. That’s not the fault of the Postie is it? They have every right to strike. Not just to ensure they keep the working conditions they signed up for but also to ensure their wages rise with inflation (at least) so they are not in effect being forced into a pay cut. If the RM cannot survive keeping the Posties in the same (or better) working condition’s they have now or can’t afford to pay their workers a wage that meets inflation (or better) then they deserve to fold and allow other private companies to compete in their monopoly.

Something needs to be done to stop the max exodus from the profession though. And on top of the high inflation cutting into their already meager wages they have an ever increasing number of assholes to deal with day in day out who do not respect them or what they do. Its an irrelevance to say that's what they signed up for. The goal posts have moved and if they are not properly compensated for the job they do they will find another.

He's just voicing what everyone is thinking.....

You’re a bit of a social sponge me old Eggs. I’ve noticed that after another member used a phrase or terminology you’ll do the same for a while til that said member uses a new one and you repeat the process. Gives me a chuckle.

I think the bar accounts for around 50% of the set-up cost so most likely not something for you as Id only be selling as a kit.

Im thinking of selling mine. PM-60-GB64 New Panther Horizon Heavy Chainsaw Mill with 64" Bar WWW.CHAINSAWBARS.CO.UK PM-60-GB64 New Panther Chainsaw Mill 60" with GB 64" Milling Bar .404 .063 180 drive links. The Professional's Choice In Chainsaw Mills.

But you are, and you did.

No, but then when the next round of wage negotiations are held they will be entitled to a significantly smaller increase. You do understand how these things work dont you?

You did. If you're winning the work due to not increasing your prices in line with the increased costs then you where most likely the cheapest quote. You also claim that by keeping your prices down below the rate of inflation you are winning work and the suckers that are putting their prices up will be crying next year.

Orrrrrrrr, you can strike.............

But they are putting their prices up and people are still accepting the price increases. If they find out next year they are getting less and less quotes accepted they can lower their prices until they gain traction. If you are to believed (doubt) that you earn the same as a Nurse does in a week in just over a day then you're prices are already considerably higher than your competitors and you can afford to hold off increasing your prices for some considerable time. Unfortunately for Nurses they are already paid so badly for the work they do they simply do not have the same cushion you claim you have. Inflation is hitting them hard, 10% inflation is effectively a 10% pay cut. But as we all know inflation is significantly higher than this with goods in the shops costing up to 30% more than two years ago. This is not sustainable for someone on a fixed income and considering they are keeping you and I alive and well they deserve to be not only keeping up with inflation but have a wage that reflects the work and skill their jobs entail.

More likely he's simply lying to try to prove a point. Either way he loses.

Like I said in my post, I knew you'd say that so pre-empted it. The fact of the matter is many here and many other self employed people have increased their prices due to cost increase and inflation. Ive witnessed it personally twice this week alone, one through a large company and one through a self employed forester. They are private companies increasing what they charge for a service due to market demands and cost increases on the fly. Nurses do not have this ability and rely on the unions to negotiate on their behalf to ensure they get a fair wage increase each year, when that breaks down there is nothing left but for strike action.

As Ive pointed out being self employed allows you to quote according to todays market. For example, Ive had someone in for three days removing stumps from my garden. Due to increased costs and inflation I had to pay considerably more than I would have one or two years ago. Those in the public sector obviously don have the option to bill accordingly can they? Their course of action is to negotiate through the union and hope for a desirable outcome. Generally this is only allowed once a year. If that falls through then the last resort is to strike. The Nurses have a lot to whinge about though. Im not sure they wish to trick others into their chosen profession by pretending its all rosey, the newbies would soon see it for what it is and leave again anyway. Real change is needed.