War on the public sector and unions

[I1L2T3]

Take some of your own advice perhaps and provide a link?

In this case, there must be one.

 

No problem

 

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/method-quality/specific/economy/productivity-measures/productivity-handbook/index.html

 

---------- Post added 03-10-2015 at 15:43 ----------

 

Refrain direct words like "dumb" at me, and suggesting that I need a "lesson on real life". Then we won't have a problem.

Most of us on here manage to be "robust" and challenge others' opinions without impugning the intelligence of our opponents.

You'll notice I've made no objection to El Cid's posts on here even though we've managed to disagree as much as any 2 people can on a subject.

If you don't understand what my problem is with some of your posts in reply to me, I don't think I can explain it any more clearly. I'll just content myself with ignoring your posts and debating with everybody else.

 

I said the argument was dumb, not that you are dumb. I don't think that for a minute FWIW.

 

You do tend to pepper your posts with sweeping generalisations though. I find that kind of irritating with regard to public sector workers because it simply isn't universally true.

 

There's slackers in the private sector too. I've worked with plenty of them through the years

[unbeliever]

 

You do tend to pepper your posts with sweeping generalisations though. I find that kind of irritating with regard to public sector workers because it simply isn't universally true.

 

There's slackers in the private sector too. I've worked with plenty of them through the years

 

 

I've already agreed that there are such useless people in the private sector as well. I'm sure there are lots. I am simply of the opinion that there are many more in the public sector. Having worked in both, I've seen the difference.

 

The kind of waste I observe is by its nature difficult to quantify. I never said I could prove it. I can't. I'm a big fan of evidence and I don't have any. I don't expect to convince union fans. Even if I could prove the wastefulness of the public sector, I can't prove that it's down to the unions. This is all my personal opinion, and it's entirely anecdotal. I never said otherwise.

There does come a point when anecdotal evidence is so strong that one becomes confident of the conclusions one draws form it. That's where I am with this issue.

 

I'm certainly not the only one who's observed public sector waste and their general make-work attitude.

[El Cid]

I'm certainly not the only one who's observed public sector waste and their general make-work attitude.

 

A make work attitude sounds like a good thing.

 

If there is a difference in cost of public vs private, it will be small, or the Tories would be pointing to the evidence.

There may be waste in the public sector, but that is cancelled out by the private sector profit.

[unbeliever]

A make work attitude sounds like a good thing.

 

It isn't. It means that you generate non-productive activity and pretend that it's useful.

 

There may be waste in the public sector, but that is cancelled out by the private sector profit.

 

No. It isn't. History is quite clear on the matter. Look at the nationalised car industry.

[El Cid]

Look at the nationalised car industry.

 

Companies go bust, that happens with private companies too.

[RonJeremy]

Companies go bust, that happens with private companies too.

 

Companies in the private sector don't last 20 years of bust making rubbish cars and being badly run and badly staffed.

[El Cid]

Companies in the private sector don't last 20 years of bust making rubbish cars and being badly run and badly staffed.

 

Skoda made cars from 1945 to 1990

[Manlinose]

The British car manufacturers were nationalised precisely because they had been badly managed as private companies and were struggling to survive (partly because of appalling industrial relations), but mainly due to them designing and building too many badly designed and manufactured cars which couldn't compete with Ford, Vauxhall and the influx of Japanese cars

 

The fact that the decline continued after nationalisation was down to the continued poor management, not simply because it was a nationalised industry - it was propped up by Government for broader economic reasons than simply looking at its P & L account in isolation

 

P.S. Skoda was state controlled for about 40 years until the Czech Government transferred a stake to Volkswagen