Absolutely! It looks very likely that the Conservatives will be out at the next election - and not a moment too soon! - but I’m not holding my breath that the next government will sort things out. It’s unfortunate that the media always ask where the money is coming from to invest in public services, but it’s a mistake to equate how a household or a business is run with how an economy is run. The sooner that is widely recognised the better.
Unfortunately anyone who votes Labour will be voting for the same thing. My advice would be to look carefully at the manifestos of any other party standing in your constituency.
And I’m afraid that New Labour did nothing to change that and Starmer will continue with neoliberal policies. We now have a “Labour” party which doesn’t advocate public ownership and has for instance been colluding with the water industry in order to avoid nationalisation, even though this is now a popular policy.
When profit becomes the prime motive then the service itself will deteriorate. Those who work in that service will find their workload increases and their working conditions worsen. A faceless conglomerate possibly based abroad cares not at all about loyalty to their workers or providing an excellent service.
This is what happens when public services are privatised and the state of this country is testament to this; nothing works properly any more and most of us are aware that we’re being exploited.
The NHS has been slowly privatised since Thatcher and this was accelerated during Blair’s time. We’re possibly going to lose it now, despite the protestations of our leaders, many of whom are in the pay of private health providers. We know what happens under privatisation, so I find it impossible to understand so much complacency. We won’t know what we had till it’s gone.
I'm a teacher and this is exactly what we have been warning is happening in education. We're short of teachers and we are striking to save our education system. We all need to stand together to defend our services, protest, strike and take to the streets to get these criminals out of office.
Interfering with the post is an offence that carries fines and imprisonment. It would be arguable, I think, that the powers that be in the Royal Mail are committing this offence by not ensuring an effective and well-supported service. No?
I used to be a postie, around 20 years ago. I remember the union meetings - my first ever, and I didn't understand what it was all about. More senior posties told me that the powers that be were trying to privatise Royal mail, water down the workers rights and compensation and make a difficult job really terrible.
Remember that posties walk around 8 miles, 5 days per week carrying 16KG up and down stairs, in all weathers. The pay back then was well above average but we earned it! There were a few perks of the job, eg. if you wanted, you could start work early and then finish early. Those old timers were right back then - it's all gone downhill since it's been privatised.
I live in S5 and our letter post has only been getting delivered once every week or 2 since 2020. People have complained about it on the next door app/website - Royal mail hasn't informed anyone, it's just been noticed that once per week or 2 we receive a load of letters and never one each day. Someone on nextdoor complained and said that they'd been given exactly the same guff as mentioned in the article - staff sickness. However, I think Royal mail have been strategically stopping deliveries in some areas and moving staff members from that 1 area to different areas which are short staffed, so as to provide a decent service in most areas, though a terrible service in those with no staff. I assume that S5 was suffering first and worst because it's poor.
I remember when it was a really good job to have and postal workers were treated with respect. I also remember when it cost three old pence to post a letter and it was a scandal if there was a delay in delivery! I think I heard in a parliamentary committee that managers have told postal workers to prioritise parcels over letters - they denied it but there’s proof that that’s what’s happening. What’s become of our public services is a real tragedy.
Cancelled trains, reduced bus services, shit in rivers, huge utility bills, post not getting delivered, affordable housing shortage. Have I missed anything, ah yes the probation service...and then there's the stealth privatisation of health and education.
No argument on the people and their worth score. I really contest the survival view however - I see no signs of an impending potential holocaust even as society fragments as demonstrated with drugs-stabbings -shootings -loss of faith in politicians- lack of tolerance in respect of folk who swim/speak against the tide -such events occuring in Sheffield where the latter were once rare for its size -I -like thousands of my age group- count myself lucky to have lived when I have, my parents and their generation faced a struggle to survive - WW2 for
The article is what the Tribune tries to do -to put a local touch and feel about what really matters ie not trans issues-well illustrated and composed.
There are plenty of people to whom trans issues really matter. Real people with real lives who are trying their best to survive. This city and this country are made up of all kinds of different people, all of whom matter.
Tribune wrote a really good article about the poor state of Sheffield's transgender health service not long ago. The reason you're seeing so much "coverage of trans issues" in national press is because of a concerted effort on the part of a noisy contingent of bigots to get trans people wiped out of public life. Trans people would largely like to be left alone, please.
When I worked 4 months as a post person in Reading in the 1980s it was a great job but so massively changed for the worse now.
Deficiencies in Postal Service a worrying, depressing business and another consequence of privatisation etc .
Refer to little paperback ( Dear Granny Smith. A Letter From Your Postman. Anon) which came out some years ago for some more, very readable, info on this.
Good on those Meersbrook B Road women for chasing things up!
My 86 year old father lives in South London, he has lost his hearing completely, so doesn’t have a telephone anymore. He also never coped with computer technology. The only means of communication I have with him is by letter. This is a less than ideal situation, even with regular postal deliveries. In his area (Lewisham) he has only had sporadic deliveries over the past 3 years and now it’s the same here. We have sleep walked into a world that cares nothing for humans and expects that everyone has a working smart phone on them at all times, for everything (and knows how to use it, can afford to pay for it, has reliable internet) Its inhumane and dangerous.
A fantastic article! I just love how The Tribune finds local stories which others may overlook - fantastic stories in their own right - and then makes sense of them within a wider national context!
Jacob -because I mentioned the issue twice - a mistake in hindsight-I hope that doesnt evidence any bigotry.I respect everyone - no need to plead my friend - hope your anxiety eases.
When a train is cancelled because of staff shortages, it's infuriating, but at least it's announced, and one can make appropriate plans accordingly. Yes, I too blame privatisation for the postal shambles, but why in the name of mercy the problem wasn't communicated to the affected section of the public, I cannot imagine. Someone needs to be hauled over the coals for this. If the public had been told, they could have collected their post, or if disabled or without transport, got a proxy to collect it.
Anyone who votes Conservative should understand that this is what they are voting for- public services run for private profit.
Absolutely! It looks very likely that the Conservatives will be out at the next election - and not a moment too soon! - but I’m not holding my breath that the next government will sort things out. It’s unfortunate that the media always ask where the money is coming from to invest in public services, but it’s a mistake to equate how a household or a business is run with how an economy is run. The sooner that is widely recognised the better.
Unfortunately anyone who votes Labour will be voting for the same thing. My advice would be to look carefully at the manifestos of any other party standing in your constituency.
I share your concerns about Labour’s policies. But the since at least 1979 the Conservatives have made private profit their main aim and purpose.
And I’m afraid that New Labour did nothing to change that and Starmer will continue with neoliberal policies. We now have a “Labour” party which doesn’t advocate public ownership and has for instance been colluding with the water industry in order to avoid nationalisation, even though this is now a popular policy.
When profit becomes the prime motive then the service itself will deteriorate. Those who work in that service will find their workload increases and their working conditions worsen. A faceless conglomerate possibly based abroad cares not at all about loyalty to their workers or providing an excellent service.
This is what happens when public services are privatised and the state of this country is testament to this; nothing works properly any more and most of us are aware that we’re being exploited.
The NHS has been slowly privatised since Thatcher and this was accelerated during Blair’s time. We’re possibly going to lose it now, despite the protestations of our leaders, many of whom are in the pay of private health providers. We know what happens under privatisation, so I find it impossible to understand so much complacency. We won’t know what we had till it’s gone.
I'm a teacher and this is exactly what we have been warning is happening in education. We're short of teachers and we are striking to save our education system. We all need to stand together to defend our services, protest, strike and take to the streets to get these criminals out of office.
Interfering with the post is an offence that carries fines and imprisonment. It would be arguable, I think, that the powers that be in the Royal Mail are committing this offence by not ensuring an effective and well-supported service. No?
I used to be a postie, around 20 years ago. I remember the union meetings - my first ever, and I didn't understand what it was all about. More senior posties told me that the powers that be were trying to privatise Royal mail, water down the workers rights and compensation and make a difficult job really terrible.
Remember that posties walk around 8 miles, 5 days per week carrying 16KG up and down stairs, in all weathers. The pay back then was well above average but we earned it! There were a few perks of the job, eg. if you wanted, you could start work early and then finish early. Those old timers were right back then - it's all gone downhill since it's been privatised.
I live in S5 and our letter post has only been getting delivered once every week or 2 since 2020. People have complained about it on the next door app/website - Royal mail hasn't informed anyone, it's just been noticed that once per week or 2 we receive a load of letters and never one each day. Someone on nextdoor complained and said that they'd been given exactly the same guff as mentioned in the article - staff sickness. However, I think Royal mail have been strategically stopping deliveries in some areas and moving staff members from that 1 area to different areas which are short staffed, so as to provide a decent service in most areas, though a terrible service in those with no staff. I assume that S5 was suffering first and worst because it's poor.
I remember when it was a really good job to have and postal workers were treated with respect. I also remember when it cost three old pence to post a letter and it was a scandal if there was a delay in delivery! I think I heard in a parliamentary committee that managers have told postal workers to prioritise parcels over letters - they denied it but there’s proof that that’s what’s happening. What’s become of our public services is a real tragedy.
Cancelled trains, reduced bus services, shit in rivers, huge utility bills, post not getting delivered, affordable housing shortage. Have I missed anything, ah yes the probation service...and then there's the stealth privatisation of health and education.
No argument on the people and their worth score. I really contest the survival view however - I see no signs of an impending potential holocaust even as society fragments as demonstrated with drugs-stabbings -shootings -loss of faith in politicians- lack of tolerance in respect of folk who swim/speak against the tide -such events occuring in Sheffield where the latter were once rare for its size -I -like thousands of my age group- count myself lucky to have lived when I have, my parents and their generation faced a struggle to survive - WW2 for
The article is what the Tribune tries to do -to put a local touch and feel about what really matters ie not trans issues-well illustrated and composed.
There are plenty of people to whom trans issues really matter. Real people with real lives who are trying their best to survive. This city and this country are made up of all kinds of different people, all of whom matter.
Of course they do. Nothing that I have said contradicts this. It's just a question of the right way to get there.
Tribune wrote a really good article about the poor state of Sheffield's transgender health service not long ago. The reason you're seeing so much "coverage of trans issues" in national press is because of a concerted effort on the part of a noisy contingent of bigots to get trans people wiped out of public life. Trans people would largely like to be left alone, please.
When I worked 4 months as a post person in Reading in the 1980s it was a great job but so massively changed for the worse now.
Deficiencies in Postal Service a worrying, depressing business and another consequence of privatisation etc .
Refer to little paperback ( Dear Granny Smith. A Letter From Your Postman. Anon) which came out some years ago for some more, very readable, info on this.
Good on those Meersbrook B Road women for chasing things up!
My 86 year old father lives in South London, he has lost his hearing completely, so doesn’t have a telephone anymore. He also never coped with computer technology. The only means of communication I have with him is by letter. This is a less than ideal situation, even with regular postal deliveries. In his area (Lewisham) he has only had sporadic deliveries over the past 3 years and now it’s the same here. We have sleep walked into a world that cares nothing for humans and expects that everyone has a working smart phone on them at all times, for everything (and knows how to use it, can afford to pay for it, has reliable internet) Its inhumane and dangerous.
A fantastic article! I just love how The Tribune finds local stories which others may overlook - fantastic stories in their own right - and then makes sense of them within a wider national context!
Jacob -because I mentioned the issue twice - a mistake in hindsight-I hope that doesnt evidence any bigotry.I respect everyone - no need to plead my friend - hope your anxiety eases.
Ron
Great reporting
When a train is cancelled because of staff shortages, it's infuriating, but at least it's announced, and one can make appropriate plans accordingly. Yes, I too blame privatisation for the postal shambles, but why in the name of mercy the problem wasn't communicated to the affected section of the public, I cannot imagine. Someone needs to be hauled over the coals for this. If the public had been told, they could have collected their post, or if disabled or without transport, got a proxy to collect it.
a start. I've visited enough war graves to realize that.