33 replies to this topic

[westhuller]

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Worried for some of my friends who work for the council. Another huge employment blow for the area. The services that could be hit the most are the ones that look after the most vunerable in our society.Hull City Council not the only one proposing cuts in services I am sure this is happening across citys all over the country.

[exxile]

They could make a start by sacking their 'diversity officers' thereby saving £166,000 per annum.

[westhuller]

They could make a start by sacking their 'diversity officers' thereby saving £166,000 per annum.

Correct but being PC is more important than looking after the old and needy of our society apparently.

[Padge]

The target figure for Wigan is around 800 jobs.

[PC]

Of course the number of job losses would be a lot fewer if the fat git hadn't front loaded the cuts, thus giving teh councils no option but to reduce staff.

[exxile]

How about Trafford?

They employ 8 'diversity officers', at a cost of £300,000 per annum, and 3 'climate change officers' at a cost of £100k.

Rochdale has 4 'climate change officers', at a cost of £150k p.a. How grateful the good people of Rochdale must be.

Tameside have 16 'diversity officers', and Leeds has 11.

I wonder how many of these 'frontline service providers' will be looking for alternative employment?

[Tommy The C5t]

How about Trafford?

They employ 8 'diversity officers', at a cost of £300,000 per annum, and 3 'climate change officers' at a cost of £100k.

Rochdale has 4 'climate change officers', at a cost of £150k p.a. How grateful the good people of Rochdale must be.

Tameside have 16 'diversity officers', and Leeds has 11.

I wonder how many of these 'frontline service providers' will be looking for alternative employment?

Just what does a 'climate change officer' do mate?

[PC]

How about Trafford?

They employ 8 'diversity officers', at a cost of £300,000 per annum, and 3 'climate change officers' at a cost of £100k.

Rochdale has 4 'climate change officers', at a cost of £150k p.a. How grateful the good people of Rochdale must be.

Tameside have 16 'diversity officers', and Leeds has 11.

I wonder how many of these 'frontline service providers' will be looking for alternative employment?

If the climate change officers save more money through energy efficiency than they costs, then the people of Rochdale and Trafford should be grateful.

[exxile]

Of course the number of job losses would be a lot fewer if the fat git hadn't front loaded the cuts, thus giving teh councils no option but to reduce staff.

You can be pretty sure they will cut the real frontline services first.

[shrek]

The target figure for Wigan is around 800 jobs.

Looks like there queing to get out never mind fighting to stay in.

More than 200 staff have been granted voluntary redundancy in the first round of local government cuts.

However, the initial scheme was massively over subscribed, with 428 workers applying.

[Padge]

Looks like there queing to get out never mind fighting to stay in.

Wigan Council have for a while been disallowing a lot of early retirements etc. They may get a lot of stick but they have seen this coming and have thus 'stored' jobs up so that they can release them when the crunch comes.

[exxile]

Just what does a 'climate change officer' do mate?

I'm very glad you asked me that question Mick.

According to Gloucestershire County Council (Grade H points 23 - 31 £20,198 - £26,276 per annum):
Are you interested in the environment? Are you interested in making a difference? If so this is the job for you! We are looking for a motivated self starter who will champion the environment in our sustainability team. You will be particularly focused on setting policy regarding preparing for climate change, monitoring effective action and ensuring the policy delivers the desired outcomes.

In Southampton (£23,569 - £28,531 per annum):
The Climate Change Officer will deliver a wide range of relevant climate change projects, assist with policy development and help to develop the evidence base for climate change impacts in the New Forest. An important element of the role will be to encourage those who live in, work in or visit the New Forest National Park to better understand their carbon footprint and help them find ways of reducing their emissions.


In Cambridge:
You will lead on the implementation of our Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. A graduate or equivalent with experience in a relevant environmental field, you will have an in-depth understanding of local and global sustainability issues, especially climate change.

Or, best of all, The British Embassy in Bangkok (64,966 Baht (unabated) per month):
The main purpose of the job is to promote a low carbon, high growth global economy, which is one of the key policy goals of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its missions overseas. The FCO has a regional network of staff working on low carbon growth in South East Asia.

This will be an exciting and challenging role in the British Embassy, within the Political Section. The jobholder will work closely with colleagues in the Press and Public Affairs section, particularly the Embassy economist, and the Commercial Section. The successful candidate will also work with colleagues based in other British Embassies in South East Asia, and report to a Team Leader based in Singapore.

Tasks include:

* Developing a strategy to support a low carbon, high growth economy in Thailand.
* Working with media, civil society, business and Government bodies to promote low carbon economic development in Thailand, and persuading key stakeholders that a stable climate is essential for security and prosperity.
* Collecting information and reporting on climate change and energy policy in Thailand, including vulnerability to climate induced changes and potential for emissions’ reductions.
* Promoting dialogue between Thai and UK counterparts on the international climate change negotiations.
* Identifying targeted project opportunities to promote a low carbon economy in Thailand and the region, and implementing this activity.
* Organising some visits (both to Thailand and the UK) related to climate change.
* Acting as a focal point on climate change issues in the Embassy
* With colleagues in other British Embassies, liaising and reporting on regional climate change issues.

Skills:

The successful candidate will:

* have a good understanding of climate change and energy policy
* be able to think creatively about how to achieve low carbon objectives in the local environment
* be able to present convincing arguments in a public setting
* be able to work efficiently without close supervision, including managing projects
* be an enthusiastic and organised team player
* be fluent in writing, speaking and reading Thai, and have very good spoken and written English.
* have strong interpersonal and communications skills

The position offers significant development opportunities, and will allow the jobholder to develop skills in a wide range of competences.

[exxile]

Looks like there queing to get out never mind fighting to stay in.

Wigan Council seem like sound custodians of the public purse:

WIGAN Council has spent tens of thousands of pounds recruiting just three members of staff, we can reveal.

Metro bosses paid £38,000 to Leeds-based consultants Gatenby Sanderson as they sought to fill three vacant director posts

[exxile]

If the climate change officers save more money through energy efficiency than they costs, then the people of Rochdale and Trafford should be grateful.

Yeah, that is of course exactly what will happen, so I'm sure the people of Rochdale and Trafford are truly grateful.

How about the 'diversity officers'? How much are they saving?

[Johnoco]

Bradford Council spent close to £500K on mobile phone bills last year but are hoping to 'shave £100K off that next year'. That's great news. As long as they don't have to do anything about that big hole in the city centre or the rapidly diminishing shops, thats ace news.

[Millman]

I was in Hull recently with work. The site where I was advertised in the local press two unskilled vacancies and had over a thousand applicants. Tough times.

[Haloman]

Times are difficult, I agree. And yet sometimes those hard times can be extremely positive, giving some the incentive (usually because they've no other choice) to either stand up and get on with things and make the best out of a bad situation or they can be crushed by a bloody awful social security system which only seems to help those who will not help themselves.

It was virtually useless for me when I needed it and I've been paying into it for over 20 years.
Actually it was worse than useless, because when I look at what I contributed over the past 2 1/4 decades, the sixty five quid a week was frankly an insult.

In France and Germany or practically any other European country, I would have received a sizable percentage of my previous income, which would have given me a breathing space to re-train. But despite paying very similar levels of taxation, our system leaves anyone who has taken responsibility for their own housing and welfare in the ######. Most people are 3 paychecks away from serious debts and reposession proceedings.

Why must the state force you into homelessness before it will help? It's madness.

Edited by Haloman, 10 January 2011 - 10:20 AM.

[JohnM]

If the climate change officers save more money through energy efficiency than they costs, then the people of Rochdale and Trafford should be grateful.

a big if... and is it measurable? and is it being measured? And if there are REAL savings, then maybe the climate change officers could go self employed on a % of savings achieved.

[JohnM]

It's madness.

I have direct experience of the benefits system as my daughter has a long term illness and can no longer work. The whole system is a nightmare: difficult to deal with, slow to respond, incredibly bureaucratic and fragmented, and the DWP ESA Medical Examinations are frankly a disgrace.

[Haloman]

I have direct experience of the benefits system as my daughter has a long term illness and can no longer work. The whole system is a nightmare: difficult to deal with, slow to respond, incredibly bureaucratic and fragmented, and the DWP ESA Medical Examinations are frankly a disgrace.

My experience of Jobcentre Plus (!!!???!!!) was that it was a massive job creation exersize. It was completely useless as a place to find a job. Get rid of it and let the private agencies do it, they make a far better job of skills assessments, despite being far from perfect at it and they are far more interested in being proactive due to the way they are paid.