"The strike by Unison members will see a host of council employees down tools, including waste collectors, school meals staff and teaching assistants, as they battle for a better pay deal as the cost of living rockets."

INTERESTING POINT BUT: Considering a lot of school meals are provided by EXTERNAL OUTSOURCING companies and local refuse collections are largely CONTRACTED OUT TO SITA and SITA USE AGENCY STAFF TOO. WHO Exactly will be walking out from local authorities? Those who are justifying large salary gains and unjust or unwanted local decisions? Without the support of the community (I may add). Dig a little deeper Echo and there's more news than you think! Ask the question WHY there are so many local employment agencies and NOT permanent JOBS first for local people!

Never mind this. There will be a summer of discontent among users of this site if the Echo insists on removing all comments from a story just because of one or two offensive or contentious views. STOP DOING IT, ECHO!

Please, anyone who agrees with me, add a message here.

Democracy means 'freedom of speech in western europe' didnt you know? Ask Mr. Double Y Boosh! Any other fat cat controllers too ;)

Usually (when a site is moderated) if the abusive posts are only few in number they are edited or deleted and the thread remains

The Echo site isnt moderated, they rely on users reporting abuse

Did some one say Echo were removing comments? OMG what REAL NEWS and public opinion being removed for creating some waves? At least it isnt running over budget and creating more than a ripple on the pond ECHO pull yer socks up please! You've been around a long time, and just because you are owned by a large corporate group. Remember you are a local paper with local responsibility to the community. Not Just another coporate rag!

I wonder if Poole Borough will designate Nuffield Tip or the local SITA dump at Corfe Mullen a Military Zone too if locals dont get bins emptied. Can we dump trash on the street and set fire to it also, JUST LIKE IN NAPLES?

Let them get on with it, the only ones the majority of us will notice as missing will be the Refuse Collecters.The Public Sector is inefficient, riddled with "Chinese " Walls and restrictive practices, has an appalling and falling level of productivity and represents poor value for money. They are expecting the hard pressed tax payer to pay even more - for less. There will be many Pensioners and those on low incomes this Winter who will have to make the choice between heating, eating or paying that most unfair tax the Council Tax, based as it is not on ability to pay or usage, but on an arbitrary values. I know of people who spend 12% of their income on gas and electricity and 17-20% on Council Tax and with the swingeing inceases expected half their incomes will go on these ( including Water and Sewerage0 . It is time draw a line in the sand - if it comes to no heat or no food - don't pay the Tax - they haven't room to lock everyone up and it would force changes through - if they strike for a week and you have no services , don't pay a weeks CT, no delivery no tax.Don't be supine, be like the French and take positive action. As for the Council Worhers , only increases paid for by productivity gains for the next ten years, there is plenty of scope for that and reduce the numbers!

If you stop paying your council tax you can look forward to the court taking it directly from your wages at source. So it isnÂ’t really an option.

Phil wrote:
Never mind this. There will be a summer of discontent among users of this site if the Echo insists on removing all comments from a story just because of one or two offensive or contentious views. STOP DOING IT, ECHO! Please, anyone who agrees with me, add a message here.

Phil
I would refer you and other commenters to the current lead item headlined 'No Hiding Place For Dictators' on the Echo Opinion section of this site and add their comments there accordingly. Judging by the few comments that are ever posted on this part of the Website, it would seem few people ever bother reading it. I am confident that the Editor is, however, a regular reader as he is a regular contributor!

JLC2 wrote:
If you stop paying your council tax you can look forward to the court taking it directly from your wages at source. So it isnÂ’t really an option.

Perhaps we should all apply to the Romany Council to become registered Gypsies. As a member of an “oppressed” ethnic minority group the laws of the land will no longer apply to us. I understand that an added benefit at the moment is free access to Moors Valley Country Park!

JLC2 wrote:
If you stop paying your council tax you can look forward to the court taking it directly from your wages at source. So it isnÂ’t really an option.

A third of Council Tax payers are not in gainful employment - would you rather that they died of hypothermia or malnutrition, because be in no doubtsome will if there is a bad winter - and we are overdue one.It would too be interesting to hear the Court explaining why paying a tax is more important than living.

It would also be interesting to hear what a court has to say if I stop paying for sevices I'm not receiving. As the budget is itemised on the annual council tax demand, surely I can merely cancel the direct debit (council will have broken their contract)deduct an appropriate proportion for the sevices I'm not receiving, and pay the rest?
Seems fair to me.

Those not in gainful employment receive benefits and reduction in Council Tax to help them.
Those in gainful employment, such as Local Authority workers pay for this through income tax.

I am speculating but expect benefits/reductions in Council Tax fall in line with the current 4.3% inflation rate, so why should anyone in gainful employment not expect to receive the same percentage in their cost of living rise?
I know the opinion of local authority staff is that Council Tax pays their wages but the same could be said of any business that takes your hard earned cash - spend £50 on a weeks shopping in Asda and a portion of that will be paying the person serving you.

Not all local authority staff earn large wages, there are administrators etc who listen to your complaints and are sometimes frankly abused, all for £15,000 a year.

I'm surprised that there are so few comments slagging off the Council's employees who are obviously leeches, feeding off our council tax (or have these been deleted?).

The truth is, everyone has the right to a fair wage for a days work and if Council staff are willing to strike (and therefore lose a day's pay) then good luck to them! And that applies to staff if any area of life, police, nurses, postmen etc.

Too many people take what's thrown at them. Well done for making a stand I say. However, I suspect it will make very little overall difference to the pay offer.

Phil wrote:
Never mind this. There will be a summer of discontent among users of this site if the Echo insists on removing all comments from a story just because of one or two offensive or contentious views. STOP DOING IT, ECHO! Please, anyone who agrees with me, add a message here.

I agree with you.

I find it highly amusing that lolipop ladies and teaching assistants are going to strike this summer as they will be on holiday anyway. As for rubbish etc. Did you know that although we all pay for the didposal of the green bins only a select few people have them. I asked for one and have been put on a waiting list? Are the council going to pay for my petrol to dispose of it myself? I think not.

dibbles wrote:
I find it highly amusing that lolipop ladies and teaching assistants are going to strike this summer as they will be on holiday anyway. As for rubbish etc. Did you know that although we all pay for the didposal of the green bins only a select few people have them. I asked for one and have been put on a waiting list? Are the council going to pay for my petrol to dispose of it myself? I think not.

I'm still waiting for a green bin too. I see on the council website it says the scheme is funded by central government but hasn't been extended this year as they've not received enough money.

Richard Mayes wrote:

JLC2 wrote: If you stop paying your council tax you can look forward to the court taking it directly from your wages at source. So it isnÂ’t really an option.

A third of Council Tax payers are not in gainful employment - would you rather that they died of hypothermia or malnutrition, because be in no doubtsome will if there is a bad winter - and we are overdue one.It would too be interesting to hear the Court explaining why paying a tax is more important than living.

No I'd rather they got a job. Then maybe they wouldn't suck up so much of my taxes in the benefits I have to pay them.

Of course this excludes people on state pensions, or the severely disabled.

Everyone else should either get a job or collect my bins for me as part of the stipulation for their dole money.

In fact that's a flipping wonderful solution. Why don't all people who have been unemployed for more than 3 months have to go out and work for the local council. Two birds, one stone, KAPOW!

Phil wrote:

dibbles wrote: I find it highly amusing that lolipop ladies and teaching assistants are going to strike this summer as they will be on holiday anyway. As for rubbish etc. Did you know that although we all pay for the didposal of the green bins only a select few people have them. I asked for one and have been put on a waiting list? Are the council going to pay for my petrol to dispose of it myself? I think not.

I'm still waiting for a green bin too. I see on the council website it says the scheme is funded by central government but hasn't been extended this year as they've not received enough money.

The Council has probably spent all the funding clearing up the mess the Gypsies leave behind :-)

Phil wrote:

dibbles wrote: I find it highly amusing that lolipop ladies and teaching assistants are going to strike this summer as they will be on holiday anyway. As for rubbish etc. Did you know that although we all pay for the didposal of the green bins only a select few people have them. I asked for one and have been put on a waiting list? Are the council going to pay for my petrol to dispose of it myself? I think not.

I'm still waiting for a green bin too. I see on the council website it says the scheme is funded by central government but hasn't been extended this year as they've not received enough money.

Green Bins,Luxury(as monty Python would say)here in East Dorset we only have black bags, which now the council in their infinite wisdom are going stop providing, so we have to supply our own.A great return for the outrageous council tax that we pay.

Richard Mayes wrote:
Let them get on with it, the only ones the majority of us will notice as missing will be the Refuse Collecters.The Public Sector is inefficient, riddled with "Chinese " Walls and restrictive practices, has an appalling and falling level of productivity and represents poor value for money. They are expecting the hard pressed tax payer to pay even more - for less. There will be many Pensioners and those on low incomes this Winter who will have to make the choice between heating, eating or paying that most unfair tax the Council Tax, based as it is not on ability to pay or usage, but on an arbitrary values. I know of people who spend 12% of their income on gas and electricity and 17-20% on Council Tax and with the swingeing inceases expected half their incomes will go on these ( including Water and Sewerage0 . It is time draw a line in the sand - if it comes to no heat or no food - don't pay the Tax - they haven't room to lock everyone up and it would force changes through - if they strike for a week and you have no services , don't pay a weeks CT, no delivery no tax.Don't be supine, be like the French and take positive action. As for the Council Worhers , only increases paid for by productivity gains for the next ten years, there is plenty of scope for that and reduce the numbers!

I agree.

6!? They taking the proverbial. If they're not defeated this will just add to rising inflation and thereby the rising cost of Council Tax so next year they will feel justified in asking for more 'above inflation' rises which will again cause inflation to rise et cetera et cetera.

Its just greed.

Phil wrote:

dibbles wrote: I find it highly amusing that lolipop ladies and teaching assistants are going to strike this summer as they will be on holiday anyway. As for rubbish etc. Did you know that although we all pay for the didposal of the green bins only a select few people have them. I asked for one and have been put on a waiting list? Are the council going to pay for my petrol to dispose of it myself? I think not.

I'm still waiting for a green bin too. I see on the council website it says the scheme is funded by central government but hasn't been extended this year as they've not received enough money.

The Green Bin collection was only introduced this year using £300k which was put in the budget to address a long ongoing deficeit in the car parking budget income and utilising bins which had been bought for recycling so it seems strange that "it hasnt been extended this year as they have not received enough money"
I dont know what happened but for some reason they went and bought a lot more bins ,including micro chips it appears, but it seems they are still short of bins.

if food, fuel, mortgages etc etc go up at around 5% a year (or 500% for petrol) why should the council staff get less than 2.5%??? it would be interesting to know what peopel here do for a living and what sort of increases they have each year, as well as what they do day to day to earn it. the public seems to think all council staff are over paid and underworked, but this is not the case. it may be true for a lucky few, but not the majority! they pay council tax too you know.

JLC2 wrote:

Richard Mayes wrote:

JLC2 wrote: If you stop paying your council tax you can look forward to the court taking it directly from your wages at source. So it isnÂ’t really an option.

A third of Council Tax payers are not in gainful employment - would you rather that they died of hypothermia or malnutrition, because be in no doubtsome will if there is a bad winter - and we are overdue one.It would too be interesting to hear the Court explaining why paying a tax is more important than living.

No I'd rather they got a job. Then maybe they wouldn't suck up so much of my taxes in the benefits I have to pay them. Of course this excludes people on state pensions, or the severely disabled. Everyone else should either get a job or collect my bins for me as part of the stipulation for their dole money. In fact that's a flipping wonderful solution. Why don't all people who have been unemployed for more than 3 months have to go out and work for the local council. Two birds, one stone, KAPOW!

If they are unemployed they don't pay CT - Pensioners and the disabled, handicaped often do and this group makes up a third of CT paying households and is it fair that a household with an income 0f £12-14000 pays £17/1800 CT whilst a neighbouring household with £100,000+ coming in pays the same.Many will not be able to pay! nor should they be expected to.

Richard Mayes wrote:

JLC2 wrote:

Richard Mayes wrote:

JLC2 wrote: If you stop paying your council tax you can look forward to the court taking it directly from your wages at source. So it isnÂ’t really an option.

A third of Council Tax payers are not in gainful employment - would you rather that they died of hypothermia or malnutrition, because be in no doubtsome will if there is a bad winter - and we are overdue one.It would too be interesting to hear the Court explaining why paying a tax is more important than living.

No I'd rather they got a job. Then maybe they wouldn't suck up so much of my taxes in the benefits I have to pay them. Of course this excludes people on state pensions, or the severely disabled. Everyone else should either get a job or collect my bins for me as part of the stipulation for their dole money. In fact that's a flipping wonderful solution. Why don't all people who have been unemployed for more than 3 months have to go out and work for the local council. Two birds, one stone, KAPOW!

If they are unemployed they don't pay CT - Pensioners and the disabled, handicaped often do and this group makes up a third of CT paying households and is it fair that a household with an income 0f £12-14000 pays £17/1800 CT whilst a neighbouring household with £100,000+ coming in pays the same.Many will not be able to pay! nor should they be expected to.

A local income tax would be fairer - and probably easier to collect, through the Inland Revenue.

Its a black bin not green.

Phil wrote:
Never mind this. There will be a summer of discontent among users of this site if the Echo insists on removing all comments from a story just because of one or two offensive or contentious views. STOP DOING IT, ECHO!

Please, anyone who agrees with me, add a message here.

Phil, I was beginning to think it was because I was using a Mac that I couldnt view the comments! Glad it's not me or my kit but cross at the Echo for censoring their website viewers!

Adrian Fudge - Isn't it the case that your lot grossly over ordered bins which is why the current council are using the surplus for 'green' bins - thereby avoiding the shameful waste which the pile of unused bins represented. Good on the council for their common sense and at the same time well done council for bringing in the green bins - long overdue. Also I may be wrong but I think the chipped bins were bought in on your watch?

I find the comments incredible. I work for a Council. No I am not one of the top salary earners, in fact I earn less than the national wage. All I want is a decent salary. I too, pay Council tax, I too have to supply my own bin bags, I too have to put up with year in year out a so calle3d salary increase less than other workers. So the only alternative we have is to strike.

No I don't like it and yes I know others will be inconvenienced, but all I want is a decent salary to support my family and pay for the basic food and a roof over my family's head like anyone else. Please don't tag all Council workers with those who are at the top earning £1000's more than a person trying to make a living.....

CDN

The original post is very misleading. To say productivity is falling is wrong. Local Councils have an obligation to make efficiency cuts every year. I'm not sure what evidence the claim is based on.

Having worked in both the private and public sectors I think people would be surprised how much council workers have to do, and how pay is very low for significant numbers. I know it is an easy shot, but there's a lot more to a council than just bin collecting! If people on here spent some time seeing what went on in their council (and dealt with the abuse they receive from the public) they would probably change their view very quickly.

Sorry, the above post is in reference to Richard Mayes's claim.

I am puzzled as to how David Cameron would handle things if he were in power?
Do I remember huge union battles all of those years ago--no body wins, ever!!

I've been on the same hourly rate for 2 years....should I go on strike? No point because I wouldn't have a job to go back to.

A local income tax would be fairer - and probably easier to collect, through the Inland Revenue.

We pay Federal Income Tax to the Internal Revenue Service; Maryland Income Tax through the state comptroller's office and a Baltimore city income tax which is 50% of the Maryland tax and is collected by the state. The national government has no business handling local revenue and no need to do so.

mdale wrote:
I'm surprised that there are so few comments slagging off the Council's employees who are obviously leeches, feeding off our council tax (or have these been deleted?).

The truth is, everyone has the right to a fair wage for a days work and if Council staff are willing to strike (and therefore lose a day's pay) then good luck to them! And that applies to staff if any area of life, police, nurses, postmen etc.

Too many people take what's thrown at them. Well done for making a stand I say. However, I suspect it will make very little overall difference to the pay offer.

I'm also surprised..and agree with you 100%. We take everything thrown at us lying down. The government have either got to up the minimum wage..a lot!! Or lower taxes so that people aren't simply working to pay the bills and struggling at that!
I know i am feeling the pinch more and more and that's just the last couple of months!!
People need time to communicate with each other, and some quality of life with their wages..it shouldn't all be going on ridiculous price hikes!!

carlyd wrote:
I've been on the same hourly rate for 2 years....should I go on strike? No point because I wouldn't have a job to go back to.

Carl..if you're a member of a union, then you could maybe do something...your employers can't sack you without a valid reason.

Tax his land, tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.
Tax his tractor, tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.

Tax his cow, tax his goat,
Tax his pants, tax his coat.
Tax his ties, tax his shirts,
Tax his work, tax his dirt.

Tax his chew, tax his smoke,
Teach him taxes are no joke.
Tax his car, tax his grass,
Tax the roads he must pass.

Tax his food, tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think.
Tax his sodas, tax his beers,
If he cries, tax his tears.

Tax his bills, tax his gas,
Tax his notes, tax his cash.
Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers, tax him more,
Tax him until he's good and sore.
Tax his coffin, tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.

Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom!"
And when he's gone, we won't relax,
We'll still be after the inheritance tax.

Rose wrote:
Adrian Fudge - Isn't it the case that your lot grossly over ordered bins which is why the current council are using the surplus for 'green' bins - thereby avoiding the shameful waste which the pile of unused bins represented. Good on the council for their common sense and at the same time well done council for bringing in the green bins - long overdue. Also I may be wrong but I think the chipped bins were bought in on your watch?

Why dont you accept responsability for the actions of your
Tory friends
1)using your argument the current administration must have known they needed more bins just to give them to the current users
2)when they ordered these bins they got them with "chips". If they are so against this technology why have they wasted money on more"chips"?
3)they took the decision to introdce the "green" waste bins costing £300K per annum for existing users escalating to £1M if extended to everyone . To do this they have used £300K that was but in the budget to address the deficeit in the car park budget that stems back to the previous time they were in control where they gave away the Triangle car park and got the budgets completly wrong

Good try but its time to take responsability for your own actions

Wish you was an owl like me
Living in my Leigh Wood tree
Pult attacks on my family
The only tax that concerns me.

the end.

At the moment inflation is largely imported, as a result of a combination of World over polulation, rising demand, poor harvests and the consequences of global warming. To add self inflicated inflation to it by large wage increases, without productivity links and a reduction in numbers, would bring back Thatchers 26% inflation, double digit interest rates and her 4 million unemployed, no one wins ( expcept the insolvency experts)In the Private Sector businesses are struggling to maintain margins and will match wage/salary increases with job losses. As for productivity, just look at the stats - Public Sector some 20% behind the Private Sector.!! The Government must resist and we should support them, who can afford higher taxes anyhow, and this would be the result of weaknesss. We are in a Global Ecomony whether we like it or nor -- No one owes us a living.

  HAL101 wrote:

Phil wrote: Never mind this. There will be a summer of discontent among users of this site if the Echo insists on removing all comments from a story just because of one or two offensive or contentious views. STOP DOING IT, ECHO! Please, anyone who agrees with me, add a message here.

I agree with you.

Me too

b&bathletic wrote:
The original post is very misleading. To say productivity is falling is wrong. Local Councils have an obligation to make efficiency cuts every year. I'm not sure what evidence the claim is based on. Having worked in both the private and public sectors I think people would be surprised how much council workers have to do, and how pay is very low for significant numbers. I know it is an easy shot, but there's a lot more to a council than just bin collecting! If people on here spent some time seeing what went on in their council (and dealt with the abuse they receive from the public) they would probably change their view very quickly.

Not misleading, the facts are that the Public Sector lags some 20% behind the Private Sector in productivity and this gap is widening. So many people don't seem to live in the real World, to cut taxes you must cut spending - so where - pensions benefits, educatione, NHS and how do you stop World price increases, they don't need to sell to us - demand exceeds supply for energy and food and these are driving in the UK.Welcome to the Global Economy - and given over population and Global warming, these high ( and higher) prices are here to stay.

The only thing that the government can do now is to impose a wage freeze there is no point having endless strikes because all that will do is put prices up even more so it just becomes a vicious circle. But as soon as the tanker drivers got their 14% it was only a matter of time before everybody else jumped on the band wagon the government should have put a stop to that rise in the first place. Any increases that people get as a result of strikes is only going to be minimal anyway so it is not worth striking when you take into account loss of earnings while you are on strike.

Mike wrote:

  HAL101 wrote:

Phil wrote: Never mind this. There will be a summer of discontent among users of this site if the Echo insists on removing all comments from a story just because of one or two offensive or contentious views. STOP DOING IT, ECHO! Please, anyone who agrees with me, add a message here.

I agree with you.

Me too

Happening in all the quality dailys too- what is going on?
Censored for speaking and criticising/or what? Maybe freedom of speech especially under the umbrella of the press is now diminishing and the PC brigade are reporting everyone .

Would it not help if council workers were treated as it seems MPs are to be treated? They could be given a daily subsistence allowance in addition to their salary! Such an allowance would also be useful for pensioners.

Frederick Jones wrote:
Would it not help if council workers were treated as it seems MPs are to be treated? They could be given a daily subsistence allowance in addition to their salary! Such an allowance would also be useful for pensioners.

That is a very good idea-local weighting allowance would work far better than percentage increases-because salaries would remain constant rather than percentage of every salary creaTING EVEN WIDER WEALTH MARGINS-
In fact local Dorset allowance would sit tidily , as a rural county which suffers from lack of properfunding from central government- everyone suffers!

They could be given a daily subsistence allowance in addition to their salary!

Also a mileage allowance so we can afford to get to work using public transport! Also a 'cap' on pay rises for the highest paid or additional rises for those near the bottom.

Phil wrote:
Never mind this. There will be a summer of discontent among users of this site if the Echo insists on removing all comments from a story just because of one or two offensive or contentious views. STOP DOING IT, ECHO!

Please, anyone who agrees with me, add a message here.

I agree with you in principle. However, there have been one or two heartbreaking stories of late, Including the sad report of the Kitten Tabby called George, shot with an Air Rifle by some sick low-life. There were many sympathetic Echo readers commenting on this story and fully in support of Mark Ferns and his family who owned this delightful Kitten. Unfortunately there were also several scumbags who posted extremely unkind remarks against this Kitten. One low-life remarked, after the Kitten had a double life-saving operation, "it's a shame it didn't die". Others referred to it as Vermin. I got into a very heated debate with these scumbags. It is a waste of time though, as they have zero intelligence and gain endless pleasure from the suffering of others, even a defenceless Kitten. I can appreciate the reason why in these circumstances that the Echo steps in and removes the comments in their entirety. Most likely because they received complaints against these heartless comments. It' just a shame that the Echo does not remove unkind remarks instantly, without the need for others to complain in the first instant.

If you ask for more money it doesn't make any difference does it? As soon as you get your measly 3% thanks to you all the other Bills will go up by 5%. Do you see what I'm getting at here. Everything is always exactly the same it just gets more expensive and at the end of the day you will get nowhere by asking for more as the wage you earn is possibly spent unwisely elsewhere...so how much money do you really need to live on?