"Wage constraints" and the "Employer's market"

I watched Panorama last night. It's "Big Squeeze" episode was quite depressing if you could empathise with the families interviewed. Hopefully an eye opener if you couldn't.

People are getting poorer was the thrust of the programme with a big emphasis on wages. Peoples' frozen wages are worth less than they were two years ago. Some people are prepared to take a pay cut so afraid are they to lose their jobs.

"Ledge Dwellers" That's what people are called who might tip over the end of life any minute and find themselves in rent/mortgage arrears and imminent homelessness but I'm not here to post on that, for I am a "Ledge Dweller", dangling my feet, banging them together in deliberation, as you can do when they can't touch the ground.

No, I'm here to post about Annie's boss. Well, Annie's ex boss. She lost her job but has been working through to the end of her monthly contract. He mustn't lose a penny in these austere times. She of course, needs a reference. Only reason I can think of that she's sticking around (other of course than her low wage)

Her ex boss cut to the chase "I can employ someone with more experience than you for the same money." By way of apology he added: "Sorry, but it's an employer's market."

Well fuck me, yes it is. Wage flipping constraints; to raise people's salaries risks interest going through the roof and all hell breaking loose according to Panorama. Meanwhile, certain employers are rubbing their hands with glee because they've got a pool of over 2 million people to pick from. They don't have to pay them very much.

"You've got loads of fucking experience," I said to Annie, angry on her behalf. She said that her ex boss did say it was a shame he couldn't employ people like her and train them up. Bollocks. She's hardly slow my Annie. Totally overwork her and of course it'll look like she can't keep up.

With rent responsibilities as well as the rest, Annie's been using all her spare time trying to find another job, filling in application form after application form and feeling quite down in the process.

Then, last Thursday, an interview!! A job she really wanted which suited her politics down to the ground (off that fecking ledge)

She found out today she "did a very, very good interview."

It wasn't enough though, not in this "employer's market"

Makes me so angry.

Better will turn up Annie, it will. Don't lose hope x

NUT Strike!

When my son's class were all told last week that they'd get a day off tomorrow they all cheered!

This morning my son, once again, was very excited! He said we can do whatever I want to do tomorrow and I thought how lucky I do not work.

We could join another protest!

2000 Camden NUT members are going to strike against government cuts along with 2000 teachers from Tower Hamlets and 3000 Unison council members.

Or he could come along with me to my voluntary job meeting (it's not work, that's why I'm being forced onto jobseekers) which is taking place between 10 and 12 tomorrow morning. This the email I sent to my "boss" this morning after she said I could bring my son along to the meeting:

Aargh, I feel pulled in two as I want to come because I want to contribute to the website more but I also feel I should use the day to take him to the science museum or something. Let me chat to him, I could say he's part of it and can give some of his own ideas?!
I just don't know (unfortunately I'm in that swirl at the moment, probably the spirituality book I've been reading....)!
Thanks (Boss),
Best to you
Sue

She's sent back the minutes but I have discovered the protest march is taking off from Camden at 10 am tomorrow morning, from her place of work to the Town Hall!

I've invited her to join!

Vince Cable said on Sunday that the marches and protests would make no difference to the economic foundations of the country.

Well, we'll just have to see about that won't we?

Pupil premium - the reality

A libdem policy isn't it? The pupil premium? Good in theory, but how in practice?
The newsletter from my son's school I read yesterday was so interesting on the subject I thought I'd share some of it with you!

"Undoubtedly, schools have been apared the worst of the government's cuts but nevertheless this year's exercise of setting the budget was more difficult than usual....
Schools have been given a standstill budget, in other words, the same amount as the last financial year. However, this takes no account of inflation so in effect represents a cut of about 2%. Because of the high numbers of children with special needs (Son's School) has received extra money from the new pupil premium but in the final analysis this gain has been wiped out by the losses explained earlier due to inflation. School with few free school means children will fare much worse."

The newsletter does go on to say what other cuts the school is making, (improvements to the building like upgrading the children's toilets, getting outside staff to help with special needs pupils) and what it has managed to save this year (internal staff and the after school club)

I always wondered how the pupil premium might work.
Devil's always in the detail isn't it?

Lunch date that's not a date

I've been invited to lunch by some fella who works for some housing federation.

Wanna be in my gang my gang my gang? he said at the housing strategy meeting where I met him two weeks ago.

Oh ok! Maybe...

I was meant to meet him yesterday. Better that's it today, more business like. Business.

Poor guy though

I'm feeling TOXIC

and not in the Britney sense

(What you are stiggers? You're toxic? Perhaps I am feeling Britney sense then - "I'm addicted to you, don't you know that you're toxic....")

Fuck I don't know

which is handy

for I am the Leader of the I Don't Know Party.

If all else fails

I can tell that guy that.

Best go put a face on...

Support worker does my bidding

I should be grateful. My support worker texted me on Friday to say he'd bid on 3 properties for me.

I remember a Bengali mum in a hostel who helped me with my dissertation; she told me her support worker did the bidding for her family. I figured it was because she couldn't speak English, so couldn't understand the system. She'd been waiting two years and at the time I just couldn't believe she hadn't viewed anything, what with all that support.

Crikey, what does it mean that I need that level of support now? What does it mean that I can no longer do my own bidding? What have I become?

I couldn't tell you this good news on Friday as it would put a downer on my whole weekend, and I didn't want that. I must forget that he's doing this for me otherwise every week I'll be wondering if I'm moving again and.. fuck it's so hard to feel settled when you're in temporary accommodation...

This is our text conversation, I'm sure he won't mind, hope he won't mind, am I beyond caring today such is my head mind?...

SW: I bid for 3 flats (support worker)

Me: Where? I should say
thanks so er, yes,
thanks. I hope what
i'm offered some day
is near here & (my son's)
education. You know,
i hate to turn things
down (sad face emicon) cheers

SW:I just bid for
everything.It doesn't
matter. You can turn
down as many as you
like

Me: Last time i turned
one down i slipped
way down the list,
hence losing that last
eviction. I want to
believe you but can't.
Not your fault.

Absorbing oppression

I think I do this.

I absorb all shit.

Like

Heard on the news last night that not filling in the Census costs the local councils billions. Not filling in the census means less money is delivered to councils for essential services because they don't know how many people live there.

Bullshit. It's all bollocks. Fucks me off.

Sometimes I absorb stuff without even totally understanding what I am absorbing, because what I am absorbing is too overwhelming and too poisonous to my psyche. Like missiles in a war I never ask for, I don't know how to stop it.

I don't feel better writing this down. No, not at all

Which means of course this blog today is TOXIC

Stay away if you know what's good for you.

As I should do with the political world outside my window, inside my window, fucking everywhere in my life.

There, I've given you a public health warning.

Clocks go forward, the sun still high

I was going to go to the Latin mass in Mayfair this morning, for as you know, I sometimes go to church. Instead I had a lie in! I woke up and my phone said "10.56" and the service starts at 11! I forwarded my phone last night so as not to miss it. Ah well!

The sky has been blue all day and I felt I should go to the Heath but I didn't want to go alone, for I did that a few times last week, which was nice, don't want to spoil that healing memory.

So I've stopped in with Stiggers, to tell you about my weekend.

It's late now, 17.15! The sun is still so high in the sky! Summer is on its way!

I'm going to go and post that sodding census then I'm going to drown my sorrow of that down my local pub.

Just one beer. My son's coming home.

I can't wait.