“Monday and Tuesday for a strike - nice for a long weekend?”

“It is amazing how some people can be ignorant of the matter to why DWP/Jobcentre Plus cannot provide the services it once had. Having dealt with them over the past few years, I am turned away by security guards at Jobcentre offices being told that the nature of my enquiry is by telephone and given a certain number to ring. Try ringing those given numbers for hours on end getting through. Try ringing their call centres for information only being given another number to ring. One time, customer service was dealt with at the local office. It is no longer. Local DWP/Jobcentres ofices are being closed and centralised. Work is being sourced out elsewhere to private companies whose staff are not experienced to help you or have little knowledge to give advice because they don't know the benefit system. I have wasted too much time on the phone getting nowhere and having to start all over again when finally the person realises that the nature of the enquiry is dealt by someone else or at another office. I had no problem with staff at local offices for they were there to help customers/claimants like me.
Now that I have a job, who is going to sort out my tax? I have been told by staff at the Inland Revenue that 130 local HM Revenue and Customs offices are being closed down by senior management on the instructions from government. It is called once again centralization, modernization, etc, etc, and calls centres are their replacements. I understand this may lead eventually for tax work being transfered abroad and dealt with by call centres there to save money and paying less in wages.
So don't criticise the ordinary civil servant but concentrate on those in senior potsitions getting bonuses in reaching target figures which are being fiddled anyway.
This country has been sold down the drain and slowly and surely being sold off at the expense of customer service for people like me who when unemployed, and now working, have to spend so much time telephoning call centres which are inefficient, not cost effective, and useless. Bring back local offices for goodness sake!”

“I think people are getting the wrong end of the stick. We aren't in 'cushy' jobs at all. Most of us aren't earning any more than in any other normal job. The reason why they are striking is because our redundancy pay has been cut, therefore making it easier for them to make us redundant as it will cost them less. For example I have a friend who has been in civil service all of her working career, if she is made redundant say next year, she will no longer get the current package to enable her to get a payout linked to the number of years she has worked and will instead only get two years worth. I have worked in a few non-civil service jobs and the redundancy packages were all linked to however many years service you had given them. So how is this any different to any other company? Surely if for example it happened at the company you work for, wouldn't you want to fight for this not to happen? I appreciate in the current economic climate jobs are few and far between, but this is also affecting civil service, with all of these camps etc closing down civil servants are also being made redundant, we simply do not just get 'posted on' with the RAF and Army personnel, and are finding it hard aswell as others to find new jobs. People just see these headlines and fail to see that we are people too, trying to provide for our families and praying our jobs aren't cut just like anybody else. Yes I appreciate striking isn't always the best way, I myself am not taking part in it due to reason that I cannot afford to strike (we do not get paid for the days we do). It is up to the individuals if they want to or not if they feel it will make a big enough impact for our employer to take a step back and realise the implications if this were to happen to them. Which I hope will happen, as personally I will also make a huge loss if I am made redundant, and which lately there is a high risk to that becoming a reality in the near future.”

“So you're a dole dosser too, are you Tom? Can't say I'm surprised. Still, keep making those veiled threats of violence, I'm sure someone somewhere will be impressed, little man.”

“Tom, your dad's age and his health are not going to go very far in the jobs arena. Maybe it's about time he put his feet up, that way his life will be a lot longer I'm sure.
My father-in-law was in the same boat as your dad, he eventually had to retire through ill health, ten months' later he was dead.”

“haha hero, get back in your lonely box”

“That's nice, but I think you're confusing me with someone who gives a damn...”

“My point is my dad aint no dolle dosser!! THANKS!!”

“What the hell are you talking about? Have I tried to deny you your freedom of speech? No? So what's your point?”

“Freedom of speech right back at ya!! Keyboard hero!!”