[northfifeduckling]

This morning a council lorry stopped outside our house for half an hour with the engine running, the guy reading the paper and having a few fags. When I asked if he could save the Council's fuel if he was just waiting here he said they were going to do the ditch...I told him to be bl...careful as the BT cables were quite on the surface and if I lose the phone connection and internet I get pretty angry (he replied that was BT's problem and I nearly shouted saying no it was my problem!!!) - an hour later there were 2 of them, which had done 30 minutes of work, then both waited in the digger (for what??), reading the paper and having a few fags...2 hours later another car arrived, all 3 guys walked up the hill to excamine the verge. 3rd guy leaves, the other 2 sit in the digger...after another hour I overheard them saying in an annoyed tone "another half hour". After their lunchbreak they leave, then just now the lorry came back here to sit outside my house, having a few fags and staring into my windows!! I'm bl...fuming!
What a dream job - can I get paid for doing nothing and staring in people's windows?? I'm not sad if a few of those get the sack as one who actually gets on with the job could have done that in half an hour...grrrr

[Wizard]

NFD Aye and they go away on training courses to learn to do it safely at your expense as well

[Daveravey]

Found this & immediately thought of Fife Council

[northfifeduckling]

 

[mab]

It's not just your council:

About 3 years ago a drink-driver smashed into my landrover (passed out with his foot on accelerator - hit me head on doing 60 & still accelerating).

Anyway, about 1/2 hour after emergency services arrived and got to work doing their thing, a council truck turned up to clean up the spilled oil, etc. I pointed out to them that my insurance had said they would be removing my vehicle in about 1 1/2 hrs (turned out more like 2 1/2), and they wouldn't be able to do anything 'til then as the landy was too badly damaged to move without a towtruck.

They just shrugged, got back in their truck and read their papers 'til it was moved. Nice to know how my council tax gets spent. 

mab

[doganjo]

Could I respectfully suggest these incidents are also reported to the respective Council Managers as well as on here?

[valr]

I work in Glasgow and for the past 3 weeks every time I walk through George Sq (various times of day) there is a van with council blokes sitting in their van just reading the Daily Record! Always annoys me.
I am a personal injury lawyer and I probably should not say on here what I think about the difference it makes what employer people have when it comes to  motivation to work, time off work etc.  eg  after an accident ..... (I did write a big post but decided to delete it!) Suffice to say Council employees have it good as indeed do all (oops bettter delete that too!)
Getting cynical and jaded in my old age 

[Wizard]

Good Morning vair Hello Annie love Anne Do you honestly think management are going to make ripples on their lovely smooth pond Get real lass.
vair from your post I see I must be carefull but what/who but a Pratt takes a sawn off old pole ladder to drill a hole in a wall.Same with her with the plastic round her ankles if she looked where she was going in her stupid footware it would not have happened more than likely. Its high time folk started to look after them selves a bit more instead of blaming others for their negligent behaviour

[Rosemary]

Suffice to say Council employees have it good as indeed do all (oops bettter delete that too!)

Have you ever worked in local government? If not, refrain from such remarks. I worked in local government for 20 years and believe me, it's no bed of roses for many. Most work really hard, sometimes with very difficult customers and in trying circumstances. Yes, there are some who take advantage, as there are in any sphere of employment - and I get just as angry about it as anyone, because I KNOW how annoying it is for those who do work hard and do their best for their communities. Most people who work in local government DO have a sense of public duty, so please don't tar them all with the same brush.

[Wizard]

Rosemary as I read the post the lazy idle cliques of workmen we see are are eligible for the claims stated .A touch sensitive ain't we?Would you like me to take video pictures of the similar incidents in Grimsby ?

[doganjo]

Suffice to say Council employees have it good as indeed do all (oops bettter delete that too!)

Have you ever worked in local government? If not, refrain from such remarks. I worked in local government for 20 years and believe me, it's no bed of roses for many. Most work really hard, sometimes with very difficult customers and in trying circumstances. Yes, there are some who take advantage, as there are in any sphere of employment - and I get just as angry about it as anyone, because I KNOW how annoying it is for those who do work hard and do their best for their communities. Most people who work in local government DO have a sense of public duty, so please don't tar them all with the same brush.

I think this is a little over protective, Rosemary.  No-one would tar everyone with the same brush but we all have incidences such as have been described on here and it is human nature to get irate about them.  We are not criticising every local authority in every county, but I believe we all feel that there could be more stringent control over workers out on the road.  Are spot checks done on these workers for instance.  Do they have strict times for specific jobs?  Perhaps you can elaborate and put our minds at rest that these incidents are isolated occasions?

[Sandy]

Most of my jobs except this B&B have been mainly for Leicester City or Leicester County council and now Clackmannan in a minor role!! I have noticed a  lot of money wasted on the wrong things so money could not be spent on the more needed things!!!! Wrong things,Staff Sickness, Old, malfunctioning buildings, Corperate entertainment, Transport mainly but I would rule out training as that IS necessary, Right things, exiptment, staffing, services to service users!
 
Most white collar workers in the council work reasonably hard BUT, the private sector is very differnet, I had much more target driven work and DID reap rewards from it in the form of bonus whereas, as a council employee, no more reward than your wages and job satisfaction.
Manual workers are the same, if you push your self too hard and get the job done quickly you get no reward just put onto another job, if one worker dose loads then all the others will suffer!! Hope you understand as I am rambling on and not finishing my private job of cleaning this house Motto, the more you do, the more you are expected to do but still end up with the same wage!!!!

[northfifeduckling]

I must say that what I described does not only apply to work appointed by the Council, they might be contractors for all I know. At my local hospital I do wonder who all these women are who are standing around chatting with clipboards cradled in their arms??? What's the job desciption? I feel like going back to my academic roots and do a study if someone might pay me for it  
Sandy , I just read your post - this is really sad in a way and one reason why stuff doens't get done and costs a lot! In the private sector this attitude would just not be acceptable, would it? You'd get fired...

[Declan]

And just to think- if these wasters think they earn their money now for sitting in their wagons- whats goin to happen when all these cuts come in? I can just see them sitting on their fat asses thinking they shouldn't have to get out and do anything because their money is less than it was when they only sat in their wagons for half of the day-

awww- i feel better now!!!!

[Jackie]

Did you know each council worker has to sing this song every morning when they get to work?

WE'RE BUSY DOING NOTHING,
WORKING THE WHOLE DAY THROUGH.
TRYING TO FIND LOTS OF THINGS,
NOT TO DO.
WE'RE BUSY DOING NOTHING,
ISN T IT JUST A CRIME?
WE'D LIKE TO BE UNHAPPY,
BUT WE NEVER DO HAVE THE TIME.