I'm in air conditioning and we've lost some maintenance contracts, but those people who stopped having their aircon maintained are now having to call us out because it's not working. In effect we've only lost a small amount of work. And in this case being a small company has benefitted us because we can adapt quicker than a big company, and bigger companies are using us because we can be more cost effective for them than having to employ engineers and equip them with cars, tools, etc. For me personally, my wages aren't keeping up with the cost of living, but it could be a lot worse.
With your lovely ... not had a worry in your sweet life toothy grin avatar life, boasting about paying gardeners £5 for things you cant be bothered with ... I just hope you are joking. Just wait till a divorce or disability hits you madam ... David Cameron and the Daily Mail have us all whipped up in to a frenzy about scroungers, and such I'm done for. I'm just waiting for that axe to fall when i cant even reminisce about being a Biker here anymore ... and it will happen ... for working all my life off in the oil biz and ultra high taxes now severly disabled ... I'm an easy cull. Just remember folks, The disability saftey net you are voting out might be your tax payers souls and saving grace in future too. Its not all 100% scroungers as Dave Cameron and Daily Fail would have you believe, this is a cull.
You asked, so here goes: Company revenues (not profits) dropped from c£50k in 2007 to , well, nil this year as the sector I worked in has been destroyed by the mismanagement of regulated industries; not had a holiday longer than a 2 day break since 2008 (and that was our first in 4 years); 30 years savings from work completely depleted .... pension pots cashed in and used up paying ever increasing fuel bills; and no prospect of work or retraining because everything is geared to reducing youth unemployment, not getting us 'oldies' back into work ...... Recent austerity measures haven't changed a thing - they'd already been screwed up by the previous wasteful bunch of teflon suited turds who promised (and gave) the earth to their cronies, and were too busy stuffing their own pockets to notice, let alone care about, the mess they were creating ........ and for the first time in over 400 years, the prospects for employment/education for the next generation (including my son) is worse than it was for their parents! I've long since stopped worrying that things have turned out this way, and there's many more in my situation than stats have you believe ........ but I think the word that fits the bill best is 'angry' ........ a lot! Never mind hey, as long as we've got the Olympics !!!!!
We definatly do not have the spare income we used to. Mrs C does alot of miles with work and can easily do 2 tanks a week at £90 a throw, ok she gets it back a few weeks later but if she forgets to put her expenses in and it drags on it makes a massive difference.Plus food shopping cost a fortune, all the various insurances cost more. Sometimes come the end of the month I look at the bank and think where the hell has all that gone
Been there done that just have rosy specs on I run a battered old astra I can't afford a holiday I have an SS I have my own house I just like to share what I do have I could just say I will do my own garden but if everyone did the same thing then he is out of a job that keeps him living his life. Each little bit helps everyone dont you think!???
Apologies I misread the question I will be quiet I read has it affected you not how Will disappear into the corner :-/
Here ya go.............. Iv'e picked your dummy up for you. The question I asked was "has austerity affected you?" If someone pays a bloke a fiver every couple of weeks to mow the lawn thats fine. I bet a fair few people dhave window cleaners too. Now you told us all you had a job in the oil biz, but now you disability has really hit upon your life........ Thats the chance we all take, sometimes assurance policies will be usefull , sometimes not. Dont be an arse and blame everyone for you having a disability. To be blunlty honest, the term austerity is bollocks to most of uf us. I know no one who has suffered directly because of government public purse funded reductions in spend. But that is just me. A few other members on here have found it tough (littlebert and Davenogs to name two), business not good and work hard to find in their sector. Is that a result of reduced public funding? Todays export economy, be it soft goods, intellectual property, media, hard goods etc could be seen as a result of our very high standards of living. The manufacturing sector has been hard hit (I work in it but have not had any negative experience directly) and may never be as vibrant as it was previously. Time to reinvent ourselves maybe, reduce the costs of public works but increase the spend. Do we really need 2000 cones deployed for every set of minor works on major roads? Cant the work be done at night and cones removed during the day? (or even work 24hrs) I know the dorect costs of the works would increase, but what of the knock on costs caused by traffic delays, lates deliveries, increased fuel consumption etc. i have lived in a fair fw countries, but find the uk is mainly a well cared for country. You want to try China or India................. or even Poland or Czech republic................. Anyways, here's ya dummy..........
Absolutely correct. If you want to have a hissy fit, Katana, speak to the people that put you in your predicament, cos no-one here is to blame. Don't wait too long to reply.
Well it has hit a lot of people, some more than others. Yeh we have had to tighten out belts a bit and cut down on a few luxuries but we can't really complain; there are people out there that have been hit a lot harder. Has the gov got it right; yes and no. We need to cut our debt levels but need to do so without being in recession. Expecting growth is maybe a bit too much but I think the cuts have been too drastic.
And on Friday my better half was told she was being made redundant. More Government cutbacks in the education sector. Gee thanks Dave.......You dont see redundancies in the number of MP's do you......or pay cuts, holiday slashing, increased hours...no, just "different" ways of claiming perks.....
You see this is where I struggle...... What cuts? Education....... Nogs other half has lost her position. So maybe that is an affect. What else is happening??????
They close a walk in health centre in our town too Mike, as of this coming week.....thats another effect....5 Drs, 8 nurses and 6 admin all gone......
Katana I do not want to discuss your situation however I agree with what Viv is doing. You are hinting gov is not helping enough people in your situation and I agree. Government says is because they got no money plus plenty of people are cheating the system. Well gov roll sleeves up and weed out scammers then there will be bit more money. What I do not get is why you are upset at Viv for the £5 to gardener? She is by no means rich but if gardener gets no job he will end up on benefits and take money from your already small pot. It is in your best interest that we all try and support small businesses like his. Cranker do not comment on countries you did not live in for extended time. Want to speak about Czech situation speak to people from Czech or second best Geo on this website who lives there for donkeys years now. To let you know Poland started going to recession only last year and are still on plus despite it even this year so better then UK. Day to day prices are almost as or the same as in UK with lower salary but we are talking food here and such. House rental or loans are much cheaper. You can buy a house for 30k GBP or rent 1 bedroom for less then 200GBP a month (one bedrooms are rented by couple that both work). Place for one (bachelors pad) would be about 150GBP. Reason people come here well there are main 3 for some is all for some is mix. 1. Culture - for that you would have to live there to understand. However those people come to stay in UK. 2. Minimum legal salary, it is about 150GBP so to start working career there you are fucked. Better to come to UK gather experience, put away deposit money for house loan. 3k GBP put as down payment for 1 bedroom lowers the monthly payments from 200GBP to about 130GBP. Those come for few years to enjoy time here, save a bit and go back. 3. Unemployment, well it was as now it is about the same. Difference is if you come to London you will find a job while in Poland if you go to Warsaw you probably will not. I will say it like this. I have my bikes so now if I were to get 3500 of Polish zloty as salary in area I come from I would consider it hard. 2500 is what people get on average and can live of it. My nice is one of those bad bankers and her first salary was 2k now she is at 2.5k and says she could now buy/rent place but then she3 could not afford her trips to Mount Everest and like. Hence she still lives with her parents (being 25 it is not that bad).
