Recession? Who Cares?

With Brown throwing money around like confetti, I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that the idea is catching. So seeing as the Government is spending the grandkids' future earnings now, why not fill one's pockets while one can, advocates Derek Simpson of Unite.

Mr Simpson will pledge to urge the Prime Minister to increase training places for community health workers as a recession begins to bite, adding: "I have a feeling that Gordon's ready to listen."

Just what we need at the moment, more highly-paid public sector jobs that provide nothing but increased overhead.

Addressing ... err ... the aforementioned community health workers, natch, he continues:

"Throughout the recession your client list will grow and you need support, support which the Conservatives have dismissed out of hand."

Well of course they have dismissed it out of hand, we are in recession you fool. The economy needs boosting by adding value, not an increased drag on resources. In times of recession, surely belt-tightening is a must? Why do we need an army of new 'health' workers? Does a recession mean that we are all affected by the plague or something?

Oh yeah, and 'client list'? Pardon?

Still, I suppose we should congratulate you for at least trying, in your own misguided way, to help in these hard times. Oh, but hold on. What were you doing, Mr Simpson, when the storm was approaching? Threatening employers with a 'war over pay', that's what.

With 90% of employers worried about strike action in an uncertain financial time, Simpson was arguing for higher wages and hinting at industrial conflict if the demands weren't met.

Simpson – who jointly fronts the UK's biggest trade union, Unite – said the government's handling of the economic squeeze had left many workers ready to snap in their desperation for higher wages.

... "HR needs to broaden management's view," he said. "When the pressure is on, we all jump in the trenches. But that is not necessarily the best thing to do."

Why am I reminded of the protection racket quote from Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, "You're suffering hard times? Fuck you. Pay me."?

There's something very late 1970s about all this.