Nurses pay????

Question

Would nurses, and come to think of it, any public servant, protest about private sector workers who dont get a payrise. I dont think so. Nurses earn more than the humble factory worker and a lot more than residencial care home workers. So why havnt we seen them come to our rescue, like they hope we will come to theirs. Now, im not saying they dont work hard, because they do, but, so do the rest of us. 1.9% may not be much of a rise, but what about the people who havnt seen a rise in 5 years? Who will speak on behalf of them, certainly not a public servant, I'd love a regular payrise, pension and 5 - 6 weeks holiday a year. Instead of 1 payrise in the last 4 years, 3 weeks holiday, no pension, and having to do 60 hours a week to make ends meet. So, is there anyone out there going to join the "fairness for factory workers" campaign, not many i'l bet. And contary to what we are told, the public sector sees 37 hours a week as full time. Would you like their hours? i would

Training for city and guilds etc takes upto 5 years, i did 4 for mine, and the safety of everyone around you is paramount, and saving lives is, surely part of the job, thats like a fireman moaning he has to put out fires and a police officer not wanting to arrest people. As i said, public servants wouldnt protest for the private sector, only expect it in return.

Answer 1

Mick,
having worked civil service and now private, I am fored to agree with you. But nurses are the wrong target, they are some of the hardest workers. If you saw some of the penpushers I worked with, doing a bare minimum and now with ever-rising pay and guaranteed (from the taxpayer) pensions...
Workers outside get fewer payrises and many of us have been diddled over pensions (Equitable Life in my case).
Cheers, Steve.

Answer 2

Hmmm awkward one and yes I do sympathise but it's really up to your colleagues to get together and support each other in approaching your management. I bet they've had a pay rise.
I would also suggest trying to look for another job though I'm not saying it's easy.
Nurses are skilled people and should be paid well, so should fireman and Police. Can't speak for the office people though in the civil service as I don't know enough about what they do. Pensions are also a tricky subject in the private sector, but the general public keep forgetting that civil service do actually pay for their pensions they are not given out for nothing. I pay £85 a week towards my pension. It should also be realised that people working in Job Centres do not earn a fortune either.
Now in the public sector there are also some extremely well paid people. The self employed can get away with paying next to no taxes and minimal national insurance contributions. A colleague of mine has a self employed mate who drives around in a Porsche, but stated he will only be paying £300 in tax this year. Last year I was on holiday in France and met a pleasent family from Wales in conversation the husband stated 'I'm not worried about tax' because he hardly paid any but he was driving around in a brand new Kia Sedona and a brand new caravan. So I really don't understand how it all works, but there are quite afew people out there onto a good thing believe me.

Answer 3

March 6, 2007
hi,
Nurses get a paid great wages compared to most of us. However, there aren't enough of them, and their care is often guided by the overload of patients. They are all extremely busy and stressed, and I don't know if paying them more is good. Training more of them, and making their working conditions more appropriate may be a better approach. The government could begin a healthcare program, and impose limits on the ratio of patients per nurse, this would help them stop complaining. They are working in "overcrowded conditions" with so many patients, and I am certain they see and experience some mistakes which makes it hard to go home.
If you do your job the best you can, and you know enough so someone shouldn't die, and they do because there aren't enough nurses, and you are in the building, but aren't with the patient at the time, how do you handle this, keep working, and go on? How can you report someone who was supposed to monitoring the patient and didn't, or was called away, how can the nurse know?
All they know is their system isn't always safe, and people die because of it. It is enough to make you stop for a double white Russian on the way home, and spend precious money because it is too tough to think about and go to work the next day. Thank you.

Answer 4

If you think that working in the public sector is such bliss, why don't you join us?

If you'd love a regular payrise, pension and 5 - 6 weeks holiday a year, then stop moaning about your lot and get a public sector job. Get out of the factory!

Answer 5

OHHHHHHHHH dont even get me started on this one!!!!!!!!

you cant even compare what nurses do to factory workers, and find me a full time nurse that "only works " a 37 hour week.
Nurses train for 3 long years to get 2 thirds of the pay of teachers ( and look at their holidays!) and much less than your average copper who does much less training.

I could go on and on but cant be arsed after a 12 hour shift at the hospital today, all I can say is if you aint happy with your lot then get out and do something else!!!

Answer 6

Get your facts right, even student nurses do more than 37 hours a week, try 12 to 14 hour shifts.
And how many lives do you save a day in that factory of yours.

Answer 7

Did you have to train for three years to work in a factory?
.
Do you help take responsibility for peoples lives every working day of yours?

If you think it's such a cushy life get yourself off to the local uni and get training.

Presumably in your job you could strike to get a good pay deal ,but most nurses won't because they know it could be them or their mum or sister that needs care and also because the majority of us care about the people we look after.

Answer 8

nurses deserve every penny they get and more you would be the Frost to shout if you got to hospital and there where no nurses.
as for your pay then you can do as we are doing we are looking to strike for better pay and I only get 3 weeks holiday per year no pension only the one I pay myself as for pay my take home is 190 for flat wk.
so please don't knock the nurses for wanting a better pay deal
what we need to do is elect a government that listens to all workers be it any party.

the right we all have is to with draw our labour a right we should exericse more