As so many public sector workers take strike action today, we should think hard about the work they do and how we could not function without their generally quietly efficient presence. Sadly, we all too often read in the papers stories down grading their work.
I have one recent and happy story which illustrates the high quality of the public sector in Britain. A day or so ago I had an important visitor due to come for a day of meetings in Brussels. The night before she discovered she had lost her passport.
Not wanting to cancel her meetings, my visitor went to St Pancras for the Eurostar with as much information as she could find – driving licence, Brussels invitation and her Eurostar tickets. After a few questions and a form filled in she was allowed to travel.
Having telephoned the relevant consulate earlier, at the end of the day she went to Brussels Midi station for the return Eurostar and again, although it understandably took a little time, found public servants keen to assist her travel.
This kind of helpful attitude is, I have generally found, the overwhelming norm in our public services. When Conservative ministers attack our public sector workers, it is important to emphasise with examples like this, how if anything they are taken for granted. I am sure most of you will wholeheartedly agree with me, and understand that teachers and front-line civil servants should receive proper remuneration and pensions adequate to provide for their retirement.
And here’s another little tale of excellent public service for you.
We are starting up a free school here and when I went to the local Primary School to tell them the good news, guess what? They were kind enough actually to send me an e mail!
It read: “We are not interest in your school.”
All the other people who approached their Primary Schools in this town got a similar response delivered very frankly and openly.
Even the Library (public servants) was equally friendly and helpful.
So, say I, long live the Public Services with the selfless appreciation of our children’s future!
private sector… inferior schools, inferior pension schemes… of course we are not interested, and the succinct replies mentioned shows how efficient the public sector is… 🙂
the right complains about average pensions in the public sector being too generous: but the private sector arrangements are quite variable, and the average brought down by less responsible employers