colin, the working time directive is excellent if it applies to you but with some, like the Ambulance Service, it doesn't apply. When I was employed on there, the government had the option of opting out of it for certain sections. We had our meals whenever we could snatch a bite, no wonder that I lived on antacid tablets at the time. If things were busy it was tough for some, no meal breaks. I always got mine though because if control passed me another job and I'd been on duty for more than 5 hours I threatened to go home sick because my blood sugar levels had dropped. Rather than lose a crew they always relented and I got my break unless it was a 999 call.
Maybe things have altered in the 3 years since I finished and hopefully they now get their breaks. If it was left to my newer colleagues at the time they still wouldn't because they were scared of their own shadows and wouldn't dare stand up to management. I don't wish to be controversial (for a change) but if the Ambulance Service had to fight to get better conditions it wouldn't be through industrial action like it was in 89. Why? Because now there are a lot more females working for the service now than in 89 who are second wage earners and taking that kind of action is a no no.
When a person is the only breadwinner it puts a different perspective on it. I was a shop steward in 89 and our service, Hereford & Worcester, never worked for almost 4 months with the exception of about 5 people who signed a management letter saying they weren't striking. What did they do, they went sick....hehheh! After the dispute ended none of them lasted long though, some finished altogether while others transferred to another service, one going as far as Edinburgh.
What I would like to clarify was the fact we carried on working doing 999 calls without pay, that was until management under government orders (namely Kenneth Clarke), took away the insurance cover.
We would always be indebted to the publics generosity though because in those 4 months we never lost a penny due to donations. A large local hotel used to send tureens of soup over to the picket line. Lorries would drop off pallets for our fire. We had bread lorries and potato lorries drooping off some of their loads. Turkeys were supplied at Christmas and Mattel the toy makers supplied toys for those with children.
It was one of lifes experiences and I don't regret a minute of it because our cause was just and the Conservative government of the time had reneagued on another promise from the past.
Anyway, I digress, back to kathryns thread of Family Caravanning ... hehheh!
Why do I keep going off the mainline down the branchline?
Oh yes, following on from colin-yorkshires thread, I'll blame him ;O)
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