Oh my... Where'd I go?
Just recently I disappeared. I don't quite know where I went or where I am now. I was chatting merrily away to a lawyer, I picked up a pen, signed my name & 'pouff', I just vanished. Remember "Randall & Hopkirk (deceased)" when Hopkirk just faded away?
So I'm ambling about in a void. Even if I do know where I am or how I got here, I can't tell anyone. One minute an experienced professional and then, nothing. Because nothing has happened.
I can't say where I used to work, why I left or how I left. I can't tell the Jobcentre why I'm asking about entitlement to benefits, which makes them suspicious of me. They can't tell me what I'm entitled to unless I ask them the right questions and I can't tell them if or when or how much I was last paid by my last employer - who I can't name. Because nothing has happened.
I can't tell any prospective employer why I'm available for a job, nor can my previous employer. Because nothing has happened.
Its a Kafkaesque nightmare, a Monty Python sketch, an absurdist happening - where nothing has happened.
I have to accept I've sold my soul, I went to the crossroads and struck a deal - now I'm damned to roam this purgatory for eternity, stuck in The Vestibule of Dante's Upper Hell, forever feeling the pain of being 'stung'.
If there is a god I might be allowed to peer into the lower reaches. I wonder if I'll spot familiar faces covered in excrement, or boiling pitch, or wearing lead mantles, or buried up to the neck in ice?
To quote Simon from the film 'As Good As It Gets' after he's been duped & robbed & left wounded by those he trusted:
"Oh my... Where'd I go?"
Not sure how to respond to this! I feel for everyone, those who considered it a hobsons choice, those who left, those who stayed! It is a limbo type place! Don't allow yourself to drift into inactivity, unless of course you've retired, in which case, go wild! I hope your post reflects the early days and sudden realisation of just how grime things have become, but you clearly have the ability to give consideration to your options, and I hope you don't stray too far from probation values and social consciousness! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI too do not know how to respond. We all knew this was going but we were either too sacred or too unsure as to where to turn or what to do next. We were reeling and rooted to the spot when the senior briefings came around about the split. Senior management were HONEST about the split but alas the union led us a merry dance and gave us hope. Even now the Union silence is deafening in respect of VS, CS and EVR. Folk have been given letters and end dates. The threat of capability is more prevalent than ever so my guess is that more staff in CRC will go this way too. What are the Union doing ? ,stting back and watching. At least senior management put their cards on the table and told us what to expect unlike NAPO. Just sayin...............
ReplyDeleteI also concur. Do I want to work for a company who just prioritise the target matrix stats? Trying to hang onto good practice is like whistling down the wind.
DeleteIndeed. Just when I thought things could not get any worse, I woke up and found that for some incomprehensible reason, it has been decided that the future of the Labour Party is Jeremy Corbyn. Oh good grief.
ReplyDelete"it has been decided that the future of the Labour Party is Jeremy Corbyn. Oh good grief." It's attitude like this that has failed probation. If u had the slightest guts u would bk this man to bring about the kind of change that we need.
DeleteJeremy Corbyn cannot and will not save probation.
DeleteDid I say he will. No one expects him too save probation. The damage to probation has been hard and relentless. We cannt bring it bk but what we can do is hold those in power to account.
DeleteGently reminding, you are the union, stand up, be counted, get organised, fight back!
ReplyDeleteFight back with what exactly. A union that has no principles. A union that has many faces. A union that wants to be everything to everyone. If the union means business lets have a change at the top. Let's mobilise in a radical way. U up for that. Doubt it. To comfortable with your tea and biscuits.
Deleteerr, which one of the THREE unions with negotiating rights are you referring to?
DeleteJeremy Corbyn is what we need. He had a landslide victory which evidences he is what the public want . Over 10 thousand people have joined labour since he won
ReplyDeleteThe privateers and their supports will be shaking in their boots at Labours new leader. Good news for the descent hard working person. Bad news for profiteers.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to the guy, he's done a lot better for himself since he dumped Sooty and Sweep.
ReplyDeleteAs interested and pleased i am about politics, in the meantime, whats the latest with crc evr, vs or cs...........................lets get back on track
ReplyDeleteThere is no track to get back on. It is clear the Unions Napo and Unison left the track some time ago and have not found a routeway back onto said track - lost in the wilderness, unable to deal with the ETON bunch and their chums who are now profiteering from OUR weakness. YES our weakness - we the membership - WE allowed NAPO and UNISON to divert from the mainline, we allowed them to get lost in the wilderness - WE are now all lost too. I have much sympathy with the guest blogger - that wilderness is where we all are. Neither the NAPO GS or UNISON GS can do anything now - they let that ship sail long long ago, along with US the members.
ReplyDeleteI see my colleagues are leaving Napo and joining Unison..haha, frying pan to fire.
ReplyDeleteA fair number of people if my information is correct.
DeleteThe only advantage of any NAPO member joining UNISON is that the monthly sum they flush down the toilet each month is less than that of NAPO.
DeleteNo point joining Unison. My Partnership colleagues were forced to sign a new contract which reduced 'their salary by 7k a year. They were not allowed to put 'signed under duress' on the acceptance form. Due to be made redundant next March with statutory redundancy pay based on new salary. After 20 yrs in Unison my colleague has cancelled their subscription to Unison.
DeleteThis guest blog really expresses how many colleagues feel.....and for those who have jobs what is there left for them.....only the prospect of being demanded to do more for less.....no hope on the horizon, no prospect of even a cost of living increase.... to have a salary that diminishes year on year and I am really asking myself for the first time ever just what is in this for me???
ReplyDeleteANON 18:07 I concur wholeheartedly with your comment.
ReplyDeletemy take-home pay is dropping year on year and quite soon it'll be worth moving to a supermarket - less pay but if you take into consideration the responsibility and stress that will be taken away then it'll be worth it. Private companies need to bear in mind, those of us who've been here for years make the job look easy replacing us with lesser paid, lesser qualified will have consequences.
DeleteJeremy Corbyn as leader. Shocking. Thank god he will never make PM wanting munimum wage to increase to £10 an hour. What planet is he on. Truely shocking. Bye bye labour
ReplyDeleteYea minimum wage is paid low for a reason
DeleteAs it keeps industry booming
DeleteAnd, as has been well discussed, low wages ensure businesses are subsidised by welfare payments, e.g. Tax Credits. Get businesses to pay employees a minimum living wage that negates the need for benefit payments.
DeleteIt will be interesting to see how new shadow justice sec Lord Charlie "45 minutes" Falconer responds to the plight of probation services.
ReplyDeleteHave you encountered such a comment? Maybe they mean what they said. You need a doctor though it may sound irritating but consider it anyway. Men have so much pride that they get furious to hear a comment from anyone.drug and alcohol assessment
ReplyDeleteI am very happy that Jeremy Corbyn won. Interesting times ahead.
ReplyDelete