Current Affairs

[Onelife]

At this juncture Onelife would like it to be known that he loves all of you xx

Now can we get back to arguing with each other

[oldbluefox]

Crawler!!!

[Stephen]

When covid rules are relaxed I’m throwing a forum party at my country estate…all welcome, body armour supplied

Normally I would ask if I can stay over, but not with your sleep walking habits

[Stephen]

At this juncture Onelife would like it to be known that he loves all of you xx

Now can we get back to arguing with each other

Ar*e licker

[Onelife]

At this juncture Onelife would like it to be known that he loves all of you xx

Now can we get back to arguing with each other

Ar*e licker

That’s the real reason you don’t want to stay over …isn’t it?

[Stephen]

At this juncture Onelife would like it to be known that he loves all of you xx

Now can we get back to arguing with each other

Ar*e licker

That’s the real reason you don’t want to stay over …isn’t it?

You sicko

[Onelife]

Ar*e licker

That’s the real reason you don’t want to stay over …isn’t it?

You sicko

Not with a dollop of ice-cream

[Stephen]

I think you and Andrew would get on well.

[Kendhni]

OK then a new topic. 4-day working week.
There is a massive push towards changing the working week to a 4 day week. This has been trialled in various companies and industries and generally speaking has been seen as a success. It reduces the amount of stress, improves mental well being, improves work-life balance and, most importantly, did not show a drop in productivity (in fact the evidence seems to be that all us old duffers had been slacking our way through the working life).

Another advantage is that there may be increased scope for recruitment ... especially in places that maybe need 5-7 day running.

If some companies start introducing this then many others, especially in the same industry, will have no choice but to follow ... otherwise they will have severe recruitment issues.

[Stephen]

Makes no odds to me.

[towny44]

A 4 day week has been discussed throughout my working life and probably for decades before that. So I think Ken is going to be disappointed, if he thinks it's likely to happen anytime soon.

[david63]

It might work in some scenarios but it won't work in all unless the intention is to work less hours for the same pay. One thing that it would probably mean is that there would be more shift working and not all employees would be happy with that

[Manoverboard]

A 4 day working week is one way of keeping people employed albeit on lower wages after the robots start to take over many of their jobs. It seems we are heading for a time when robots do many of the jobs and those with IT skills will become digital nomads. Very few will work for the same employer and get to receive a decent pension, those on the breadline will need to be given £500 a week or whatever to ensure a decent life ... failing that there will be a riot or three.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Is that the same BBC with institutionalised support and shielding for child molesters? A lot more heads should have rolled over that, especially all those that knew and chose to cover it up. When Johnny Rotten dared to step out of line in 1978 the pervs in the beeb chose to ban him to protect the molesters.

And you were there to witness it I presume?

Sentence 1, widely accepted. Sentence 2 on youtube

Sentence 1 widely accepted by whom? Sentence 2 his claim.

As usual your post is big on vitriol and abuse, short on facts. And grossly insulting to the many good people who have worked for the BBC over the years. I was there, you weren't. In 20 years with the BBC I never came across child molesters or institutionalised support and shielding for them.

Again you're an expert in hindsight. There is no doubt Saville was an evil man but that didn't emerge until after his death in 2011. The Lydon/Piers Morgan interview was in 2015. The R1 interview to which he refers was in 1978. At that time Saville was a revered figure in broadcasting and for his charity work. He got an OBE in 1972. He was knighted in 1990.

No doubt you are also an expert in defamation law. I know quite a lot about it by the way, having lived with it professionally for 20 years. To have broadcast Lydon's claims in 1978, without proof, would have landed them with a huge bill for damages and public ridicule. I have no doubt the decision to edit the interview would have been made by a lawyer, not a band of perverts.

I am quite sure within the BBC's staff of around 25,000 at the time there were deviants. As there were in the church, in schools, in local government, in the civil service, in the Boy Scouts and indeed in every sphere of life and industry, including you own. Maybe even the company you work for. But that is not the same as "institutionalised" and does not justify your disgusting post.

Nor does it justify punishing the BBC 40 years on, especially as perverts have also been at the heart of government.

But that is not what this is about. It's a crude attempt to divert attention and suck up to the press barons and punish the BBC. Odd really, given that most of the Partygate revelations have come through the press, ITV and Sky. The BBC have been very measured in comparison. The other night the BBC lead the 10 o'clock news with a 10 minute chink on it. ITV did 15 minutes. There was little else in their programme.

The argument about saving pensioners money is nonsense too. A full inflation uplift of the Licence Fee would cost them about 3p a day. The severing of the triple lock on pensions will cost them around 50p a day. Fuel price inflation at least 50p and more.

The debate about whether the licence fee is the best way to fund the BBC will go on but it's not in Nadine Dorries gift to dictate in a knee jerk reaction. I very much doubt she'll be Culture Secretary in 2027. She may not even be in government.

The whole thing is a clumsy and ineffective smokescreen to take the pressure off Boris. As a leader in the #BashBoris movement I'm astonished you try to justify it. That's pretty weird even for you.

[barney]

Whoah there mister !

Are you trying to say that Kendhni is NOT a world authority on every known subject ?

[Kendhni]

It might work in some scenarios but it won't work in all unless the intention is to work less hours for the same pay. One thing that it would probably mean is that there would be more shift working and not all employees would be happy with that

All valid points and I agree that there is no one size fits all. Each industry/company will have to decide what suits it and then recruit on those grounds. I can actually see that in the industry I work in where certain practices and procedures need to be in place to allow it to happen ... I know of one company that has announced a 4 day week, but there is a small backlash because some roles do not lend themselves to the shorter working week.

Reading various reports, there seems to be some that think pay will be cut or the working day will be longer ... that is not the case of this new global initiative. If an improved work/life balance improves productivity then no change is needed to the length of the working day or pay ... people are simply being paid the same money for completing the same job in less time. That is the evidence that recent trials have generated.

It will be very interesting to see what the January round of town halls announce.

[Onelife]

I’m not intelligent enough to get my head round all the implications of what a 4-day week would entail but my initial thoughts would be that it would cause country wide disharmony and resentments between those whose job would enable them to take up this option and those who couldn’t.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Whoah there mister !

Are you trying to say that Kendhni is NOT a world authority on every known subject ?

Sorry. My bad.

[Ray B]

Re the BBC license fee, I think it revolves around seeing that figure of £158 and then going on to say "how are the old and poorer people going to afford that"
If it's broken down to compare to daily spending, these very same people may be buying a daily paper, pack of fags or a pint in the pub. These pleasures over the year could add up to a lot more than the license.
The difference is, the examples above give pleasure for just a short time. The license fee gives `pleasure ' 24/7, 365 days a year.
Leave the BBC fee alone but trawl out the dead wood that must exist.

[Stephen]

New licence fee is £159

[david63]

the implications of what a 4-day week would entail but my initial thoughts would be that it would cause country wide disharmony and resentments between those whose job would enable them to take up this option and those who couldn’t.

Doubt that would happen - there are many who already work a four day week.

people are simply being paid the same money for completing the same job in less time

In many industries/roles that is not possible - for example how could somebody in a call centre do the same work in less time?

If the intention is that you do four 10 hour days a week instead of five eight hour days then it might work but not four eight hour days and still get the same pay - it will never work from the employers point of view, but I am sure the employees would love it.

[Ray B]

New licence fee is £159

Thank you Stephen, I stand corrected

[Kendhni]

the implications of what a 4-day week would entail but my initial thoughts would be that it would cause country wide disharmony and resentments between those whose job would enable them to take up this option and those who couldn’t.

Doubt that would happen - there are many who already work a four day week.

That is one of the issues one company (that I know off) has mentioned. Most staff are in the position of taking advantage of the 4 day week, but a few are not ... they have raised a 'fairness' issue. I have no idea if they have come up with a solution to this though.

people are simply being paid the same money for completing the same job in less time

In many industries/roles that is not possible - for example how could somebody in a call centre do the same work in less time?

If the intention is that you do four 10 hour days a week instead of five eight hour days then it might work but not four eight hour days and still get the same pay - it will never work from the employers point of view, but I am sure the employees would love it.

When it was first announced, I was thinking exactly the same 4x10 vs 5x8, but that does not appear to be the case. Previous trials, in different countries, have shown that better productivity outwieghs the loss in hours.

I see it has made one of the top stories on twitter https://twitter.com/i/events/1483048152647155712

[Ray B]

Called into Boots in the City center this morning. I Had quite a few items to about £70-80. On reaching the check out to find no one about, I called an assistant who told me that there was no one on the till (which I could see), I replied would you mind calling someone. Her reply, use the self service. I had put my items on the counter and walked out.
Shops use to give a service to you, now they want you to work part time for them, free.

[Mervyn and Trish]

New licence fee is £159

Thank you Stephen, I stand corrected

Don't stand Ray. Pull up a chair.