I do enjoy what I do and like the people I work with. That's a perk. More important to me, is supporting people who are providing a public service. The problem is I can't support myself on the pay if it does not rise with inflation and I will never be able to retire, because I won't be able to afford it.

I put in more than 37 hours a week, often up to 41 a week. I really don't mind it. There are others who put in more hours at less attractive work and are paid less. Carers, refuse workers, cleaners, etc. Old, young, and middle aged, we are all hurting. Yet Chief Execs can pay themselves over £250,000 and surround themselves with a coterie of staff all paid over £150,000 and still get bonuses because we underlings have fulfilled our contracts or the managers get disgusting pay offs when they fuck up. The director and corporate level of local authorities is rotten and overrun with the self- serving. The same people who are dismantling public services and selling them to the lowest bidder, are probably lining their stock portfolios with these new companies that sell the service back to the council.

We have broken contract with BT and taken up with IBM at a loss for IT services which have since been abysmal. We sold council owned care homes and services to a private company who botched it so bad (dying patients) we had to bring it all back in house. Yet they are selling it again. I won't go into the plans for schools. We have outsourced highways and brought it back in and tendered out so many times I can't count. Social services and libraries being restructured making them fit to outsource. The council can and will make statutory provision through private companies wherever it can. Somebody is making some money out of this.

Should private companies profit from your taxes?