Pilton Sucks dotCom

Friends and Readers. It has occured to Pilton sucks.com,something which has been obvious for quite some time,whats that you ask, the lack of local people working in local community projects.

Curious,but true why would that be do you think,well from a conversation that was overheard in the Pilton health project in Boswall Parkway, fatboy Dave Hewitt,who jumps from project to project with seemingly relative ease, is reported to have said,most people in this area are wasters. Thats big coming from him.

Now we do not know if this is true and of course it may just be gossip, but what still remains true is that very few local people except in the jobs like cleaning or janitorial duties are employed in these many local projects.

So we are graced with all these experts who are so generous in giving us mere plebs their very valuable expertise, in how to remain deprived and relient on them and there like.

The poverty and welfare industry in Greater Pilton is big business, just look at for instance how  the The Pilton Elderly Project has grown out of all proportion to the clients it serves. But once again it is no suprise when you see who manages it. The Black community development project based in Muirhouse,what do they do except use the racist card if you dare to critise them,but they are to all reasonable people useless and a waste of space and money, of which they receive quite a lot. The North Edinburgh News,have they ever printed anything which would make interesting reading,shame that,it has the potential to do exactly that, if it were not so intimidated by the daft Labour party.

The Drylaw neighbourhood centre,what does that do,answers on a postcard, the millenium centre in Muirhouse so badly built it makes Barrat houses look good. What do these and more local projects have in common -hardly any local people work there certainly in the full time so called professional positions.

Oh let us not forget the Prentice Centre a private club where public information is taken off the public notice board,how helpful is that.

So dear friends how do you equate that with inclusion,well it is inclusive for some but the rest can take a run and jump like it or lump it. Local people should be empowered to take up responsible positions,and why not it is their community the rest are visitors who come and go.

The peer education project should have gone some way to doing that but of course our friend Dave Hewitt was involved with that as well,so that went nowhere such a shame.

Pilton sucks.com advocates local people for local jobs,and not just stuck on management committees to make up the numbers.If they have not got the skills then train them we have all these so called experts coming out of our ears,what is stopping them.

If nothing is forthcoming then the only growth industry in Greater Pilton will continue to be the poverty industry.   

Hello There. I have been reading the articles on workplace bullying, and as a social worker with Edinburgh City Council, am aware of a hidden culture of bullying.I work in the children and families section,and have little contact with my colleagues in Criminal Justice.

But i have to say that there is without doubt bullying going on within the department. We to have heard the rumours of bullying in the Muirhouse office, and when we heard the name of the person doing the bullying,it came as no suprise.

There are a lot of people within the social work setting who have had experience of this person and have found it unpleasant. Working in the social work setting can be stressful enough without bullys in our midst.

It is long overdue that bullying be stopped, how do you do it? not easy but neccessary to promote harmony in the workplace. Without reasonable working conditions we all suffer, and that is why we must as professional people make a stand on workplace bullying. Any colleague who is a victim of bullying has to be supported, after all we would do the same for our clients would we not? 

Most people still tend to associate bullying with childhood and assume that as adults we have matured beyond such basic forms of manipulation. Unfortunately bullying in the workplace is rife and like childhood bullying can involve name-calling physical aggression and threats. Unlike childhood bullying,the skills of the adult can involve far more manipulative and damaging strategies to the point where psychological and physical health can be affected.

Every workplace has its own culture or atmosphere. In some it has become accepted practice,even a rite of passage,to use practical jokes,offensive name calling and unwanted phyiscal contact. The problem of workplace bullying has been recognized by many organizations and trades unions to the point where policy initiatives have been introduced by some companies in an effort to stem the serious consequences to productivity and the health of the workplace.

Recognizing  Workplace bullying

One persons playful banter is another persons bullying.

However bullying can generally be regarded as negative acts towards another person. In the workplace thesecan most readily be seen in terms of:

Threatening the individuals work status.

Threatening personal standing[demeaning comments]

Isolating the individual from information, opportunities,etc

Giving impossible deadlines.overwork and undue pressures.

Undermining the individual such as demeaning their standard of work, not giving credit.setting up projects to fail,reminders of mistakes.

Bullying is intended to affect people psychologically. In some settings it is directly structered as a test of belonging and a [misguided] way to ensure that unsuitable people are quickly identified and excluded from that culture.

The Effects Of Workplace Bullying

Bullying may occur as a result of perceived weakness[physical and/or psychological],gender,sexuality,ethnicty,or jealousy. In some cases bullying achieves its objectives to the point where the individual has to seek MEDICAL OR COUNSELLING support.or ultimately leave their employment. People who experience bullying tend to suffer from STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS,DEPRESSION AND LOWERED SELF- ESTEEM. For the employer the costs of bullying may be seen in terms of low morale,high rates of sickness and absenteeism,reduced productivity and a high turnover of staff.

In big and busy organizations workplace bullying can be difficult to spot. For some it may be easier to ignore the problem than attempt to confront it. Yet others find the concept of bullying a non-starter. Bullying it may be argued is a way of weak minded individuals expressing their inability to cope with the rough and tumble of life. However, the evidence to date shows that companies may be losing a great deal in terms of cash and productivity. This has resulted in a call for more sophisticated measures for detecting bullying and shows that many organizations are beginning to take the issue very seriously indeed.

Jerry Kennard.

Research published in August 2002 by the Work Foundation[formerly the Industrial society] concludes that the UK workplace is increasingly becoming a zero tolerance zone for bullies.

The research into bullying-Employee Codes Of Conduct-found that eight out of ten responding organisations now have a code of conduct on bullying and harassment. And although such codes are relatively recent initiatives in UK workplaces,they are taken seriously-with a third of respondents saying that workers breaking the code would be SACKED. Only 6% would give an informal warning.

A third[32%] of respondents also consider codes on bullying to be a priority for a well-run workplace,along with work safety[41%] and corporate confidentiality[33%]

Angela Ishmael,head of dignity at work at the work place foundation recently gave evidence on workplace bullying at a House of Lords seminar on the Dignity at Work Bill. She says.

Not so long ago bullying was seen by many organisations as little more than a challenging anf forceful work style. It is good to see that the tide is turning and that employers are more committed to creating work environments where empolyees no longer need to work in fear.

Codes of conduct are a useful litmus test of the quality of management. To make the UK workplace a genuinely bully free zone,such initiatives need backing from the top,supportive colleagues,managers who will help people to raise their concerns, and a responsible work culture which tackles the causes and concequences of bullying and harassment before individuals are victimised and jobs are lost.

The Work Foundation 

[11-2-04] A Court of Appeal ruling could be good news for victims of workplace bullying

In awarding victory in an appeal over a case of unfair dismissal, the court overturned a 30-year-old reading of employment law that could mean thousands of similar claimants mat be entitled to more compensation than first expected.

The ruling means that employers found TO HAVE ALLOWED BULLYING TO TAKE PLACE could be liable for compensation claims for more than sheer economic loss of income-such as stress or loss of reputation.

This is a momentous victory which will have wide spread implications for other cases of unfair dismissal, noted UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis. It is also a significant legal move which will make the law on infair dismissal much fairer.

In most tribunal cases the compensation for financial loss is well under £10,000. The new ruling means that if a claiment has suffered additional stress or humiliation,they will be entitled to compensation for that personal damage.

It is a real step forward and it should make employers think very carefully about tackling workplace bullying or paying the price added Prentis.

Christopher Dunnachie had originally won a £10,000 employment tribunal award for mental distress after his 2001 resignation from his position at Hull City Council following what he says was a period of harrassment from his line manager.

Dunnachies treatment went unrecognised or dealt with by the council and in the end he was forced to find a lower-paid job in another council to escape the bullying. He then resigned and made his claim for unfair dismissal.

The original employment tribunal found that his experience had been so bad that it awarded him the maximum compensation under the law at the time, so he will not benifit from the new ruling.

Unison members against bullying.

Empolyers in Britain are increasingly aware of the problem of wprkplace bullying and are getting tough in an effort to stamp it out,new research has found.

The study of 92 UK empolyers published by specialist journal IRS Employment Review found that virtually all noe had anti-bullying or dignity at work policies in place and that the great majority of policies had been introduced in the past 5 years.

More than one-third said the issue had moved up the management agenda in recent months.

The researchers uncovered a total of 535 complaints about bullying reported over the past 12 months across the 92 organisations surveyed.

Three-quarters reported at least one complaint in the past two years.

The negative effects of bullying reported by respondents included problems with staff absence[26 per cent of respondents] and turnover[24 per cent], but the most widespread impact had been on working relationships[39 per cent] and morale[28 per cent]

The report warned that those that fail to get to grips with the problem may find themselves on the receiving end of employment tribunal claims under leglislation outlawing discrimination and harassment on grounds of sex, race, disabilty,religion and sexual orientation.

From 1 October 2006, it will also be unlawful to discrimate against, harass or victimise someone at work because of their age.

HR professionals who responded to the survey,report positive results from recent initiatives to promote respect at work, and particularly from anti-bullying training programmes. But in some cases efforts were hampered by lack of support from SENIOR MANAGEMENT and confusion among staff about the line between strong management and bullying.

HR professionals say the most common problem is that VICTIMS are reluctant to come forward and report a bullying incident,making the issue even harder to tackle.

Charlotte Wolff the author of the report,said If anti-bullying tactics are to suceed in the workplace,the message must come from the TOP of the organisation. Employees need to understand what type of behaviour is unacceptable and know they will be supported with sensitivity if they report a wrongdoing. Managers need to create a culture that is free of bullying.

She added.If employers fail to tackle the problem, they will be faced at best with poor morale,higher absence and increased staff turnover, and at worst with a costly and reputation damaging employment tribunal claim for harassment or discrimination.

If you are or have been singled out for unfair treatment whilst at your place of employment by your boss,a manager or a colleague you do not have to suffer in silence. WORKPLACE BULLYING whilst common-place is illegal and action can be taken in the Industrial Tribunal,the Cival Courts and in serious cases in the Criminal Courts.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 imposes a legal duty on employers to look after the health,safety and welfare of their employees so far as is reasonably possible. If they did not do this they are breaching an individuals contract of employment and action may be taken in the cival courts for any illness including psychiatric illness caused by the abusive behaviour.

There are a number of older pieces of legislation under which criminal proceedings can be taken however the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 represents a strengthening of the public order provisions in a variety of different situations including workplace bullying.

Stress caused by workplace bullying can cause serious disabling psychological illnesses including anxiety,clinical depression and post traumatic stress disorder. These psychiatric conditions can be associated with unpleasant physical symptoms including nausea,headaches,ulcers,skin rashes sleeplessness,irritable bowel syndrome,tearfulness,loss of self-confidence and high blood pressure. Damages payable by negilgent employers who fail to adequately deal with the situations that cause stress can be substantial with a number of recent Cival Court awards exceeding £200,000.Damages in the Employment Tribunal are usually limited by statute however there are certain situations that attract unlimited damages and claims can sometimes be made to the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority. Empolyers will be liable to pay compensation if an emplotee can show:

That the employer has failed to provide a safe place of work.

That the employers negligence caused the employee to suffer from a recognisible psychiatric illness.

That the stress suffered was sufficient to create a reasonably forseeable risk of injury.

That the employer failed to do all he reasonably could to resolve the problem.

J.L. Dennis-Anti Worplace bullying alliance 

Friends and readers. By now you will know that your fuel bills are about to go up again.The politicians are silent and the people will suffer alone without any protection.

At the same time Gordon Brown announces that he would be willing to spend 25 billion pounds on upgrading our independant nuclear deterent.

It is seemingly alright to allow people to die because they will not be able to pay their fuel bill this winter, but we must spend a fortune on nuclear weapons to protect us from all these bad people who would wish to bomb us.

That 25 billion can be better spent, if the politicians are to frightened to stand up to the energy suppliers, then let that 25 billion go to helping people rather than destroying them.

Pensioner poverty is our national shame, the very least the government can do is help with the winter fuel bills, and not just the paltry £200 handout they give. That or part of that 25 billion could be used if the political will was there to pay the pensioners fuel bills this winter.

We spent over £400 million on a talking shop for tired politicians looking for a soft option, and yet we cannot look after our elderly and make sure they do not suffer this winter.

What a sad society we have become, we watch the haves lord it over us we see on tv the royal ascot race meeting, and all these parisites sponging off the state, and we tug our forelock in reverence as they pass in their horse drawn bath tubs. What kind of society allows this obscenity to happen when many people cannot pay their fuel bill, never mind their council tax, which is now just a joke a sad joke, which compounds the suffering of the masses.

The punters lot is a rotten one then you die. Nobody really cares certainly not the local council or the national government.

So what is to become of us as the poor continue to sudsidise the rich even more so than before. Labour has failed the masses and pandered to the rich and their friends, were did it all go wrong,was it ever right.

When a government cannot or will not protect its citizens against the aggression of the energy suppliers, but will happily spend a mind boggiling amount on needless weapons, that tells you just how much they really care. Pay up and shut up.

In November 1927,a Welsh miners march from the Welsh valleys to London was organised by the National Unemployed Workers Movement. The marchers were demanding a decent level of unemployment relief, the dropping of the unemployment bill and an adequate government responce to the problems of the coal industry. Although well supported along its route, the marchers had to face the prospect of no offical support as the Trades Union Congress had sent a circular to trades councils advising them not to give any help to marchers and their organisers.

The Scottish NUWM conference of 1928 concluded that the welsh miners march of the previous year had been a success in terms of highlighting the prevailing economic situation and the high levels of unemployment throughout British coal communities. Based on this the Scottish branches of the NUWM decided to hold a similar march of Scottish miners,to Edinburgh, to meet the Scottish Board of Health and to demand full relief for the large numbers of unemployed miners in Scotland.

Led by NUWM leader Walter Hannington,a crowd of over 250 men marched from the coalfields of Lanarkshire,Stirlingshire and Fife to Edinburgh. The march attracted a lot of support along its route and the Scottish co-operative society provided food fro the marchers. The 1928 Scottish miners march won the NUWM important gains in Scotland in terms of recognition and dealt a blow to the perceived wisdom of the Scottish parish councils that the unemployed had no rights and could expect only charity.

Friends and readers. As you know Greater pilton has a large elderly population,and to this end we were asked by the post office to explain, the PENSION CREDIT as some of our elderly had difficulty inderstanding it.

So here goes. Pension Credit simplified.

What is it.

Pension credit is a new entitlement for people aged 60 or over that was introduced by the government from october 2003.

It replaces income support[is] and the minimum income guarantee[mig]. It guarantees everybody aged over 60 and over a minimum weekly income of at least.

£114.05 a week if you are single

or

£174.05 a week if you have a partner

Many people including carers, disabled, and others with mortgages will be entitled to more than minimum amounts.

For the first time people aged 65 and over will be rewarded for some of the savings and income they have for their retirement. You may be one of them.

Hope this quick guide helps.