THE "FLEXIBLE" WORKFORCE

The above is a phrase dear to Gordon Brown's heart. And Ministers who never have to face the harsh reality of casualised working. This is how it is.
Having been a freelance journalist for 17 years, I'm kind of used to work coming and going. But even the most Gradgrindian of newspapers and magazines tend to look after their respected reliables.
So something of un unpleasant shock today to find six months' hard work at a local university rewarded with the promise of.......nothing. Today started badly as I got the wrong bus ( again) and ended up riding round the badlands of West Yorkshire for two hours before I got to work.
I planned to have a chat with the Head of Department. And I did. The result? There may,or may not be, work in September. No promises, no guarantees.So, basically, it's a non-starter as a realistic option of remuneration. It wasn't always like this.
Many years ago, I was a part-time FE lecturer for ILEA (Inner London Education Authority) and in those days there was some kind of continuity when it came to courses. And income. I suppose in my naivete I had expected something similar. Not so.
So, as I made the journey back on another two bloody buses, I decided I will not be hanging around in the hope of scraps from the academic table come the autumn. Do I feel angry and undervalued ? Yes.
And having had my little rant I will therefore be attending the rally being held at Hebden Bridge Trades Club on Thursday April 24 jointly organised by PCS, NUT, and UCU. The good thing I suppose is that it has been a learning curve and I now understand why part-time university lecturers feel hard done by. And are taking action........

NATIONALISATION IS NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD

So. Gordon Brown is so scared of the N-word that he is opting for a deal which is likely to seriously annoy taxpayers. Well done. Apparently, he's cooked up some deal with his China travelling companion Richard Branson which will mean US having to subsidise the Bearded One's plans for ( you guessed it) Virgin Bank.
According to today's Telegraph Brown has sanctioned the deal, which will see the taxpayers' debt "parcelled up" and sold to institutional investors, repayable over a number of years, in an attempt to avoid the "political stigma "of having to nationalise a bank.The Government will underwrite the debts and Virgin is the front-runner
Branson says he has a "winnable" bid and that he will rebrand the lender Virgin Bank.
It is ludicrous and a disgrace that Brown's Thatcherite faith in free markets is allowing him to play silly buggers with billions of pounds of taxpayers' money. Even the extremely moderate Steve Richards, of the Independent, agrees with me!
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article3356208.eceney. And Branson can't lose...