Geoff, I am well up on the realities of life in Britain, why do you think that I am still here and will retire to Thailand?

Good point, Neil.

No doubt you have heard that the population of England is now 53 million, and rising. Like sardines in a can!

It's 70 million in Thailand, though, Mate.

What is it in the Kingdom, these days ... 25 million?

...but 99% of them are in Bangkok

Yes ... good point. And it's for similar reasons that I refuse to venture within the M25 circle these days!

Meanwhile, every year or two I just keep heading further *north.

* And will probably reach Scotland just about the time they gain independence.

Meanwhile ... and continuing the theme of "what's coming next" ... I sincerely hope that events unfolding 850 miles north of where you are don't put the mockers on your plans, Neil.

It was something similar nine years ago that consigned my own plans to the bin.

You know:- "Man Plans, God Laughs"!

Are you travelling very slowly then Geoff?

Have people also seen the latest release to from Unite?
It seems "the powers that be" want to make major changes to AfC and make every spine point a gateway and then make them hard to get through unless you achieve more each time.
Performance related pay? Or just make the bar too high to get over - an effective pay freeze?
Robert

Moving on every year or two (as previously mentioned). But I take your point about (I presume) independence being a time (and money) wasting non-starter.

Spine point? Gateways? Baboons?

But ... performance-related pay? Yes, please.

Not quite Robert, NHS employers have also put forward the changes nationally instead of forming the consortium. From the paperwork I've seen the suggestion was to knock a few spine points off the top of the bands and give them back as performance-related pay. It does seem that they want to scrap AFC go back to the Whitley scheme!

Yes, it is confusing Geoff, in other sectors you just get paid what would be the top of the band, but NHS system is based on nurses who learn their job throughout their career and when they reach the top spine point they are usually fully trained.

Unite did suggest this was actually age discrimination as carpenters have learn't all there is to know when they leave college or do an apprenticeship and the only difference between last year and the next is that their a year older.

The problem with performance-related pay Geoff is if an employer wants to make savings wouldn't this pay be the first to go regardless of good performance?

Anyway what about the other incentive I've just heard about NHS company cars! Seems an interesting idea but I think I'd have to read the terms and conditions to find out if it effects your pension first.

I don't think I would agree with that assertion about carpenters. Just like everyone one else, they will only really begin to learn after leaving college and moving out into the Real World, and (if striving to master their trade) will continue to learn throughout life. To suggest that only nurses continue to learn "on the job" just shows how out of touch some folk must be.

What planet are these people on?

But don't forget that the most famous carpenter the world has known never went to college!

Meanwhile, biomed techs are Engineering Technicians, not nurses. So any attempt to equate the two are bound to end in tears (as we have seen yet again). This is where all the talk about "Clinical Technologists" et al leads. It is a False Flag at best.

And for what it's worth (probably not much), my idea of performance-related pay is:-

"No performance - no pay"!

Never believed in demarcation, red lines, collective bargaining or any other pay related scheme where individual performance is not recognized. Pay people what they are worth, what they bring to the table regardless of qualifications or which society they belong to!