Brave man Rocky for sticking your head above the
parapet. I don't agree with you though. Apart from the
argument that your younger colleagues won't wistfully
remember you as a man of principle, I am worried that
you are misguided, too, I reckon, as you may not get
the salary increase you're expecting for five years
anyway - I understand there is an annual quota for
putting consultants on the new contract, if it were
agreed.
The contract appears to be undergoing a renegotiation
right now anyway and I have no doubt that
comprehensive rejection by ballot, if one ever takes
place, will lead to swiftly improved terms by HMG.

At least the new contract will allow us to
> time-limit our workload.  Far too many of us are
> currently working far, far too many hours because we
> feel it is something we must do for the good of our
> departments, hospitals, nurses and patients.  Its
> time we had the guts to stand up and say to
> management, "No, I'm not going to do that any more".
>  I think this new contract would give us the
> opportunity and the right to do just that.
So how exactly does the proposed contract help you to
do this?
Steve Meek

--- Rocky <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Well, Mike, I'm planning to vote yes.  The basic
> reason is that I'm 55 and I plan to retire at 60.
> So I have to put up with whatever the new contract
> brings for five years but I should then have a
> significantly better pension fund than under the old
> contract.  I'm sure the new contract virtually
> guarantees that most of us will be doing evening
> sessions (but I suspect that will happen anyway).  I
> 'm not happy about getting 8 per cent for emergency
> call but I'm getting nothing now.  I have no fear of
> reappraisal and I don't believe any administrator
> can find a reason to hold back my salary increments.
>   I currently work more hours than I should under
> the European Working Time Directive and I would have
> every intention, if the new contract comes in, of
> making sure that I get some sort of remuneration for
> all the work that I do.   I don't do private
> practice and I believe that a lot of the sometimes
> hysterical opposition to the new contract is from
> in-house specialists who do a lot of it.  I don't
> think much of this new contract but I'm sure, ir it
> is rejected (as I suppose it will be), that there
> will not be a renegotiation until well after the
> next general election.  That will be too late for
> me.  It seems to me that a lot of the vocal
> opposition to the new contract is based on fear of
> the government, fear of management and a stunning
> lack of confidence in our own ability to stand up to
> them.  At least the new contract will allow us to
> time-limit our workload.  Far too many of us are
> currently working far, far too many hours because we
> feel it is something we must do for the good of our
> departments, hospitals, nurses and patients.  Its
> time we had the guts to stand up and say to
> management, "No, I'm not going to do that any more".
>  I think this new contract would give us the
> opportunity and the right to do just that.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Rocky
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Adrian Fogarty
>   To: [log in to unmask]
>   Sent: Sunday, September 08, 2002 1:16 PM
>   Subject: Re: Consultant Contract
>
>
>   I note the stony silence Mike. It's remarkable,
> but on the few occasions that I've seen a letter
> supportive of the contract, I was then bemused and a
> little disappointed to discover that the author was
> either a member of, or linked closely to, the
> negotiating committee, perhaps vainly hoping he
> might be mistaken for an ordinary voting "punter".
> It's all very suggestive of mass hysteria.
>
>   Adrian Fogarty
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>     From: Michael Dudley
>     To: [log in to unmask]
>     Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 6:01 PM
>     Subject: Consultant Contract
>
>
>     Out of interest, is there anyone lurking out
> there (and is brave enough to
>     put their head above the parapet!) who is
> planning to vote yes, and thinks
>     the proposed new consultant contract is actually
> a good thing?
>
>     Mike Dudley
>     Airedale
>


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