Modern Electronics (was Re: List charter mods & headcount... ; -))

From: Geoffrey Thomas <geoffreythomas_at_onetel.net.uk>
Date: Mon Jun 21 05:58:45 2004

> Don't forget that there is more then one generation at work in an industry
> at one time. Lots of people on this email list probably work with younger
> techs who don't know half of what they do. Once the senior people retire
(or
> get fired because they cost too much on a spreadsheet) its up to the
younger
> ones to pull the slack (if they were smart enough to hire any before the
old
> ones got the boot), and quite a few are not up to the task. It takes time
to
> notice your workforce is deficient, and by then its too late to do
anything
> about it.

This is what has happened to the rail industry in Britain, it frightens me
to think of the skills that have been lost -particularly in track
maintenance -not very high tech. you may think , but the number of
crashes/accidents we've had since privatisation started on an accountant's
spreadsheet. The fact that the industry now swallows more money for an
inferior service is common knowledge , we all know where the money goes
(went - it's called asset stripping ) but vested interest and political
lethargy prevent any radical solution.As with our health service there is
now an inverted bloated bureaucratic pyramid stuffed full of accountants and
clerks.

Geoff.
Received on Mon Jun 21 2004 - 05:58:45 BST