flamboyant

Mole welcome back... I had noticed you were missing. You are right that some of us can appear intimidating but I think that is borne out of frustration rather than contempt for someone else's opinion. You absolutely have a contribution to make and it is good to have you back.. keep posting! There will always be differences of opinions on here but they usually invoke looking at things from varying perspectives, which has to be a good thing. Warmest regards!

Sorry Bobby thought I heard you were on holiday I really must stop spreading gossip! People with Facebook accounts could also share the link to the voice on their Home Page with their own impassioned plea to join the voice.

Brilliant, Paul I will support that idea. I think he's on his holidays for a couple of weeks but I'm confident he won't mind us challenging Andy McNab on his behalf. I can see the headline now.. SAS soldier takes a slap from King Bobby over book dedication! Welcome to the voice Mr McNab it would be great to hear from you?

Green Knight that's a brilliant idea, I'm in!

Well done Paul for taking in the ICO, looking forward to seeing the outcome!

Agree 100% a totally formidable team. It is sad that their legacy left with them! Janet Atkinson was a force to be reckoned with!

Completely agree Dippy, it is horrifying to think that people stump up their monthly subscriptions in good faith, only to be let down by the Union when they need support! There can be absolutely no justification for not supporting a paid up member of any Union. When challenging Union officials, members find themselves hitting a brick wall and the character assassination begins to justify failure to support. One of the main issues is that Union members consist of Senior Managers as well as staff further down the food chain. This invariably leads to a conflict of interest, when faced with a complaint against a Senior Manager in the Union. It's more important in the current climate to stay in the good books of the Senior Manager than support a lower level member of staff. I have heard stories of Union officials refusing support because the complaint was against a manager also in the Union. When you're paying for a service you absolutely should get what you pay for!

Lol just notice predictive text changed Bulls banter to Balfour Beatty! Apologies!

Totally agree with Dippy! I know I've taken the mick a bit above but I really don't understand where the attack on you came from? I am also dumb founded they would seek to ban you? It is absolutely clear the statement you made was not a physical threat, it's actually quite funny that anyone thought it was...

Bobby, finally got round to reading Bulls banter, brilliant post. Although it appears far to intellectual challenging for some, shame on you! What were you thinking? I've taken the liberty of analysing the post below and have to say this chap does have a point. He has spent many a wasteful hour following you around on the forums and reading your nonsensical posts on the Hereford Voice and the Hereford Times ( Obviously doesn't have much else going on in his his life's) It's also quite worrying that this poor chap fears you could bore people to death. I have to say Bobby I am HORRIFIED THAT you are putting people's health and safety at risk! Do you have an up to date risk assessment which considers the impact on people who chose to read your posts across the different forums? Not looked at bb for a few days been busy, but diving into this thread I have to say I am HORRIFIED to see that Bobby47 has joined the forum, is this the same guy who posts huge volumes of boring, rambling nonsensical posts on the hereford voice forum, hereford times and no doubt other forums? He obviously doesn't have much else going on in his his life and I fear will bore us all to death, is he even a football fan or just some sad forum addict coming on here for as bit of fun? I will happily withdraw my comments if he turns out to be a passionate Bulls fan but based on the rubbish I have seen him post elsewhere I'm not sure that is the case...

A very disturbing rumour came to my attention this evening about Unison the Public Sector Union who have a branch at Hereford Council. I won't disclose it at the moment until I have checked out the facts but I was curious if anyone else out there had ever paid Union fees on the understanding that they could rely on their Union when they had a work related issues but were refused representation when they needed it? Are Unions really in bed with the Employer? Is your money wasted and should you hold onto your monthly fees and go it alone?

Clarkester don't shut up! It was a good point .

Clarkester Point taken absolutely agree. GDJ excellently put, I could do with you to proof read my ham fisted attempts.. I am one of those people who will not accept lies and misleading information and I will not stop till I get to the truth! Am I vexaticious? Some would say so. This topic came up once before and I used a rather weak analogy, black and white, I like GDJ's much better.

It's the same old story, you ask for information, they ignore your request, or frustrate it, you ask again, they expect you to go away you don't they label you vexatious! I would turn it back around and say it's bullying! They try to bully you into going away when you don't they label you vexatious?

The absolute irony of this is, we hear Councillors saying we have to pay well to attract the best. Let's see how well that's worked http://thebristolian.net/tag/peter-robinson/ https://wirralleaks.wordpress.com/tag/ The huge salaries do not attract the best, it attracts people with no integrity!

The definition of bullies? That said, the problem that these dominant figures present is they infect many around them and consequently many more are encouraged to behave in an aggressive and irrational way so as to be accepted by those that decide what is right and what is wrong. The weaker ones do their utmost to please the stronger ones. Of course this is perfectly natural human behaviour. It's true. People can often behave like sheep and be lead to a place they'd rather not be in which is where Bulls Banter is now.

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11748873.___Ludicrous____call_in_is_blasted_by_councillor/ It's about time Councillors started to realise they are making decisions without being in full possession of all the facts. The next thing they should be asking is why officers responsible for redesigning services can dismiss front line staff and then award themselves a 20k salary increase? There is absolutely no justification for salary increases of this nature particularly when a front line member of staff was dismissed to facilitate that increase. January 2014 The full salary of the Project Director now responsible for Customer Services and Libraries. The salary is HC13 - £50,708 to £54,956 – covering both posts of Head of Service for Community and Customer Services / Project Director. This is not a Director. January 2015 Head of community and customer services and project director broadband 70,682 Perhaps Geoff Hughes or Councillor Morgan can justify this decision since they would both have rubber stamped it!

Then Geoff Hughes should be held responsible and asked to justify the huge increase in her salary when she's just made redundancies to front line services and increased the management structure along with their salaries!

Not sure that's right Dippy, think they are just going to move to permenant posts with new titles! The Head of Customer Service and Communication had a nice 20k increase in salary! Wish I could write the new structures and give myself a wage rise!

Austerity didn't hit the top of the food change. http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/s50023075/Appendix%20A%20-%20Draft%20Pay%20Policy%20Statement%202015%20-%20EP%2014%20January%202015.pdf http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/s50023076/Appendix%20B%20-%20Top%20tier%20org%20chart%202014%20-%205%20Jan%202015%20EP%20140115.pdf https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/media/7693610/pay_policy_statement_2014.pdf

Brilliant video Paul. I particularly like the description of the psychopath. I've lost count of the managers I've met that people think are the nicest people you could meet. They are usually well liked and well respected, people instantly believe they can do no wrong. Those around them believe it too because if they don't they have to admit they are the same. The overriding similarity between these managers is always incompetence. Organisations particularly public sector are guilty of nepotism, promoting people who are way out of their depth is what leads to the problems associated with bullying and harassment. The Acas definition of bullying and harassment is below. Bullying and harassment is behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated or offended. Harassment is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010. Examples of bullying or harassing behaviour include: spreading malicious rumours unfair treatment picking on someone regularly undermining a competent worker denying someone’s training or promotion opportunities Bullying and harassment can happen: face-to-face by letter by email by phone The law Bullying itself isn’t against the law, but harassment is. This is when the unwanted behaviour is related to one of the following: age sex disability gender (including gender reassignment) marriage and civil partnership pregnancy and maternity race religion or belief sexual orientation Bullying and harassment doesn't usually take the form people expect and people can be bullied or harassed and not even realise it's happening. For example if a manager distributes an email about a gay member of staff to several other members of staff within an organisation that is untrue and creates a false impression of the member of staff, this would be an example of a bullying/ harassment behaviour, particularly if people on the distribution list did not know the person was gay. A persons sexual orientation, disability, age etc. should not be used to target the individual. The person wanting to keep their sexual orientation private is suddenly treated differently because it is now widely known they are gay. People have a fundamental right to privacy in their private lives if they choose not to publicise their sexual orientation that right should be protected. What employees should do if they’re bullied or harassed Employees should see if they can sort out the problem informally first. If they can’t, they should talk to their: manager human resources (HR) department trade union representative If this doesn’t work, they can make a formal complaint using their employer’s grievance procedure. If this doesn’t work and they’re still being harassed, they can take legal action at an employment tribunal. All to often the only course of redress is in the employment tribunal because organisations will not accept responsibility for the behaviour of their managers. It becomes a greater problem where the person suffering the bullying and harassment can not rely on a protected characteristic. The law really is an A.s.s!

You are not alone Paul many years ago I took issue made a costly decision in many ways and took the consequences. I have always been a maverick and sometimes it's get you into trouble. It has made me stronger I still keep an open mind and use this quote which sums life up for me....." PRINCIPLES CAN BE EXPENSIVE HOWEVER PEACE OF MIND IS PRICELESS" Well said!

Well said Colin, the only issue here to be debated would be the question of why the Housing Solutions team were unable to man the front line service, we should try and stick to the facts and try not to attack our fellow posters who bring Council failings to our attention. I for one, wouldn't want to dissuade people from posting important issues such as the one in this topic, which unless I'm mistaken is the closure of the front facing housing solutions service. Customer services provide staff for front line service of the housing solutions team, front line staff are stretched to capacity and under enormous pressure. The Customer Services Department have been cut to the bear minimum and despite repeated warnings that they were crippling this service they took absolutely no notice and continued to swell the management ranks and increase upper level salaries. The housing solutions team are also running on reduced numbers of staff and are under enormous pressure. All of those staff are 100% dedicated "in my opinion" to the needs of their service users please you can trust me on that. Councillor Vaughan Powell if you want to get to the bottom of what's going on you could start with the following questions How many members of staff from Customer Services are paid for by the housing solutions team to run the front line service How many members of front line staff were dismissed during the last round of redundancies in customer services How many managers were there before the redundancies took place and how many are there now, I think you will find they increased the management structure. Did supervisors and managers recieve a pay rise, I.e. Did they go up a grade in salary? Finally and most importantly Were any Councillors including Cll Johnson warned this department was heading for 'melt down?' Cllr Morgan might also want to explain why Customer Services is unable to man the housing solution front line service, since she will be responsible for presenting the 'new model' of service to cabinet who then rubber stamped it!

Dear Gabm1956 Welcome to the voice. Throw the fine in the bin! It's not legally enforceable, the only fines that are legally enforceable are fines issued by the Local authority and the Police. I am confident you will get lots of responses from people on the voice who will confirm what I'm saying. The company will continue to send you lots more letters threatening action but just throw them away! Don't contact them by phone or email and try not to worry about it, they will get fed up soon enough! Warmest regards!

Paul some excellent quotes and phrases, many relate to my own circumstances. 'Attacking the messenger' and branding them a troublemaker is all too often the preferred defence for most organisations. What I find particularly infuriating is they convince themselves they are justified in doing so, affording Directors more credibility than staff who rank lower in the organisation. The Director's telling the truth because he's higher up the food chain? I know very few Senior Managers with any integrity, in fact I know not one. They would label people like you and I as obsessive because we refuse to allow the lies to go unchallenged. For example if I reported a problem to the Leader of Herefordshire Council, who then publicly denied ever having been told. Do I sit back and leave the lie unchallenged, in which case I become the liar or do I challenge the lie and risk being labelled an obsessive trouble maker? The other thing you invaribly find is the number of people who will stand behind Senior Managers and Directors because they are protecting their own interests and they absolutely believe they are justified in doin so. The people with the most power always have the most foot soldiers. No one is going to stand behind a lone voice trying to right a wrong doing that affords them no benefit, whistleblowers are despised, morality closed the door when it left the room!