I am staying in Los Angeles for Christmas this year and for once I am quite relieved to be NOT spending it in the UK. It sounds like absolute bedlam there at the moment. Not only are the nurses on strike but so are the trains, the buses, the Royal Mail, the ambulance workers, Border Force and airport baggage handlers. Then in January it will be the turn of driving examiners and teachers in Scotland and it’s rumoured teachers in England and Wales may have to follow suit.
I think it’s fair to say that everyone has had enough. For so many of us the pandemic highlighted the importance of having a better work/life balance, so it’s not really surprising that people in these sectors feel that industrial action is needed. They all worked SO hard during lockdown and were hailed as ‘essential workers’ – keeping the country functioning whilst the rest of us were Zooming or attempting to keep fit with Joe Wicks. Now it’s time to demonstrate just how essential they are.
Pay rises and better working conditions are probably the only way to attract more job applicants, which would surely help split the load. My mum was in hospital earlier this year and witnessed nurses so burnt out they were crying and even fighting with each other.
On top of all that it’s absolutely freezing over there at the moment. I know many people have been dealing with frozen pipes, worrying about putting the heating on since energy prices have skyrocketed. I compared utility bills with a friend of mine in England and she is paying almost 5 times more than I do for a similar size flat. It is definitely a time to be extra grateful that we live in SoCal.
British poet Pam Ayres MBE posted a humorous poem earlier this week that captures the chaos that is currently sweeping the nation – it is much better if you try and replicate her distinctive accent as you read it ..
Well, happy Christmas mateys, you can’t get on a train,
The Border Force is striking, so you can’t get on a plane,
The nurses on the picket line feel underpaid and wronged,
And if you need an ambulance, the wait could be prolonged.
No turkey on the table, the blighter’s got the flu,
Here’s a Yuletide sausage, one’ll have to do,
Let’s raise a glass of water, with blankets on our knees,
And drink to festive merriment, as we gently freeze.
Pam Ayres 2022
If you are reading this from Blighty let us know how it really is – hopefully it’s not all doom and gloom.
At least you get to tune in to the Kings Christmas Speech at the proper time! For those of you here in California who are interested in watching it, it’s usually broadcast at 7am local time and should be streaming live on YouTube. It’s free to watch, just search for @TheRoyalFamilyChannel
Hope you have a lovely Christmas wherever you are in the world. Stay warm and don’t forget to be nice!
Cheers
Eileen
