Who's job is worst/best....

[scooba]

Admin Notice: these posts have been split from the 'what do you do for a living thread' for those that wish a healthy and respectful debate regarding thoughts on differing jobs/careers........

Full time copper for me too......the bullseye on Cameron's fund cut dart board  

Dont want to get political but this overtime thing is a joke, i read one chap earned £66k in overtime alone last year.. Just think about the 18 year old squaddie on £14-16k in afghanistan right now dodging bullets and iod's every day does he get paid for overtime.. No, it kind of puts your argument in perspective. You've been getting paid far too much for too long and its time to get real, all imo of course

What did you get in OT payments last year , I guess the 66k is very unusual. I know two coppers and a layzier pair would be hard to meet, always off with stress just sticking in till they have there 30 yrs , I know from experiance its a f joke
Hmmm. How many employees in this world don't get paid overtime so why shouldn't we? We get paid overtime because at 5 mins before I finish some tw*t breaks into somebody's house with a gun and a machette. Its people like me and countless other coppers that go into that situation, unarmed except for a metal stick and then get forced to work another 4hrs on top of a ten hours shift! You don't think we should be paid for that then?
 I have the utmost respect for the armed forces as a fair few of my mates and colleagues have or are in the forces and they are underpaid. But they are only at risk during war which until now was quite rare plus.they get living costs, houses and have a gun to shoot back! Of course that's my opinion only and I apologise to the OP for discussing it in.this thread but emotions are high at the moment, as would yours if somebody suddenly decided to cut your wage, nak your pension and make you retire later!

[scooba]

Dont want to get political but this overtime thing is a joke, i read one chap earned £66k in overtime alone last year.. Just think about the 18 year old squaddie on £14-16k in afghanistan right now dodging bullets and iod's every day does he get paid for overtime.. No, it kind of puts your argument in perspective. You've been getting paid far too much for too long and its time to get real, all imo of course

Don't mean to throw this off topic also but try to tell the family of David Rathband that he is overpaid for what he does/did.
The guy who earnt £66k worked for it, yes it is excessive, but he must have worked every opportunity.
Not a lot of people know as well, but if you work over your shift, IE, 2pm-midnight, if you still have paperwork/prisoner etc and don't finish until 1am,2am etc, that you give the first half an hour for the queen, so you work an hour and only get paid for half, tell me any other job where they can do that?!

I put my life on the line daily and get paid £29 000 a year, do you think that is too much?! I have to do the first half hour OT for nothing as well.  You sound just like my mate who is in the fire service ,he puts his life on the line everyday as well. In reallity do you think thats the case ?? .How often does a PC die at work ? I am struggling to remember the last one ,I dont want to be clever but really do you belive thats the case or just its union talk

[scooba]

Soldiers  Thats dangerous , Just checked 360 deaths in Afganistan to our boys 44 deaths to non combat activities since 2001 , Thats what i call putting your life on the line.

[vRStu]

In the forces you don't have the potential to be sent to a government prison as the most hated person in there as a result of one bad decision, loosing your temper once or saying the wrong thing once do you?

More so, you are subject to the Armed Forces Act.

No Unions or Federations covering you back and negotiating your conditions.

As a Copper do you get sent to Afghan where a large proportion of the population hate you??  These guys don't just drop a bar of soap in the shower they shoot and blow people up.

[vRStu]

Realistically how many Police Officers get sent down and then get dry bummed??  I think you're over cooking that one a little.  If they've done something serious enough to get sent down then they should take the bumming along with the next man.

If a Soldier makes a wrong decision he can die, or worse his colleagues die.  I think given the choice they'd risk the dry bumming to be honest.

As was posted above, Soldiers really are dying out there.  How many coppers were told on Thursday you aren't going home this weekend, pack your bags for Cyprus??  Don't know when you'll be back.

What about the lads on the Cumberland who've already done 6 months in the Gulf away from their loved ones, they get as far as Gib (2 days or so from home) and are turned around for Libya again with no apparent end date??

Every disciplined service (and pretty much any other organisation) is subject to a complaints system, not just the Police.

Problem is Coppers and Firemen have had it easy for too long, and don't get me wrong if it was offered then for sure you take it but now it's time to tighten the belts people start moaning.

Who picked up the mess when the Fireman took time out?  Who's on standby for the perceived Prison Officers strike??  Didn't see the Rozzers out there in force.

And before you start getting all anti I'm not a Soldier and I'm not a Copper.

[Greeners]

Ok guys, let's not ruin what has been largely an interesting thread.........

[vRStu]

Who's ruining things??

I thought it was a healthy debate.  Feel free to split it and we'll have a debate about who's most hard done by in life.

I don't think the coppers are winning at the moment though 

[Greeners]

I'm all for a healthy debate, but for once this was a fairly light hearted and interesting read that needn't be spoilt by bickering about who has the most dangerous and underpaid job. Please feel free to start another thread if you don't approve.

[Boothy]

We'll call it a draw shall we for the sake of argument and as Greeners says, the thread. I do apologise as I am passionate about my job and I can get, worked up shall we say.
 
Point taken  

The end.......again.

[Janner_Sy]

Dont start me on the fireman strikes, complaining about pay whilst working 4 days a week with most having 2nd jobs.  I was involved in the cover for that as well, however in all honesty i loved it, probably one of the highlights of my career.

Id also add, i dont think werre underpaid anymore.  When not deployed we are on a good wage which is 100% comparable to civilian wages (this is tradesman related comparison though), the only complaints were the money/allowances paid to us when sent away to obscure places.  We are pretty much looked after in that respect now.  Instead they just f***ing us over with the pensions now instead but its not just us getting hit with that, thats across the board woth most getting hit worse than us.

[vRStu]

It's got nothing to do with 'calling it a draw', and it's not about who has the most dangerous or underpaid job it's about being realistic and the realistic person can see that coppers have been having it good for a long time.

I agree this has been a very interesting thread and my apologies to the OP for continuing off topic.  As I said feel free to split it and we'll carry it on elsewhere.

[rich83]

We could all moan about our jobs.

All I'm gonna say is that when you started your job, you knew what you were signing up for. I knew that my work would be hit and miss, so it would be rather odd for me to start complaining about it.

[Janner_Sy]

We could all moan about out jobs.

All I'm gonna say is that when you started your job, you knew what you were signing up for. I knew that my work would be hit and miss, so it would be rather odd for me to start complaining about it.

i did, and i love my job, get paid well, got fully trained and qualified for free, got a degree fully paid for, get loads of holidays and get to travel around the world.  I only whinge when we get sh$t on by the government with cuts

[Boothy]

It's got nothing to do with 'calling it a draw', and it's not about who has the most dangerous or underpaid job it's about being realistic and the realistic person can see that coppers have been having it good for a long time.

I agree this has been a very interesting thread and my apologies to the OP for continuing off topic.  As I said feel free to split it and we'll carry it on elsewhere.

Nice mate, you even managed to criticise my apology and still managed to tell me I'm over paid once again. Well done sir. You are clearly the bigger man.

I hold my hands up, really can't be arsed defending my job anymore to someone who knows jack about. By all means split it and you can 'debate' it with somebody else.

[vRStu]

We could all moan about our jobs.

All I'm gonna say is that when you started your job, you knew what you were signing up for. I knew that my work would be hit and miss, so it would be rather odd for me to start complaining about it.

Indeed.

The soldiers sign up aware of their obligations and aware of the risks, likewise so do the Police and it's very much a case of each to their own.