December 6th, 2010

WINTER WONDERLAND

Scotland has been engulfed in a winter wonderland for the last week that has turned our streets into a playground for children.

While they are out sledging, throwing snowballs and building snowmen, it hasn’t been much fun to the rest of us.

Trains cancelled, airports closed and parts of the country unreachable, the country has been turned upside down by the white fluffy stuff.

The only thing that has preventing the country grinding to a halt has been those workers who have braved the elements, mending our bumps and bruises in our hospitals, clearing the roads so we can get to work and providing care to the most vulnerable and the elderly who become isolated by the weather.

Their heroic efforts have been so well appreciated that even the First Minister at question time was moved to recognise them.

For once, it was obvious to everyone the value of our public servants at a time when everyone seems to be discussing the cost of them.

The sincerity of the First Minister’s words would be beyond question if only his actions had expressed the same level of commitment to them.

This is the same First Minister who has imposing redundancies, pay freezes and pension reductions on some of the lowest paid yet hardest working public servants through his budget.

His blanket approach to cuts and wages has met those on the lower end of the pay scale suffer a disproportionate impact when the difficult times hit home.

Even where provisions have been built in to protect the lowest paid, many of those who have kept the country going over the last few days will not benefit because their salary falls just above the threshold.

Anyone can stand up in front of an audience and play the good guy with effusive praise about our winter heroes.

As we all know, action speak louder than words.