From the day I started my last job I was told "Don't expect to be doing this in 4 years' time, The job's being phased out, you'll be gone before then."
Every year for the next 23 years it was the same refrain.
Until this year when I fucking FINALLY got my golden handshake.
:D
( stuj (^(^;;^)^) GO TEAM SPIDERS!(^(^;;^)^), Thu 8 May 2014, 22:51, 6 replies)

Wasn't your job sitting in the Falklands and writing down what the weather was like?

( Zuowan, Fri 9 May 2014, 3:31, closed)

Yeah + telling Air Traffic, the squadrons, HQ back in the UK, and also The WORLD. Not JUST in the Falklands though, I did it in in the UK too.
In addition to looking out of the window, I did some colouring in and played with balloons. Oh yeah, and put together briefing packs for aircrews going pretty much ANYWHERE in the world. Some of which were for crews who were ALREADY on the far side of the world, sometimes at airfields where we had THE MOBILE FUCKING MET UNIT who being on the fucking ground WHERE these crews were could have provided them with a full briefing with additional local fucking knowledge, that is of course if it weren't for the fact that SOME RAF PILOTS AND NAVS WERE TOO FUCKING IDLE to go to the office AT THE AIRFIELD THEY FUCKING WERE. In most cases right next to, if not actually IN the OPs block that they fucking HAVE to go to in order to fill out their flight plans.
You want to know the BEST bit about my being obsolete though? The computers that were SUPPOSED to have taken over my job, STILL can't do it.
So instead of me and the other few observers that were left when we finally all got laid off, the job is now being done by barely-trained baby forecasters, IN ADDITION to them supposedly getting on-the-job forecaster training. Mostly from forecasters who are so new in the job themselves that they haven't even worked a full year solo at their parent station.
This however saves the Met office LOTS of money, because whereas MY basic pay at the end was £22000 a year (We got an unscheduled salary bump in 2011 from £19500 a year so that we wouldn't qualify for top-up benefits and the government could HONESTLY say they weren't having to pay benefits to civil servants, even though we technically weren't anymore) A baby forecaster starts out on only around £18000 a year.
Now, what none of the GENIUSES that make up Met office senior mismanagement seem to have grasped is that as soon as they're actually qualified as forecasters, the baby forecasters are paid at FULL forecaster rates, regardless of whether they're on the forecasting bench or the observing bench. (Roughly £25000 a year for the first year with incremental performance related yearly rises which should bring them up to around £35000 a year within 2 to 3 years and ongoing rises thereafter.) So yeah, saving money.
'Course you got to bear in mind that while my basic was only £22000 a year, my take home pay was ALWAYS a LOT more because of shift pay, weekend pay and (in the Falklands mostly rostered) paid overtime. Yeah, they were going to be getting rid of me at the end of March 2014, but for the last TWO FUCKING YEARS IN THE UK the roster was so tight that me and the other two observers at my station were working 70+ hours a week (Working Time Directive anyone?), finally coming to a head when, on confirmation that I'd be laid off in March (This came November 2013) I pointed out to my boss that he'd better rewrite the December roster that he'd only issued that day, because I was due an accumulated 91 and a half days leave before finishing.:D
However, as soon as they're qualified the baby forecasters will ALSO get all of this on top of their basic (While still under training they're not ALLOWED to work weekends and can only do the odd night shift for the sake of experience).
DAMNIT Zouwan, you know what, I haven't actually given much thought to this shit since being made redundant until NOW. I've been fucking ENJOYING myself, kicking back going to gigs and getting drunk.
NOW YOU HAVE UNLEASHED MY RAGE AGAIN!
*Drinks more, puts on more SLAYER*
:D

Ranting..........ENDS!
( stuj (^(^;;^)^) GO TEAM SPIDERS!(^(^;;^)^), Fri 9 May 2014, 4:44, closed)

This reply should win

(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Tue 13 May 2014, 15:48, closed)