In praise of health workers

Submitted by Matthew on 23 March, 2011 - 11:45

According to the Sunday Mirror, two city bankers working for the German Deutsche Bank in London laughed at and mocked protesters who were demonstrating in support of the NHS (9 March). One banker waved a £10 note in front of protesters from their high rise secure building while demonstrators looked on in disbelief.

1,000 or so had congregated outside the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, and proceeded through the streets of London until they reached St Bart’s hospital. The bankers’ disgusting act of mockery was met by chants and boos.

What gives these bankers the right to act in such a disgraceful way? The same bankers who have brought this country to its knees, whose selfishness and greed has left an immense deficit to pay. These bankers have brought pain and suffering to the working class and have left so many in financial turmoil. These same bankers who quite happily lap up million pound bonuses while the rest of us scrimp and save trying to make ends meet.

Does this cowardly act sound familiar? It sure does. The police carried out the same vile act — waving their pay packets at striking miners during the 1984-1985 strike.

The banker who made the taunt is apparently on a basic salary of £350,000 plus bonuses of on average £54,000. He has since been suspended for taunting the crowds of protesters, many of whom were medics and nurses themselves, chanting “save our NHS” and “no more cuts”.

I have so much respect and admiration for these NHS workers who work tirelessly every single day caring and serving society, and saving people’s lives. Every single one of us benefits from the services they provide.

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