Many will say that my wife and I are in a privileged position: we sold our old home; moved to a "doer-upper" on the Isle of Wight; and have a balance in the bank that should last until we get the house sorted.

But no-one gave this to us — we worked for it!

We had three unplanned kids in the first 30 months of our marriage (two were twins).

Saddled with a new mortgage, we had almost immediately lost one income... and three kids, even in the 1980s, were expensive!

Being an unskilled worker, my solution was to get a second, part-time, job!

In fact, for a period of time, I was holding down three jobs... and not a lot of free time!

I accept that the employment market has changed, but I am hearing that there are now record numbers of job vacancies out there.

It might not be the answer for everybody, but I would bet that there are some families in the country who are living off the state but could work; or complaining about an insufficient wage, but refuse to do more than their 39-hour week.

My comments are not meant to offend. We all have different circumstances.

But it was only a couple of years ago, in the midst of the pandemic, that the majority of us were all pulling together.

I despair at the fact that, now, looming strikes and industrial action are set to pull this country apart — when there is possibly the potential for a better solution, if some of us are prepared to put ourselves out.

Easy for me to say in my privileged situation?

Believe me, in a couple of years, when my hard-earned nest-egg is depleted, I will certainly be out there looking for a company prepared to take on a willing worker, albeit in his twilight years!

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