'I'm one of those IT contractors you have read about who is soon to take a cut in pay. I'm not particularly happy about it (especially as the costs of travel, fuel, food and other necessities are on the increase), but I'll take it on the chin - for now.

It's what my old dad used to call a 'swamp' issue - don't get bogged down worrying about something you can't change, so I won't. I appreciate, of course, that we are currently in unprecedented times, as firms attempt to come to grips with their subprime problems. And, from their point of view, it's only right that the pain should be spread around - among shareholders, executives, permanent staff and contractors.

I'll also admit that I was always the first in the queue during the good times, threatening to go elsewhere unless my daily rate was upped. So, in fairness, I guess I should take the hit in good grace. But I won't. The firms that are imposing these pay cuts on IT contractors, of course, think that the boot is on the other foot now. Hiring firms believe that they have us over a barrel - in the same way we had them on the run in the good times, when decent IT contractors were in short supply yet IT projects were stacking up like there was no tomorrow.

But there are two things that those faceless executives who have imposed these draconian measures on the little people like me need to bear in mind. Firstly, working in the City can be a stressful experience. And, although the pay has been good working in the financial markets, I and people like me are more likely to think seriously about taking our transferable skills out of the sector if the spoils of war won't be as good.

But perhaps more importantly, I don't actually expect all banks to institute pay cuts for IT contractors. We know full well that some firms are doing rather better than others at the moment, and they will continue to offer top rates for competent IT professionals like me. And firms who try to get away with paying less will just end up with second-tier IT folk on their payrolls. What we'll see, I predict, is that firms will fall into one of two categories, with some gaining a reputation for being tight on pay (and finding it difficult to attract staff), and others bagging the best IT staff.

And, even when the good times return, this stigma will stay with those parsimonious firms who thought it expedient to cut our paywhen it suited them. In the short term, they may save some money, but over a longer period this will come back to bite them on the behind. Who, after all, wants to go work for a firm which will simply cut your pay if the going gets tough ? I also predict that the firms that are imposing pay cuts now will soon end up having to pay a big premium to get back the very staff they will soon be losing because of the pay cuts. Many of us will just wait it out until we can see which firms will offer us the best deal, and then we'll be off, leaving those firms who have stiffed us to resource their IT needs by hiring the duds and misfits who still make up part of our cadre.

My revenge will be simple and sweet - I'll watch from afar (from my position at a higher-paying rival) as the firms which have taken such a short-term view on IT contractor pay become entangled in a mess of their own making. And I'll demand a huge premium when I'm eventually called back in to help sort it all out'.

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