Possible Clues:

• Suffering financially? That's obvious, being given the sack
• Open cut bled too much?
• Devo plus -- extra moves for Scotland to be thus?
• Like most wage earners, so they say
• Taking home too little pay as the result of obvious cut
• Worked too hard - it's clear cut
• It's tried me too hard so to have openly given me the sack
• Unfairly burdened