Council strike: support it or not?

Fifer

catowen wrote:

At first, i didnt have any sympathy for them at all, after all, like OP says, most of us will end up working till we are 70. however when i found out that other council workers had already had an agreement reached for them to retire at 60, and its the lower paid workers that they are trying to change the contracts of, to make them work til 65, i did think that wasnt fair. It should be the same for everyone.

Yes, but not by government chickening out on public sector pensions a second time. They need to revisit the first decision instead.

comping_cat

Fifer wrote:

Yes, but not by government chickening out on public sector pensions a second time. They need to revisit the first decision instead.

Yes, i agree!!!!!

troll35

My thought's are a bit contradictory....I can understand why people are protesting especially if when they started their public service 'career' they were told (their contract stated?) they would be entitled to retire at a certain age or length of service with particular pension rights. However I am self employed and my DH is in a private company...we would need to contribute much much more than we can afford into our private pensions to get anything like a public sector pension IYSWIM. This can't possibly be fair.

I think everyone's pensions should be related to what they have contributed not what their final salary is. The more you save the more you get (on top of a basic state pension of course). I agree with Kittie, the government are doing too little too late (on everything not just pensions). Mind you I don't think any other political party would have made a better (or worse) job of running the country.

Rat_Chick

m2712s wrote:

a good reply karin yes i am a council worker but i have to work until iam 65 as i do not meet the 85 year rule . but if you did work for them would you fight for what is yours .fancy been 58 years old looking forward to retirement and been told sorry you have to stay on until you are 65 i do not think it would go down well ?

m2712s I agree with you. I am also a council employee, alot of my colleagues would have been able to retire at 60 if the government hadn't moved the goalposts. I am also a Unison member I voted against strike action. I'm pretty sure there are more train and ferry strikes than Unison strikes.

Snapelover wrote:

But why do I now have to wait a total of four weeks until my household rubbish bin is emptied?

m2712s - do you think that I should have to put up with that when paying over £800 per year in Council Tax?

The amount of council tax you pay depends on the area you live in and the value of your house. If you live in an affluent area you pay alot of money in council tax for the privilege, and if you live in a less affluent area you pay a little bit less. But that's the governments meddling again. At the end of the day everyone has to pay council tax, they have work to earn a living (whether it be private or public sector) also save money for their retirement (whatever pension scheme they choose), that's life.

mrs_toast_2

I support the strike. I too went on strike last year as I work for the civil service and we were being told that we should work until we were 65. I am not a lefty and don't like striking but how else can we voice our concern. Contrary to popular belief we don't get paid for striking. I am so enraged when I see the big pay rises and golden handshakes and pensions that the management in government get and us minions who do actually work very hard to produce the targets that help the management achieve their bonuses get not alot and are being asked to work longer. I have worked for the civil service for over 20 years and would like to enjoy my retirement at 60 while I hopefully still have the fitness to do so.

Wig

I think a lot of the strikers are striking becuase of the inequality of it all, Civil service people are still allowed to retire at 60, some workers in the UNISON related jobs have had this taken away from them, fire fighters can retire rediculously early after 29 years service :eek:

Everyone, men and women, should have to retire at the same age.

m2712s

please may i appolgise for working for the local council i did not think it would make people so bitter towards me for having pension provisions provided if you look at the bigger picture when i retire i will not have to ask for income support so that is saving the government money. or shall i whine on about my taxes paying for it it is just the same. they used to call striking the British disease but not now you would rather sit on your fat back sides moaning about things and do nothing about it if you what a better pension fight for it like the local goverment workers. :T :T

gravitytolls

I have no sympathy with them. We will all have to work till 65, and may still not have enough to live on.

As for fire fighters and the like, they do a tough job, and if they gonna be bale to heave my fat !!!!!! out of a flaming smoky bedroom, they need to be young and fit.

Not that I'm suggesting there are not many older chaps who're pretty darn fit, you understand, but I suspect rescuing people and chasing burglars, lifting elderly, infirm patients etc. are all better suited to the not older generation.

Mado

I guess the problem is that we should all retire at 65 but no govt has the b@lls to change the rules for all.
Understandably, because if your rubbish is not collected today or if your planning application is delayed by a day, well who cares but if your house is on fire.....

j-baby-scotland

Average pension talked about here, mostly women, mostly part-time... is £31.00 per week. Retaining element of employment in a lot of cases, now being swept away if allowed.

Hardly fortunes.