90% Public Sector Final Salary Pension Meltdown Scandal

Harry_Powell

loueyn wrote: »

Hi

I've been reading posts on here for a while and chip in occasionally.

Would making people redundant from the Public Sector not just move the problem to the unemployment figures? The taxpaer would still have to pay for these people only it would be in the dole queue rather than their wage packet.

It's a LOT cheaper to pay someone dole than it would be to pay them a salary. A LOT cheaper, and if the public sector posters on here are anything to go by, they'd be a lot more productive on the dole than they are when working.

Sir_Humphrey

tek-monkey wrote: »

I started work at a college in late April, and was put on the LGPS on a final salary pension? Sure I can only get half of it because of my age, joined way too late, but they still exist AFAIK?

I only know the exact details of the central civil service pension scheme. From friends, I understand Doctors are on career average, although given their career progression (up quickly then level AIUI) that is not such an issue for them.

From what I have heard and read of Tory thinking, this is what I predict they will do:

- They will try to cut public sector employment, but realise that actually a lot more jobs are needed than they realised.

- Like Canada in the 1990s, they will cut central government spending by transferring responsibilities to councils (via "localism"). The councils (75% reliance on central funding) will then get the blame when they start charging for bin collections, public libraries and many other things currently included in council tax (look at Barnet council for an example). Oldest trick in the Treasury book. Expect lots of complaints about "postcode lotteries".

- Private investment in nuclear power stations and other infrastructure will be underwritten by public monoline insurance. This will be the Tory version of PFI (of course PFI itself was invented by Ken Clarke). This will place taxpayer guarantees/subsidies on these businesses in a similar way the banks are currently underwritten. This provides a figleaf for state Capitalism.

- After the "efficiency savings" fail to deliver savings in sufficient time, taxes will be jacked up and Labour blamed.

- Dieter Helm is explicit in stating that the standard of living in the UK will be cut by 10-20% permanently. This will be implemented by the Tories in order to protect the wealthy.

- None of these measures will end up reducing the national debt in the way they hope.

tek-monkey

Add up the JSA, HB, dental (I need loads!) and all the other costs, factor in more jobcentre staff to deal with them all, and I bet you don't save much. Not on my pay band anyway, although I'm right near the bottom!

ruggedtoast

I actually know people from all over the public sector and there have been swingeing job losses in every area. Salaries have gone up but staffing cuts followed very closely behind. A lot of departments relied a lot on temps which we no longer have access to.

I actually suspect much of the wasteful spending could be cut by axing a few thousand utterly useless management jobs, all the stupid IT projects and canning PFIs.

That tends to be an inherent problem in the public sector - too many bloody squabbling self serving chiefs revelling in their own unsackable mediocrity, and not nearly enough indians.

/is an indian

Sir_Humphrey

ruggedtoast wrote: »

I actually know people from all over the public sector and there have been swingeing job losses in every area. Salaries have gone up but job losses followed very closely behind.

If people want a bonfire of the Quangoes/Agencies, then it has already happened. Lots have been merged (e.g. Equality Commission merging lots of agencies), Ofsted incorporating social services inspection (with disastrous results if you look at the background of the Baby P case).

People always love to hate the "'elf and safety police" and agencies until things go wrong. Just look at the E Coli outbreak at that farm in Surrey. They are damned if they do intervene and damned if they don't.

Of course, the Tories plan to introduce the most anti-democratic quango ever, the "Office for Budget Responsibility".

Getting rid of quangoes is a policy usually only favoured by opposition parties as they provide excellent scapegoats for ministerial c0ck-ups.

StevieJ

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

Working damn hard!

I don't expect to be posting here regularly BTW, just having a quiet day today (first in ages).

Keep your head down while that axe is swinging You don't have to pretend to us, well maybe for Slaphead and Tramp :eek:

Andy_L

tek-monkey wrote: »

I started work at a college in late April, and was put on the LGPS on a final salary pension? Sure I can only get half of it because of my age, joined way too late, but they still exist AFAIK?

Pedant Time:

You aren't a Civil Servant though. The CS is the ~490k people who work for Central Gov Departments (eg MoD, Home & Foreign Offices etc).
It's often used as a lazy shorthand for all Public Sector workers and generally doesn't cause confusion, just annoys people like me;). However when discussing specific T&Cs of employment it's an important distinction to make.

Andy_L

Treadmill wrote: »

How does a pension qualify as "Gold Plated" which is a phrase that is is always used ?

IMO it means underwritten by the taxpayer & not subject to the vagaries of the stockmarket (unlike a personal pension) rather than the actual value of the pension, ie you could have a "Gold Plated" pension of £500pa.

movingforward2010

Harry_Powell wrote: »

and if the public sector posters on here are anything to go by, they'd be a lot more productive on the dole than they are when working.

:rolleyes:

Graham_Devon

Harry_Powell wrote: »

It's a LOT cheaper to pay someone dole than it would be to pay them a salary. A LOT cheaper, and if the public sector posters on here are anything to go by, they'd be a lot more productive on the dole than they are when working.

Harry, you really are being a complete idiot now.

Firstly, as you have already had this pop at me, I'm self employed, and work for contractors of the NHS. I work within the public sector, my fees are paid by contractors.

Secondly, just because someone is on here, it does not mean they are not productive at work. How do you know I work 9-5 for instance? By the way, I simply don't. The public sector works 24/7 in a lot of cases. Someone could be on here at 1pm and be going to work at 7pm.

You simply lack any understanding of the public sector. So instead, just attack to make up for your shortfalls in understanding.