We are all in this together, well not if you are in a union.

marklv

Old_Slaphead wrote: »

I can confirm that - being a bog-standard (qualified) accountant working for SMEs and having better remunerated friends working in the public sector. Most days I get recruitment agencies pestering me trying to place decent qualified accountants at under £30k (no pensions either !!)

So what? Should public sector accountant salaries be pegged at the lowest levels in the private sector? Why should they? I believe they should be pegged at the 'big firm' levels or at the levels of other organisations of the same size and budget as the public sector organisations employing these accountants.

marklv

Kohoutek wrote: »

I agree with 'each to their own'. But why do you expect other people to pay for this?

Why should people who are having their pay cut or frozen in the private sector pay for the public sector's desire for steady pay rises and flexible working?

Can't you see that people like you and your silk tie union leaders come across as very greedy and grasping in an economic time like this?

I'm not saying the private sector should be paying for anything. I am saying that the government should not be chastising all public sector workers in the same way. I said before that I agree with pay cuts at the highest pay levels and I also agree with the elimination of some quangos and even compulsory redundancies. What I do not agree with is an across the board bashing of the entire public sector.

Kohoutek

If you're asking for pay rises of any kind when the government is running a £167 billion deficit, then the money has to come from somewhere, and that's usually through higher taxes, which puts bigger burdens on many people who have had their pay frozen or cut.

PrivatisetheNHSnow

the public sector doesn't pay tax. therefore they shouldn't ask for pay rises.

debate over.

Really2

marklv wrote: »

What I do not agree with is an across the board bashing of the entire public sector.

But income levels have dropped it is akin to a company's profits dropping or not covering costs.

Most in the private sector have taken lower pay to save jobs.
Why would you want people laid off so you get paid more?

chewmylegoff

marklv wrote: »

So what? Should public sector accountant salaries be pegged at the lowest levels in the private sector? Why should they? I believe they should be pegged at the 'big firm' levels or at the levels of other organisations of the same size and budget as the public sector organisations employing these accountants.

the compensation package for public sector jobs should be set at market rate for the particular role, so that a competent employee can be attracted.

assuming your theory that public sector workers want job security, regular payrises, better pension, shorter hours it would not be appropriate to peg public sector salaries directly to equivalent size private sector ones at all, because the people seeking public sector jobs are, according to you, less interested in absolute salary levels, and therefore would accept jobs with lower salaries.

i think that, in reality, the majority of public sector employees did not actively seek out the additional benefits of working in the public sector, but simply applied for a job they thought they could do at a salary they were prepared to work for.

chewmylegoff

marklv wrote: »

I'm not saying the private sector should be paying for anything. I am saying that the government should not be chastising all public sector workers in the same way. I said before that I agree with pay cuts at the highest pay levels and I also agree with the elimination of some quangos and even compulsory redundancies. What I do not agree with is an across the board bashing of the entire public sector.

the reality is that only the private sector pays taxes, therefore you actually are asking the private sector to pay. who else is going to pay?

The_White_Horse

marklv wrote: »

Well, more pupils need more staff - obvious to all except you, it seems!

who said there were more pupils?

ILW

Alan_Cross wrote: »

I'm all for pay freezes...

... and as soon as you can assure me that all those [STRIKE]useless, waste-of-space, leering, red-braces moron-prats[/STRIKE] fine city gents have agreed to come on board the concept, I'll be the first to accept that you can apply it to people who are on vastly lower remuneration.

Genuinely, we have some total to$$ers posting on these threads...

Green eyed monster again.
The thing many fail to realise is that many of these people are very clever and have the knowledge and contacts to earn their employers a lot onf money.
A question for Mr Cross.
If someone were to give you say £1million pounds, would you be able to give it back with a sizeable increase by the end of the month? The men who earn a fortune in the city are the ones that can.

Old_Slaphead

marklv wrote: »

So what? Should public sector accountant salaries be pegged at the lowest levels in the private sector? Why should they? I believe they should be pegged at the 'big firm' levels or at the levels of other organisations of the same size and budget as the public sector organisations employing these accountants.

I wasn't addressing my comments to you.

Past history has taught me that there's no such thing as a reasoned discussion with marklv