Any Public Sector workers here?

MissAqua

new_home_owner wrote: »

the public sector jobs that should go are the ones that we know are not being done, its like all the people who where supposed to be protecting baby p and the ones who let that little girl to starve in birmingham.

One of the reasons the above happens is the lack of jobs, I cannot believe that you think it would be an improvement to cut more!

I work in front line Child Protection and we have only been fully staffed twice in the 7 years I have worked there, unable to employ despite constantly putting out adverts.

My council (which is small) overall are expecting to lose 300-400 jobs but luckily we have been pretty much been assured (If you believe management) that our front line department will not lose jobs but face re-organisation. I hope this is the case as I am a FTB about to get a mortgage. We have already had the pay freeze for a year which will continue for 2 more years I believe. Change is necessary, you have not got to like but have to accept it and adapt.

Hectors_House

FATBALLZ wrote: »

Without wanting to get into a public vs private debate, you really don't help yourselves with these sorts of comments. I've had no pay rise in two years either but thats standard fare in the private sector. I certainly wouldn't say it warrants 'bad' being heavily emphasised and a face with the colour draining away.

Bad is when your whole department is sacked off leaving 200 people out of a job - I think given the attitudes on this post it's likely times really will become bad - are 600,000+ public sector workers going to leave in a couple of years through 'natural wastage'? Where are they going to go? I'd imagine the attrition rate is very low.

Got to agree.

I've weathered four rounds of redundencies so far in the last two years and have had two pay rises in the last five years.

That's life in the private sector.

I can't complain as there are much younger folk then me who stand NO CHANCE of buying their own house because house prices have been allowed to come adrift from wage inflation for so long. And they have seen their wages stagnate like me.

These job losses in the public sector are inevitable I'm afraid.

tawse57

Thanks all for the comments.

I didn't want things to become a public versus private sector thread - was just curious as to whether public sector workers are reigning in spending, thinking about not buying if they are going to buy, downsize maybe, maybe drop price on selling now if selling.

Just wondering what colleagues in the places you work are thinking.

600,000 jobs to go over 5 years, Govt about to change redundancy for the workers to be fired. I had thought more would have been worried by all of this.

I have no idea what an ASB Section is btw.

Thanks again.

m1ntie

dopester wrote: »

Privatise it all. The jobs are still there, but we can't afford the level of pay and costs involved.

Hi, speaking as a Local Government Officer and former Civil Servant, who has also worked in the private sector, I feel dopester has hit the nail on the head.

Many LG jobs could and will be contracted out saving a fortune in employment on costs, pensions etc. If this were to happen, LA would not need the hugely expensive Town Halls/Civic Centres. They would be able to manage with much more modest office accommodation for the remaining staff who would be mainly involved in contact management etc.

Regshoe

I'm working in the oublic sector at the moment, not looking to buy a house right away (no where near a deposit), but I have decided to delay buying a new car and possibly buy a slightly cheaper one, in order to ensure I maintain a reasonable level of savings at all times.

Hard to say whether my job will be safe next year, I work for a research council, who you would hope would be one of the lesser affected department (but who knows....), however I am in admin, which may not count in my favour.

I'm not massiveley worried long term really, within 3 months I should go from being a part qualified to a fully qualified (and chartered) management accountant and so I would probably be looking for a new position within a year or so in any case, quite probably moving back to the private sector.

If I were midway through buying a house I wouldn't try to delay, though If I had just started looking I would be aiming to be able to fund the deposit + all associated costs and still have savings to be able to cover around 2-3 months of unemployment (depending on what any expected redundancy payment might be). I think that is probably good advice at any time though, current economic / political conditions or otherwise.

jockosjungle

Not sure how it would save any money to be honest, we'd be pay the same for the contracted out services and any savings would be profit for them

But on the topic no I'm no more worried than I ever was, we've had budget cuts for years and jobs going.

Just maybe think about your job and how necessary it is (think about this if moving jobs as well). I don't want to scare anyone but when the music stops you don't want to be the local council worker in charge of greenlighting large public works of art or chairing the committee on who decides the colour of speed cameras. if you provide a genuine public service then your job is pretty safe.

R

bendix

RuthnJasper wrote: »

I've heard rumours that some councils are looking to employ "2012 Legacy Managers" to do some random stuff linked with the Olympics. Why? WHY?!? What's wrong with the good folks who are already working hard with sport and young people within councils? I bet they'd love the chance to use their skills and experience to link-in with the Olympics.

.

Why are they even 'good folks already working hard [sic] with sport and young people' within councils.

Why does public money need to be spent on people working hard with sport and young people?

I mean, what do they do?

twirlypinky

you're forgetting that wages are generally lower in the public sector then in the private sector, you could argue that that's the price we pay for the job security and pension.

It's also worth noting that although we do have these pay rises, our previous pay rises have been below inflation, it's not like we're getting bumper packages.

There are so many little things that people don't realise. I worked in the private sector for a short while after a relocation and was astounded to discover that not only could i expect a small christmas bonus, but we didn't have to pay for our own tea and coffee, the company supplied it. And they paid for the christmas doo. When i told my new colleagues that in my previous role we had to pay for ourselves they were shocked.

I'm sure we could argue both ways until the cows come home, and yes there are idiots that the public sector need to get rid of. But that won't happen. We cannot afford to make these people redundant because for the most part, they've been working there for years and years and it would be horrendously expensive to do so. We could really do with shaking off some of the dead wood, but it is too hard to do so.

What the public sector could really do with is being left alone to get on with their jobs. This constant cycle of change every five to ten years costs a fortune and changes very little in the long run.

mrcol1000

bendix wrote: »

Why are they even 'good folks already working hard [sic] with sport and young people' within councils.

Why does public money need to be spent on people working hard with sport and young people?

I mean, what do they do?

I think your find councils will be looking very hard at only spending money on core activites and non jobs like this will go.
Most people in the public sector are underpaid and do not recieve any kind of bonus but then it is a much easier life, better pension (for now) and a bit more job security.

On a different note:
cutbacks-blamed-as-public-servants-replaced-by-woodland-creatures/

RuthnJasper

dopester wrote: »

Privatise it all. The jobs are still there, but we can't afford the level of pay and costs involved..

They privatised the railways - and look how "well" that went! :eek: