Why should public sector be better off?

1jim

I suspect that this is the kind of attitude the government are wanting/encouraging. It is in their interest to turn public opinion (no matter how ill informed) and set people against public sectar workers, gold plated pensions my bottom!! It makes privatisation that much easier....if you doubt it look for "transforming community services" and see whos bidding for these services. On another note pushing the retirement age up seems a great idea but can you really see a ward full of 65year old nurses trying to work?

I do work for the NHS, I do pay into my pension, have recently increased contributions because these were reviewed a couple of years ago by the government and now am facing another review. Lets not forget the problem was caused by bank bailouts, lets not be devided, we shouldnt try and reduce pension provision to the lowest common scheme, we should try and bring these other schemes up.

antrobus

pimento wrote: »

The average public sector pension in the UK is £3000 per annum. Hardly living the high life.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/local-government-network/2010/oct/26/what-will-happen-to-public-sector-pensions

Although strangely enough the actual source cited states that "the average annual pension after a career dedicated to public service is £7,800" which is 260% higher than the figure you quoted. And should be compared (in any case) to the average private sector pension annuity. Which I understand is around £1,000.

The £3,000 is a hypothetical figure quoted by some accountant interviewed for the article who states that the "average pension fund for somebody working in the private sector today is less than £30,000 which on retirement would bring an annual pension of £900. In comparison, he says, the average public sector pension offers around £3,000 a year". The point being the comparison between the £900 the private sector offers versus the £3,000 offered in the public sector.

nicter

You work Karens ?

avinabacca

karens wrote: »

No-one has mentioned the Royal Mail pension black hole of £10 billion whilst we are discussing pensions. I think the best thing is to get all those nice sorting office staff and postmen who emptied birthday cards of cash over the years to put it into the pension scheme. Should fill it easily.
Isn't that the gist of what you are saying on this thread - take responsibility for your own retirement.
I'd go along with that! I certainly don't want to help.

Tell me, do you actually have any opinions of your own, or do you pull these posts, fully-formed and glistening with morning dew, from a big bucket you have at home, full and steaming with laughable nonsenses, lazy generalisations, twisted falsehoods and The Sun Says articles?

EssexGirl

Well the attitude of the OP seems to sum up the vile people us public sector workers have to deal with, day in day out.

I've worked hard on frontline customer service for some 20 years. It's a job that requires a LOT of specialist knowledge and experience. But since the invention of search engines people think they know exactly the same as we who have trained for many years to gain our knowledge. I wouldn't presume to tell another professional how to do their job, so why should a random member of the public be allowed to tell me how to do mine?
Each day I have to deal with a handful of people who are pretty much too ignorant to be allowed to breathe the same air as the rest of the planet. I also meet some truly lovely people.

OP, I'd love to know what you do for a living?

If as part of your day to day working life you have ever been threatened with being killed outside the work building, or had someone spit in your face, scream at you until they were blue in the face or throw things at you. Maybe you've had to deal with someone who emptied their colostomy bag out all over reception, or smashed every window in a building just because they wanted to, or even took it upon themselves to take a poo on the stairs because the toilet was out of order due to someone shoving a nappy down it. Or maybe the gangs of youths who find it amusing to set fire to public buildings whilst the premises are still open?

Oh and I seem to have an increasing number of people who say they "pay your wages you know". Well we pay tax, national insurance, and even council tax. So effectively we pay our own wages.

I don't have a gold plated pension, in fact it's so poor it's laughable, and I'll have to work till I'm around 70 for it.

Esoog

EssexGirl wrote: »

Well the attitude of the OP seems to sum up the vile people us public sector workers have to deal with, day in day out.

I've worked hard on frontline customer service for some 20 years. It's a job that requires a LOT of specialist knowledge and experience. But since the invention of search engines people think they know exactly the same as we who have trained for many years to gain our knowledge. I wouldn't presume to tell another professional how to do their job, so why should a random member of the public be allowed to tell me how to do mine?
Each day I have to deal with a handful of people who are pretty much too ignorant to be allowed to breathe the same air as the rest of the planet. I also meet some truly lovely people.

OP, I'd love to know what you do for a living?

If as part of your day to day working life you have ever been threatened with being killed outside the work building, or had someone spit in your face, scream at you until they were blue in the face or throw things at you. Maybe you've had to deal with someone who emptied their colostomy bag out all over reception, or smashed every window in a building just because they wanted to, or even took it upon themselves to take a poo on the stairs because the toilet was out of order due to someone shoving a nappy down it. Or maybe the gangs of youths who find it amusing to set fire to public buildings whilst the premises are still open?

Oh and I seem to have an increasing number of people who say they "pay your wages you know". Well we pay tax, national insurance, and even council tax. So effectively we pay our own wages.

I don't have a gold plated pension, in fact it's so poor it's laughable, and I'll have to work till I'm around 70 for it.

Sounds like DWP to me surely!

EssexGirl

Esoog wrote: »

Sounds like DWP to me surely!

Nope! A LONG way off.

Freddie_Snowbits

EssexGirl wrote: »

Well the attitude of the OP seems to sum up the vile people us public sector workers have to deal with, day in day out.

And I have just witnessed in Stroud at 10:45 this morning 4 council workers in a lorry wondering who is going to sweep the street.

Shame we could not get the work shy CHAVs hovering their fags and vodka at the other end of town to help give them a hand

Jeff_Bridges_hair

EssexGirl wrote: »

Oh and I seem to have an increasing number of people who say they "pay your wages you know". Well we pay tax, national insurance, and even council tax. So effectively we pay our own wages.

Actually no you don't. on a wage of 20K a year say you would need 10 people to pay your wages in tax.

Gavin83

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

Actually no you don't. on a wage of 20K a year say you would need 10 people to pay your wages in tax.

True, but she pays her wages just as much as anyone else. Chances are the people who say this probably don't pay tax anyway!

For those that are anti public sector, what do you suggest happens? Maybe in some forms of public sector or 'back in the old days' the pensions were awesome, but take it from someone who works for a local authority this just isn't the case anymore. In an ideal World private and public sector people should get exactly the same in every aspect but because of the different nature of the businesses this will never happen. Why should the private sector be any better off than the public anyway?

The public sector is necessary and the country would fall apart without it, I don't think anyone would deny this. So what exactly is everyones problem with the public sector?