Why should public sector be better off?

Mk14:37

Gavin83 wrote: »

I haven't been offered anything close to a final salary pension and neither has anyone else I know who works in the public sector. Maybe central Government would but I don't know anyone who works for them.

I work for a central department. Final Salary pension schemes in the Civil Service were closed to new starters in 2007.

1jim

Mk14:37 wrote: »

I work for a central department. Final Salary pension schemes in the Civil Service were closed to new starters in 2007.

spot on, same in the nhs, I think its easy to see that people are being fed this cXXp by the daily mail/government as it serves a purpose. Final salary schemes are over as far as I can see in the public sector and are closed to new entrants and have been for a few years. They are still open to existing members but isnt that fair? but why let that get in the way of a good rant which is precisly the design of the argument, turn everyone against public sector workers as its then so much easier for the government to walk over us/privataise us/close us down and it stops us all having a dig at the people who caused this problem in the first place

and as for coming across as bitter, Im not bitter about my pension, Im a little bit miffed as a clinician in the NHS who is facing privatisation and none of the public seeming to know or care that the NHS will be a brand not a provider any more. Im a little bit bitter about people telling me how well I have it and how I dont deserve my gold plated pension and that my pension should be reduced to the lowest rate possible. Im a little bitter that my pension is being reviewed yet again (it was only reviewed 2-3years ago which resulted in me paying more to get the same benefit and working more years to get same benefit), but in all that I do my job, care for patients with less staff and time to do this because of cut backs and freezing of recruitment whilst all of the time being held responsible if something goes wrong (being busy/overworked doesnt count as an excuse Im afraid), but hey, at least if tesco takes us over I might get discount?

Le73Uq86Uv

How much did Gran pay into a pension scheme and for how long?

If the answer is nothing then why would she get something?

Did she pay a full NI stamp for 30 years?

If not maybe we should take the state pension away too as I don't want to fund scrongers.

biscit

So is the argument that many people in the private sector have bad employment terms- so other people should too. Because that would make the poor pay and conditions so much better wouldn't it.

To my mind, the fact some in the private sector have bad conditions, means that they should have better conditions, not that people in the public sector should have their pay and conditions cut to make other people feel better about themselves.

Because really, knowing people aren't better off than you isn't any real benefit to you at all, not unless you are the angry envious type.

Andy_L

Mk14:37 wrote: »

I work for a central department. Final Salary pension schemes in the Civil Service were closed to new starters in 2007.

NUVOS, the defined benefit career average scheme that repalced the final salary scheme in the CS has more generous accrual (2.8%/year rather than 1/60ths or 1.67%) so is, apart from the later retiremnt age, as generous.

Andy_L

Gavin83 wrote: »

I work for local authority and we get the scheme where they add a percentage of what you add in which I believe is the standard pension offer in the private sector as well. I also know people who work for the NHS who are on similar schemes.

Why could you not join the LGPS?

Andy_L

1jim wrote: »

Final salary schemes are over as far as I can see in the public sector and are closed to new entrants and have been for a few years.

Incorrect, the following Final salary schemes are still open (although with higher retirement ages) to new entrants

Police
Fire
Millitary
Local Gov
NHS (although effectively penultimate years salary rather than final salary)
Teachers & Universities
MPs

The only one I know for definate that isn't is the Civil Service one but see my previous post for why that's an irrelevant distinction

Gavin83

Andy_L wrote: »

Incorrect, the following Final salary schemes are still open (although with higher retirement ages) to new entrants

Police
Fire
Millitary
Local Gov
NHS (although effectively penultimate years salary rather than final salary)
Teachers & Universities
MPs

The only one I know for definate that isn't is the Civil Service one but see my previous post for why that's an irrelevant distinction

If you would like to point me in the direction of the local government one that would be helpful as the council I work for have said that no such scheme is now available.

Andy_L

Gavin83 wrote: »

If you would like to point me in the direction of the local government one that would be helpful as the council I work for have said that no such scheme is now available.

http://www.lgps.org.uk/lge/core/page.do?pageId=1

It may be that your council does not provide it for new entrants but plenty of them still do

clemmatis

Andy_L wrote: »

Incorrect, the following Final salary schemes are still open (although with higher retirement ages) to new entrants

Police
Fire
Millitary
Local Gov
NHS (although effectively penultimate years salary rather than final salary)
Teachers & Universities
MPs

The only one I know for definate that isn't is the Civil Service one but see my previous post for why that's an irrelevant distinction

The university one is still open to new members but from April 2011 will be closed, replaced by a scheme that pays less, has higher contributions, and has a higher retirement age. The scheme is not currently in deficit, I believe -- and is normally in surplus -- but it's thought likely to become unaffordable at some stage, hence the change.