Public sector wellcome to the real world

cyclonebri1

dunstonh wrote: »

Unions almost destroyed the country in 60s and 70s. Now they are up for another go at it.

Using phrases like that which are patently untrue and not even close in similarity is disgraceful.

I didn't want to side in this argument wishing all my life I had a public sector pension but try this PS chaps,

From the 70's on, when I started work we had a company final salary pension scheme, (private company)

It was a 1/140th scheme, yes, a 1/140th, about 1980 we had a massively improved scheme, it was improved to a 1/120th scheme as it still stands today. We had to pay another 1.5% contribution to gain that, , and even then they closed the scheme to new comers back in 1989.

Welcome to the real world council workers, I/we have supported you for many years, and, don't forget I will continue to do so as your earned benefits are protected. The tide has turned slightly.

And I would like to know where the hell the idea came that public sector folks where sacrificing wages for benefits??? I thought the main reason was employment protection? as in;

Unless I kneck the boss, I have a job for life.
Guess the average "job expectancy" in the private sector? ie,

afc80

atush wrote: »

I have two things to say, 26K is above the nat avg salary so therefor cannot be 'poverty' wages. And if you like your brothers package, join his firm.

Otherwise if you like your current job, keep at it and we thank you. but don't expect any of us to sympathise with you if you strike. Not when your union bosses are raking it in, and getting pension deals 5 times better than what they would get in the private sector.

I am sorry that the previous goverment ruined the economy and set nothing aside when times were good. But we are all paying the piper now, so we are all in the same boat.

Sadly the average wage in Aberdeen is nearly £35,000 pa.

Coupled with high house prices etc it really is a struggle to survive on my meagre income.

As for striking, i would always abide with the decision of the union membership.

I am not a scab and have principles. :D


As for us all paying, that is not strictly true as the English National Party (conservative party to us scots) is taxing the Scottish based oil companies to the tune of billions over the next 5 years.

Both he and Brit Nats like that horrible Gordon Brown have raped the natural resources of Scotland for years. It is only a matter of time, however, when the English will have to stand of their own two feet.

:)

cyclonebri1

afc80 wrote: »

Sadly the average wage in Aberdeen is nearly £35,000 pa.

Coupled with high house prices etc it really is a struggle to survive on my meagre income.

As for striking, i would always abide with the decision of the union membership.

I am not a scab and have principles. :D


As for us all paying, that is not strictly true as the English National Party (conservative party to us scots) is taxing the Scottish based oil companies to the tune of billions over the next 5 years.

Both he and Brit Nats like that horrible Gordon Brown have raped the natural resources of Scotland for years. It is only a matter of time, however, when the English will have to stand of their own two feet.

:)

:eek::eek::eek:

Nuke them, now "Dave"

And being serious if you/they stuggle to survive on a single income of £35k, you need to give up the mars bars

gardner1

afc80 wrote: »

Both he and Brit Nats like that horrible Gordon Brown have raped the natural resources of Scotland for years. It is only a matter of time, however, when the English will have to stand of their own two feet.

:)

yes please the sooner the better

RichandJ

That's this thread gone down the Scots v English route. Not long til lock.

sharnad

bigfreddiel wrote: »

well of course they don't apply to us - we're so lowly paid for a start (no pay rise for two years and when we do get one its a measly 4-5%), what with 30 days leave a year, flexi time,extra days off for the queens birthday, maundy thursday, christmas shopping day and a bonus as well - its no wonder we feel ripped off

Dont think there has been a 5% in the public sector in a decade but it is a large area. What area do you work in

exil

Of course someone's launched the "if you don't like working in the public sector, get a job in the private sector" argument. However this applies the other way round. For instance if you fancy the salary and pension that goes with being a doctor, it's easy - get some good A levels, a medical degree and work long hours as a junior doctor. Like the idea of 13 weeks holiday as a teacher? Get a degree, teacher training - no problem.

I do, however, accept that the days of the old style final salary scheme are numbered - and that a strike campaign will get zero public sympathy from people whose own pensions have been flushed down the loo in recent years. The unions kept pretty silent about that.

paparossco

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Nuke them, now "Dave"

Oops that won't work the nukes are based in Scotland :rotfl::rotfl:

real1314

sharnad wrote: »

Dont think there has been a 5% in the public sector in a decade but it is a large area. What area do you work in

10% rise in total over the last 5 years? Ok, some in the private sector have had less, but plenty have had more, especially the bosses. If the Private Sector are "happy" to continue their labour when bosses get inflation busting rises whilst they get less/nothing, then who are the fools in this game?

And the bosses get improved final salary pensions with bonuses, whilst the workers get reduced pensions with greater contributions.
Hmm. Maybe you should have stood up for yourselves?

And then the private sector bosses tell the private sector workers that it's all the public sector workers fault.

maybe, just maybe, this shows which workers are the stronger, better organised and more capable:-

The aim of a private sector business is to maximise profit, which is achieved by either minimising costs (wages) or maximising returns (prices).

Workers can freely adopt the same strategy, maximising returns (pay and conditions) and minimising costs (hours of work/requirements) to greater personal profit; hence it seems the public sector workers are more effective in adopting private sector profit led strategies. :cool:

Vibrant

One point that is usually overlooked when discussing public sector pensions, is that they fund a large part of the service sector.
I am self employed and over half of my customers are ex teachers, nurses etc. The remainder are pensioners who worked, or spouse worked in the Post Office, or one of the large private sector firms that gave good pensions (sadly mostly gone now).
I work for a few people who are still employed, again mostly public sector workers, predominately teachers, who seem to have a lot of disposable income and work very few hours. I will admit to being jealous of teachers work rewards, but on the minus side, they seem to do little teaching, mainly tied up with forms and assessments, which I would hate.

I seem to have drifted off my point. Which is, cut the public sector pay and pension rewards and a large part of the service industry would collapse, as private workers earn too little, to afford luxury services.