Nice people thread part 4 - sugar and spice and all things

lostinrates

GDB2222 wrote: »

My father worked until he was nearly 80. He enjoyed his work, and it gave him satisfaction.

I think this is a luxury of those who really do love their work....which might be the preserve of the educated, the better paid and the artisan,and not all of those i those groups will love their work.

e.g. if my job were in a field I loved and would remain active in....e.g. my fil will never retire I think, even if he doesn't work in a uni he'll always read and write (he says, and I agree with him, he is lucky as he gets paid to read books he wants to read anyay and then say what he thinks about them). If cleaning loos for a living I'd be more willing to retire......the choice is a truer choice for those with more choices to start with.

chewmylegoff

vivatifosi wrote: »

If MPs honestly think that they'll come out of the other end of this without massive pressure from both public and private sector employees to have the last bastions of gold plated pensions addressed, they live in an even bigger bubble than we think they do.

i'm not sure how the MPs' scheme works, but there is a possibility that reforming it to career average rather than final salary would make the pension benefits more lucrative, not less.

at the moment, i expect most MPs retire as backbenchers and therefore their pension is based on their final salary which at the moment is £65k. however, MPs that had been cabinet ministers for a significant period of time (currently about £130k), but then went back to the back benches and retired on £65k would not receive any benefit from that £130k into their pension (plus they would have paid a fixed % of the higher salary as member's contribution).

therefore if you change it to career average it might actually be better for anyone who has spent time as a minister (or shadow minister). i think the exception for this is the PM's pension which is just a set amount regardless of time served - so gordon brown gets £100,000 a year or whatever, index linked, despite never winning an election. the pension is 50% of the full amount of PM's notional pay (about £200k), not the reduced amount they claim to make it look like they're being nice.

this all assumes that the £65k flat rate for backbenchers increases at inflation only, and that the career average calculation is adjusted for inflation.

food for thought anyway. probably all flawed somehow and in any case they should all be on money purchase schemes!

silvercar

My bins have been emptied.

My library is open.

I noticed that the (council) leisure centre next door to the library is also open.

My son is in school.

I have an appointment with the nurse at the GPs surgery this afternoon and that is still on.

Did someone say there was a strike?

LydiaJ

chewmylegoff wrote: »

this all assumes that ... the career average calculation is adjusted for inflation.

They are.

I am at my parents' place. I've been reading to Mum. My dad's been reading this to her - she read it to me when I was little - so I've picked up where he'd got to and done several more pages. The GP has called. He thinks less than 24 hours now. She's gone to sleep, so he and I are about to have lunch.

lostinrates

I just went out and have gathered the local[STRIKE]remand centre[/STRIKE] school is not open to day. After the behaviour of the little thugs in the town today I sure do pity the teachers.

lostinrates

LydiaJ wrote: »

They are.

I am at my parents' place. I've been reading to Mum. My dad's been reading this to her - she read it to me when I was little - so I've picked up where he'd got to and done several more pages. The GP has called. He thinks less than 24 hours now. She's gone to sleep, so he and I are about to have lunch.

I hope the last hours are as easy for her as they can be. My very dearest wishes to you and your family.

michaels

Well, schools here are closed, roads were nice and quiet earlier but now with the sunshine it is heaving, clearly most are enjoying an extra day off shopping - may be we could have all public sector workers taking one day unpaid every month, it would reduce the wage bill and their future pension entitlement by 5% at a stroke.

silvercar wrote: »

My bins have been emptied.

My library is open.

I noticed that the (council) leisure centre next door to the library is also open.

My son is in school.

I have an appointment with the nurse at the GPs surgery this afternoon and that is still on.

Did someone say there was a strike?

LydiaJ

lostinrates wrote: »

I hope the last hours are as easy for her as they can be. My very dearest wishes to you and your family.

Thanks lir. She can barely speak now, but was able to say "yes" to a drink, and again "yes" to the book. She had her eyes much wider open when I was reading, too, so I think she was enjoying it. Then she made a sort of noise, so I asked if she wanted me to carry on or if she wanted to go to sleep, and she said "sleep", as far as I could understand. She managed to say "just right" as well, when I was asking her if she wanted the music any louder or quieter. She seems fairly peaceful, and the GP has told my dad to phone the district nurse if her breathing becomes difficult, and they can give her stuff to make it easier for her.

I'll have to go at 3.30 to be back in time to pick my kids up when the childcare finishes at 4.40. I did offer to see if I could find someone to pick them up so I could be there so my dad wouldn't be alone, but he said no. He thinks DS need me more than he does.

purch

Well, schools here are closed, roads were nice and quiet earlier but now with the sunshine it is heaving,

Just got back from Taunton. Trying to buy a pair of shoes for youngest, as he split his yesterday.

Couldn't get into town centre as it is "closed from 11AM to 3PM" for a march. Every direction I tried was a no go, even the Park n Ride Buses couldn't get in and were turning around over 1 mile from the centre.

Looks like he will have wet feet tomorrow.

P.S. My eldest had his A Level Biology teacher in tears yesterday. She told him to do some extra work today as the College is shut. He said if you can't be bothered to work, I won't be either, which set the whole class off. I dunno where he get's that from :eek:

Generali

purch wrote: »

Just got back from Taunton. Trying to buy a pair of shoes for youngest, as he split his yesterday.

Couldn't get into town centre as it is "closed from 11AM to 3PM" for a march. Every direction I tried was a no go, even the Park n Ride Buses couldn't get in and were turning around over 1 mile from the centre.

Looks like he will have wet feet tomorrow.

P.S. My eldest had his A Level Biology teacher in tears yesterday. She told him to do some extra work today as the College is shut. He said if you can't be bothered to work, I won't be either, which set the whole class off. I dunno where he get's that from :eek:

You should have just bunged the car on the nearest street. Presumably the traffic wardens are on strike too.