Unions and Pensions

atush

gadgetmind wrote: »

I'm just trying it on for size. What do you think? Does it make my brain look big?

Think we'll call you Big Boy for now lol

atush

gadgetmind wrote: »

We're expanding headcount by 20% per annum but we need good grads. Those who can't get good degrees are perhaps best steered towards other sectors.

From anncecdotal evidence I think this it true. My son has already been offered a job for after graduating this year and he hasn't even finished his dissertation. Well, I say finished I am just hoping he has started lol.

But he is doing a double in a top 20. Dont know if media studies from an ex poly are the same.

BobQ

dizzie wrote: »

Bob, I see your logic, but I was of the understanding that pension reforms were such that any accrued benefits (i.e. benefits accrued whilst there may have been a significant public - private sector pay differential) were protected. I took this to mean that if someone is three quarters the way through their working life, then three quarters of their pension is calculated on what was agreed initially, and only the remaining quarter of their pension will be liable to reforms based on their current and future earnings. If the pay differential has closed, then that seems fair enough.

My thoughts are that they should concentrate more on protecting the pension rights of the lowest paid, but put an annual cap the level of taxpayer contribution that is paid into an individual PS pension scheme. Why should the taxpayer pay a far greater subsidy into the pension pot of a very well paid worker but less into the pot for a lower paid worker? Surely if you are very well paid, you can afford to sacrifice a greater percentage of your salary if you want a whacking great pension at the end of your working life.

I think we are saying roughly the same thing! Those with long service are protected as you say. Many like my wife feel conned that they worked for many years being told accrued benefits were protected against RPI (when CPI was a figment of a politicians imagination) only to be told CPI is now used. I think if I had retired on this basis and found the index had changed I would be none too pleased.

Provided the accrual rate is fair the career average system does protect the lower paid and those with career breaks and as you say this is fair.

While I agree with you about higher paid workers being able to pay more in public sector schemes, I do think that it will herald the end of very capable career public servants that fill the top jobs. Some will say this is good but it will mean people will drift into the jobs from the private sector with much less loyalty to the public interest and for much higher salaries than now.

gadgetmind

atush wrote: »

Dont know if media studies from an ex poly are the same.

I do. .

atush

Do tell lol. All I know is if you afre good candidate jobs are out there.

And you may have to jump thru some hoops. Son had to interview for an internship earlier this year and had to make it thru several stages, then after being chosen work for 6 weeks and prove himself. But he was invited for another internship for which he missed his 1st interview having been stuck in a UK AP for 3 days last xmas with the snow and they filled them all and wouldn't let him apply as he was a day late back. So basically you have to tic all the boxes even if it is out of your control.

Koicarp

Just had an email from the ultra millitant Royal College of Nursing to say we will be voting on strike action in january. This will be the first time that members have considered strike action since the organisation was founded in 1916.

Moby

I see Francis Maude has decided to offer us a little symbolic strike for 15 mins without a loss of pay...lol. Talk about the unions being bullies....they are nothing compared to the measures this Govmt is prepared to go to to exploit dissension!

sheffield_lad

Moby wrote: »

I see Francis Maude has decided to offer us a little symbolic strike for 15 mins without a loss of pay...lol. Talk about the unions being bullies....they are nothing compared to the measures this Govmt is prepared to go to to exploit dissension!

You know what, go on strike disrupt the people your meant to serve. Even if you win this argument and the pensions are not changed it's only got to happen a few years down the line the difference then is it will be bigger payments needed and maybe long time working.

Why can everybody in the country with the exception of unions and PC workers with their heads in the ground see this?

jem16

howee wrote: »

Why can everybody in the country with the exception of unions and PC workers with their heads in the ground see this?

I can see this perfectly well as can most of my colleagues in my staff room.

However most of the anger comes about with contributions being increased at a time when there is a pay freeze. Hold back the increase for 2 years, introduce the increase when there is a pay increase - the usual small increase of about 2% would just about cover it - and most teachers would accept it.

It also comes 6 months after acceptance of a change to the T&C within our local council which sees short term supply teachers being paid at Point 1 of the pay scale instead of their normal pay rate. Strangely enough there is now a shortage of teachers willing to cover short term supply. The change also saw the Lifetime (supposedly) conservation of salaries being removed in 2016 which will see some teachers losing £14k of their salary. Those people are now too old to realistically try for promotion to win back that loss so £14k salary loss and £7k pension loss in one fell swoop.

Many teachers in my local council just see the pension reform as yet another way of eroding our profession and if this is accepted meekly, what will they go after next?

However not one teacher actually wants to strike in my staff room.

dshart

Moby wrote: »

I see Francis Maude has decided to offer us a little symbolic strike for 15 mins without a loss of pay...lol. Talk about the unions being bullies....they are nothing compared to the measures this Govmt is prepared to go to to exploit dissension!

I see the unions and media have been treating this the wrong way by terming it a token or symbolic strike. When in fact as I understand it (and please correct me if I am wrong) it is a requirement for some action to be taken as the ballot has been held and if they do not take action they would be unable to take further action on this matter. They are giving an option to people to take action which will allow them further action within the law further down the line if they are still unhappy. If the current strikes were not to go ahead then the unions would have to call a fresh ballot for strike action in the future and run the risk of members not voting in favour of a strike.