Public Sector Pension Strikes – A JOKE !

CLAPTON

Old_Slaphead wrote: »

Any suggestions on how it can ber done C ?

well yes

I think we should scrap all employer schemes and have a universal scheme for all workers funded from taxation.. a bit like state pensions that are pitched at a reasonable level for everyone

in fact like Germany and much of Europe

Sobraon

Interesting report on "Look North" a little while ago. According to a union it seems that as far as teachers' pensions are concerned no contributions are required from the public.

It was stated that contributions paid into the pension scheme exceeded pensions and other benefits paid out very significantly.

The union representative asked a tory spokesperson where this £46.4bn excess had gone.? :eek:

There was no reported answer from the tory spokesperson.:rotfl:

LINKY to source of data.

The_Angry_Jock

CLAPTON wrote: »

well yes

I think we should scrap all employer schemes and have a universal scheme for all workers funded for taxation.. a bit like state pensions that are pitched at a reasonable level for everyone

in fact like Germany and much of Europe

From what I understand about the German system they're also increasing contributions and retirement ages because it was unsustainable. The Germans also have a privatised healthcare system too, don't they?

Both things I think are good ideas but trying to implement them would be virtually impossible in this country unfortunately. We just need a Government with vision and some big balls.

CLAPTON

The_Angry_Jock wrote: »

From what I understand about the German system they're also increasing contributions and retirement ages because it was unsustainable. The Germans also have a privatised healthcare system too, don't they?

Both things I think are good ideas but trying to implement them would be virtually impossible in this country unfortunately. We just need a Government with vision and some big balls.

yes the lack of honest decent government is a problem, that is true

Backbiter

ILW wrote: »

Could any public sector striker please explain to me why I should be forced to pay for your pension, from which I receive no benefit whatsoever.

How about this? You may disagree, but I'll try and explain how I see it.

You don't OWN my pension. I earn it as a 'public servant', employed by the state. My earnings consist of my pay (out of which I pay 6.5% into my pension) and an employer contribution of 14.!%, which is deferred pay. I don't see that until retirement, but it is part of my remuneration. So 20.6% of my remuneration goes into my pension. Over 40 years, that's a lot of contributions.

My neighbour is a builder to whom I paid over £40000 to build 2 extensions and repair my roof. He earned that money and spent it on his car, kitchen and some pension contributions. Does that mean I own his car, kitchen and pension? It was my money that enabled him to pay for them. Yes, he did some work for it, but it was my money once. Does it give me the right, in 20 years, to go to him and tell him I overpaid him for the work he did and would like it back now, as I need it?

The public sector are not leeches, expecting somethinbg for nothing. They work hard and provide vital services (medicine, education, police, fire service, armed forces, prisons, the list goes on)for which they get paid, both in salary and deferred pay (pension). All members of society benefit in some way from the work they do, and it is not right that they should have their hard-earned rewards stripped from them retrospectively. The losses being inflicted on the public sector are massive - teachers in their 20s will lose some £300k in increased contributions (up by 50%), 8 extra years until they retire, a career average pension (not final salary) and a pension reduced significantly by the change from RPI to CPI.

Bravepants

Had a professional guy do a job in my house today. When it came to pay him the conversation went like this:
Workman: "£55 please"
Me: "Cheque OK?"
Workman: "Well er, you'll have to add VAT then"
My Brain: "Yes you're damn right I'm going to add VAT, it's people like you that have contributed to my pension being raped by the f*cking government!"
Me: "That's fine, here you are!

Could all those people who hate the idea of having to pay for their public services please at least stop trying to get work done on the cheap by avoiding VAT? Oh, I can dream can't I?

The_Angry_Jock

Backbiter wrote: »

The public sector are not leeches, expecting somethinbg for nothing. They work hard and provide vital services.

You know that's not 100% accurate.

Backbiter wrote: »

The losses being inflicted on the public sector are massive - teachers in their 20s will lose some £300k in increased contributions (up by 50%), 8 extra years until they retire, a career average pension (not final salary) and a pension reduced significantly by the change from RPI to CPI.

At least they'll have their entire working life to do something about it. Like get one of the readily available, amazing private sector jobe that pays them in rainbows and kittens smiles

izools

Just for the record I thought I'd let everyone know I work for the NHS and have no objection whatsoever to the changes to the pension scheme. It remains better than any private sector pension in the land. I find it disapointing that many public sector works have lost sight of the fact they are stlil incredibly well off, that they have become so blinkered that they can only compare their new pension to their old one - yes, it isn't as good. So who cares? It's still better than any other pension in the land.

I do not agree with the industrial action and will be passing the picket line next Wednesday with great pride and confidence I'm doing the right thing and voting for what is best for our country.

Moby

Quote Atush:-

AS we thew private sector may lose money and perhaps our health after your strike. WE might have to take holidays or even a day of w/o pay when you strike as we have to stay home. We might lose our life if our cancer treatment (not considered 'Critical' by the Unions so they are suppoesed to strike) if innitial or current treatment is sacrificed for even one day- but f your chemo is cancelled next wednesday, you wont get it thursday- you will be lucky to get it the next week.

Don't forget we are all going to lose out as a result of this Govmts bloody mindedness and also don't forget your point above only confirms how critical the services we provide are and that we deserve better than to be treated in this way!

ILW wrote: »

More a matter of " I haven't got it so why should i have to pay yours?" Which seems a fair reaction to me.

Because we provide your public services and we don't get a lot of our pay 'cash in hand'!

CLAPTON

izools wrote: »

Just for the record I thought I'd let everyone know I work for the NHS and have no objection whatsoever to the changes to the pension scheme. It remains better than any private sector pension in the land. I find it disapointing that many public sector works have lost sight of the fact they are stlil incredibly well off, that they have become so blinkered that they can only compare their new pension to their old one - yes, it isn't as good. So who cares? It's still better than any other pension in the land.

I do not agree with the industrial action and will be passing the picket line next Wednesday with great pride and confidence I'm doing the right thing and voting for what is best for our country.

I was chatting to one of my doctor friends about the pension issues

He was complaining that by next year he would have to stop paying into the NHS pension fund as he will have reached the life time limit on pension contributions.
I felt so sorry for him I had to buy him a pint.