Public Sector Pension Strikes – A JOKE !

mr-angry

When all is said and done these people are going on strike to protect their conditions. We can all come on here with our sob stories about how bad a lot we all have compared to them and quote one liners abouts heads in sand etc etc. The crux of the issue here is its their fight and their decision and if people are so outraged that they are so hard done to in their lot then lobby their MPs to change strike legislation.

Public opinion will have no bearing on this or any other industrial action invoked by the unions.

dizzie

MCGONIS, That benefit claimants do not like benefits officers is rather predictable. They will have one agenda...i.e. to get more dosh...and you have to apply the rules.

But I do not feel that the general public (or the private sector for that matter) dislike public sector workers. Some of us just dislike the fact that you are striking over pensions. This is because we feel you will still get a good deal and one that is far superior to our own pension provisions (that have been hard hit post-recession). This isn't out of spite or jealousy - it is simply because we know how large the deficit is and we realise that savings of taxpayer's money have to be made. And we are not wanting a "race to the bottom". I for one do not wish to see public sector workers to be living on bread and water....but I do think it is reasonable for us ALL to review our future expectations in view of the financial calamity that has befallen us.

I realise that some comments made between posters have sounded rather personal, but I am sure that for the most part, this is simply because of the strength of opinion about this pension issue, on both sides.

bilbo51

Moby wrote: »

To get a more accurate picture You'd need to look at median examples over a longer period of time. These figures fluctuate.

If you got your head out of the sand for long enough to read the report I posted, you would know that the figures showed that public sector pay has been in advance of private sector pay since at least 1997.

Long enough for you?

NAR

Old_Slaphead wrote: »

Merv says inflation will plummet next year so no worries for you.

BTW don't forget - another year on your pension age too !

Re inflation, I personally don't think plummet is correct. 3% maybe.
:rotfl:You are so way off with your conclusion jumping, as I retire in less than 2 years. My pension is gold plated and I am more than content with my lot after a very long career. However I have very deep concerns for the many excellent colleagues that I will be leaving behind, who deserve better treatment than this Government is intending to dole out.

dshart

NAR wrote: »

Re inflation, I personally don't think plummet is correct. 3% maybe.
:rotfl:You are so way off with your conclusion jumping, as I retire in less than 2 years. My pension is gold plated and I am more than content with my lot after a very long career. However I have very deep concerns for the many excellent colleagues that I will be leaving behind, who deserve better treatment than this Government is intending to dole out.

Yet so many of the public sector workers who post on here are happy for new entrants to be offered these new conditions that they themselves reject. The say this on one hand and then they proceed to say we should all unite and support them. I am afraid that people who post like that are only concerned for their own well-being and do not really care about others.

worldwheeler

Credit-Crunched wrote: »

"The pension issue is akin to pre-ordering a Christmas turkey of 6kg and paying £80 for it. Then at the beginning of December the butcher tells you your turkeys is only going to be 2-3kg and he wants another £60 for it. Get used to it,stuck it up. Or stand up to the playground bully!"

To follow on from your analogy, if it then turns out that you can not afford the £80 yourself, you ask all of your neighbours to foot the bill for you.

Then on Christmas day you are tucking into your generous and defined size turkey, whilst the rest of your street fights for scraps to survive.

I'm sorry but it is the butcher who is asking the neighbours to pay not the customer. If you are one of the neighbours then you have to stand up against the bully yourself. So why not look past the mentality given to you by the divide and conquer gubberments and stand with your neighbour against the common adversary. The political class are conspiring with the capital financiers of this country, nee the world, to turn the class divide back to before the victorian times. If you think you are sitting pretty, not in distress yet, or feel unaffected do not be complacent as 99% of society is shoved down the ladder you get closer to the crosshairs of the target. When your time comes to be squeezed you will shout and cry but nobody will hear your as no one will be left to hear.
Gubberments have no responsibility to the public, only to their owners. They will not negotiate, or even acknowledge , a compliant public. They will use smoke and mirrors to confuse, distract, divide and scare you; the elderly are house hogging; the Muslims will take over this country and are a threat even in caves 10000miles away; the youth are feral. lazy, stupid and want everything for nothing; the Polish have taken your jobs because you are unwilling to do them; the housing shortage has driven homes beyond the affordable reach of most; PFI is the best way to deliver services.

ILW

Please stop referring to Gubberments, it is rather childish and very annoying.

Chrisblue1962

Has anyone noted that Unison have called a strike in which only 22% of its members voted for strike action and 71% of it's members couldn't even be bothered to vote!...A Total Disgrace... this is at the same time when people in Syria and Egypt are dying for the right to vote and have access to democracy...

vax2002

Its 16.4 million pounds of the deficit in wages !

Aegis

worldwheeler wrote: »

Divide, confuse and conquer. The gubberment will divide the public into inward fighting groups so the spotlight never falls on them and their friends. The pension issue is akin to pre-ordering a Christmas turkey of 6kg and paying £80 for it. Then at the beginning of December the butcher tells you your turkeys is only going to be 2-3kg and he wants another £60 for it. Get used to it,stuck it up. Or stand up to the playground bully!

Actually, the analogy is more like this.

You and a friend agree to split the cost of buying a Christmas turkey each year, with you putting in a certain amount and your friend putting in a larger amount. As time passes, the cost of the turkeys increases year on year until your friend is having to put in a shockingly large amount of money to buy the turkey at the size you originally agreed to. As such, although you have enjoyed many years of turkey dinners at low cost, he tells you that you now have to accept that you can't continue to expect such a large turkey at such a low cost, therefore he needs you to pay a bit more and you need to reduce the size of the turkey for future years.

You are you.

Your friend is the public sector, and by extension the UK taxpayers.

The turkeys are your pension accruals on an annual basis (past accruals are not lost under the new proposals).

It may not be much fun, but believe me, you're still better off with your pension provision than the majority of private sector workers.