'Do you support Wednesday's strike?' poll

Grade_A_Reject

If you work in the public sector and aren't happy with your lot just resign and find a better job. Three million people eager to step into your shoes.

ipod_killed_the_musicshop

derboy wrote: »

It's this post which is so frustrating.

UK wealth is generated from trade, import and export of products and services. Tax recycling is not a method of generating growth. It does not make the economy work on its own.

The public sector may pay tax but the contribution is irrelevant compared to the cost of salaries! So the fact that the Public sector pension pot does not support itself means the taxpayer (private) has to support it. That is the point which generates emotion. The people who dont have pensions (majority of private workers) are funding (through taxation) generous pensions to another group of society. That is in essence unfair.

What a stupidly inaccurate thing to say! There are public sector workers in manual jobs and there are private sector workers who fine people for forgetting to pay the congestion charge on time, go figure!

dholtuk2

Why are all these posts so focused on how the public sector pensions are funded solely by private sector tax payers? Do public sector workers not also pay tax and also a huge portion of their monthly income in order to fund said pension??

frub

I'm really concerned about the gulibility of the general public.
The Tory's will always try to divide and conquer as they have so successfully done over the pensions 'debate'. The public sector pensions, by and large, are sustainable but the good old Tory's have decided they want to spend the money on other things (As admitted by Francis Maude on Newsnight) and so they've set up this fight, stood back and rubbed their hands at this, for them, spectator sport. There are so many outright lies being told about both sectors.
I have small pensions from both sectors and as it happens the private pension is much better but I have to agree that saying that the private sector having poor or no pension is no reason to take big chunks out of the public pensions.
The government are trying, and suceeding, to take us back to before the introduction of the welfare state - low wages, no pensions and working until you're too old to have any retirement, no NHS, total private schooling and university education only for the top earners.

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE - IF YOU CAN STILL AFFORD IT!

Dave_Montford

A few thoughts on the strike and pensions in general.
1) These strikers just don't get it there is no money left we are squillions in debt, they have been offered a very good deal in comparison with the private sector, I know, I paid in vast sums to my private pension, only to see the returns diminished by at least 1/3 over the last 10 years thanks in large parts to Mr Brown.
2) I started work at 15 most young people now dont start work until at least 18, and will have to work to 67 before they get a state pension, therefore they will work one year less than I and many of my generation have had to do.
3) We have overpaid ourselves over the last 10 years, and now we are having to pay it back, yes lifes tough, but get used to it. Stop bleating you in the public sector we are all suffering, because of the last governments policies, a government most of you strikers supported I may add.

Kew2u

I also posted this in a topic of a similar nature.
To strike or not to strike....That is one heck of a question which brings to the fore many other questions.
We're told to save for our retirement, great, providing we earn enough to do that! and that is really the crux of the matter. Not everyone gets the chance to earn a decent wage. Is the guy who unblocks the drains not worth a decent income and pension? Where would we be without him? My first weekly wage was £3-10shillings (50p). I was 43 years old before I hit the £100 a week mark. Yes, costs were lower but there was never money left over for holidays, nights out, a car a new suit a computer etc. Savings and bank accounts were not the norm for most workers. So saving towards a pension was out of the question.
While I would support action for a better deal, I would be more supportive if 'action' first covered the basic needs of people who are destined to retire on the pittance of a State pension. Starting with the lowest paid and working up the income ladder has got to be a more acceptable proposition.
The public sector workers are united through their single paymaster, but heaven help us all if the private sector ever manage to galvanise themselves into united industial action. We can talk about the disgraceful and greedy fat cats in many cases justifiably, but there are many more people on the bread line that are seldom mentioned.
I don't consider that the strikers are greedy in their demands at all, we all wish for a decent affordable lifestyle, but I'd prefer to see the less well off in the pension stakes being brought up to a decent level first. The pot is only so big, 'Who should, at this moment in time dip into the pot?' We all have to share rising prices, schools, civil rights etc; Why not a fairer deal for those less well of and a fairer share of the pension pot?
Last thought...while we all accept %'s as the norm...how about we all pay for our 'loaves of bread' as a % of our income? Nah, that would never do, if we did that we would all break even!

spend2save

Surely the charity sector should be tied in with the public sector option as it's basically a synonym for the public sector

ferrari042

I've worked in the private sector for 38 years and my pension benefits have changed at least 5 times (not for the better) my contributions were always around 6%. Luckily due to a TUPE transfer to another company my main pension (over 35 years) was frozen in 2003 and deferred until I'm 60, luckily this was before they dumped final salary rules. A lot has been made of "low paid" public sector workers and I agree there are many hard working people particularly working in schools who are on low hourly rates but there are also a lot in the private sector as well. Most pensions are based on your pay, number of years service and hours worked so if you spend 30 years working full time and your final years pay is £15000 then even the best final salary scheme is only going to give you a pension of around £5600 so lets stop exaggerating this point. Whilst there are many low paid public sector workers there are also many on high pay, a friend of mine who worked in a large corporate with me joined our local council after he was made redundant and was shocked at the number of managers who were on over £30k, equivalent roles in the company we left would be around £22k and they have lots of "non jobs" (Head of Diversity £40k, Inclusion coordinator £36k etc).

ferrari042

Forgot to mention in my last post I do have some sympathy with the public sector workers as its unfair to change benefits retrospectively, problem is this kind of review has been needed for over 20 years.

ipod_killed_the_musicshop

Dave_Montford wrote: »

A few thoughts on the strike and pensions in general.
1) These strikers just don't get it there is no money left we are squillions in debt, they have been offered a very good deal in comparison with the private sector, I know, I paid in vast sums to my private pension, only to see the returns diminished by at least 1/3 over the last 10 years thanks in large parts to Mr Brown.
2) I started work at 15 most young people now dont start work until at least 18, and will have to work to 67 before they get a state pension, therefore they will work one year less than I and many of my generation have had to do.
3) We have overpaid ourselves over the last 10 years, and now we are having to pay it back, yes lifes tough, but get used to it. Stop bleating you in the public sector we are all suffering, because of the last governments policies, a government most of you strikers supported I may add.

At least one of your points has been answered in the very post above yours. Your laziness leaves me in no mood to bother with the rest of your post.