Public Sector Strike(s)

lumpkins

Jack_Johnson_the_acorn wrote: »

I'm sorry but does your post actually have a point.......:o

Yes it does thanks.

Going4TheDream

Jack_Johnson_the_acorn wrote: »

I don't understand why people are banging on about flexi time..... most don't even have a basic understanding of how it works.....

Flexi-time:

I could ask a member of staff to work over their allotted shift for zero extra money to meet the needs of the business, what they get in return is the extra hours/time worked for an early finish during quiet periods.... Surely this is beneficial to the taxpayer. It creates adequately staffed call centres and job centres which would otherwise be paying staff at a higher O/T rate.

Perhaps it is managed correctly where you are, my daughter works for Civil service, they have flexi in their office. People come in at 7 and leave at 12 if they wish. They have done their 5 hrs. Her particular dept do have to be in the office between 10am and 4pm but dont have to schedule any times. They just turn up and work. At the end of the 4 week cycle they must not be any more than 14hours over or under their contracted hours. They are all on 35hr week contracts.

They have to make up time the following month or take any over worked hours as days off (pre arranged).... collate that with people who have negotiated working from home one day a week and I am not surprised that they are paying people double time on a Saturday to catch up the work load (overtime which is due to be stopped at the end of the year)

To me this kind of flexi is a massive perk. and seemingly a big cost to the tax payer - how many other offices round the country operate in the same way?

Being able to go in as and when, not worrying about running late one morning or needing to leave early. Accumulating a couple of extra days off each month if you wish.. you wouldn't run a private sector business in the same way surely?

tartanterra

pd52 wrote: »

or maybe your just a really !!!!! electrician? :think:

Good god. What a sad and spiteful comment.

Have a look around. There is very little construction going on and domestic work has dried up as people tighten their belts and stop spending.

Half the workforce at the company I work for has been let go and the rest of us have had our hours halved.
It's not unique to us; it's happening to all the companies round here. No jobs are safe.

Are we all !!!!! in your eyes?

daveyjp

you wouldn't run a private sector business in the same way surely?

Plenty of enlightened private sector companies do it! Its 2011 not 1911 and they recognise that flexi time can work in favour of both parties. Not having to pay overtime being one example.

Credit-Crunched

dori2o wrote: »

More fool you.

Not more fool me, I do this to ensure that my targets are met, to ensure that I keep my job, and to ensure that the efficiency of the company is met.

That statement just sums up the public sector in one and really does explain what a bunch of work shy folk you are. Work on to help the company, of course not...

FTBFun

daveyjp wrote: »

Plenty of enlightened private sector companies do it! Its 2011 not 1911 and they recognise that flexi time can work in favour of both parties. Not having to pay overtime being one example.

Mine doesn't - I have to work core hours of 9.15 to 5.15 and then, as per my contract, "whatever time is deemed necessary to perform my duties". That's professional services for you.

julieq

HelenDaveKids wrote: »

Yes, let me retire years later than promised (i know let me retire and bloody drop dead instead of enjoying a bit of retirement), for less money than promised and despite taking lower wages in order to get the benefits.
Yet theres all those sat on the dole / benefits with the bloody flat screen TVs and electronic gadgets whilst we work our areses off providing good service to the public! Don't get me started......... With their free school dinners, their free music lessons, free school trips, and we are eating smart price and have to watch every penny.
Can't strike myself as compromises patient safety but my husband is striking and I'm 100% behind everyone who does.

As a nurse I can't because I have a code of conduct that will always put the patient first. We work 12.5 hour days and we get 1 hour stopped (no pay) for breaks, I'm lucky if I get a cup of tea (which we have to pay for) and often coming home having only had 1 quick drink, having not stopped all day. We (nurses) virtually always finish late, of which we never get paid. We cover each other by swapping shifts at the last minute to cover sickness, we work all the bank holidays, christmas day being paid the same as a Sunday, regardless of having young families at home, opening presents without us. I love my job but I don't deserve to work like this and get absolutely SHAFTED by the government.

Must say some of these comments are making my blood boil!!!

*** THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR STRIKING AND HELPING TO PROTECT MY RETIREMENT ***

Ah OK, no problem. Very happy to pay your pension as well as mine anyway, and it's lovely that you're being sniffy about a deal which any private sector worker would tear your arm off to get.

You know, if you don't like working 12.5 hour days you're very welcome in the private sector (where incidentally we also pay for our own drinks). You will have to pay more for your retirement, you won't get as much pension, you'll be paid against a regular assessment of your performance, and you'll be at risk of redundancy during economic downturns without much warning, but otherwise it's great here, really.

Actually, to save time, would you just like me to add you to my credit card?

andybenw

And unable to strike today due to the nature of my job.

May I just offer support to all those on strike today fighting for a fair deal from the government.

Remember pensions have already been cut by around 15-20% due to the index linking being changed from RPI to CPI.

Remember that no-one is seriously arguing for final salary schemes to continue. It is accepted that we should be moving toward a career average scheme.

It is the governments inability to negotiate properly that has caused this strike. Firstly, remember they announced the measures to be introduced before negotiations were due to begin. A deliberate ploy in order to ensure they had little room for manouvere once they did. And now, the government constantly fail to engage with the unions.

I have no doubt that if the unions fail to win a decent deal the soldiers in the front line will see their pensions decimated.

Credit-Crunched

dori2o wrote: »

I've explained it many times on these boards, but as usual, the vast majority of the morons on here have been brainwashed by the media and the Governments propoganda.

Here is how it works in HMRC for those, like me, on the New Terms contracts.

Everyone has a working pattern, there are about 8 to choose from, set by HMRC, which include working at least one night til closing time (8pm in contact centres) and normally include rotered Saturdays, one out of every 4. When you first start work at HMRC you begin with a '0' balance on your 'flexi sheet'.

You have the ability to accrue a credit, by working extra hours when business need allows, staying 30 mins late, coming in 30 mins early when the business demand is less, with the maximum accrued credit allowed being +22hrs 12 minutes.

You can also build up a deficit upto a maximum of -22hrs 12 minutes.

You can use this 'flexi time' time to take time off. HOWEVER, this must be applied for and approved, in the same way annual leave is applied for, and approved.

If there is no availability to be off, then you cannot be off on leave/flexi.

You cannot just come and go as and when you please.

If you leave HMRC you have to run down any credit balance you have accrued, and any deficit has to be run down, OR the value of the hours in deficit are deducted from your final salary.

So despite what the media, the government, and some of themorons on here would have you believe, 'Flexi time' is hardly a 'perk'.

Again, not seeing how good you have it!

Thousands of people in the private sector work on for hours every day for NO PAY and no LIEU time.

God if i had a formal arrangement of claiming back time my holidays would be as good as a teachers.

You just can't see it can you, what you class as a non-perk lots of people in the private sector would kill for...

FTBFun

andybenw wrote: »

I have no doubt that if the unions fail to win a decent deal the soldiers in the front line will see their pensions decimated.

I think its fair to say this won't happen. Despite the issues with forces' pay (which I think is horrendous), reducing pensions will be such a massive PR error I can't see any government doing this for the foreseeable future.