Osborne loses his nerve in the face of Union solidarity

heathcote123

ILW wrote: »

I have to say that I did not notice any difference the last time they all went on strike. Should that tell us something?

I did, my company had lots of people phoning to find out how to work from home (we do IT support), as many schools shut.

Pretty much evey single person I spoke to had a very low opinion of the strikers.

homelessskilledworker

ILW wrote: »

I have to say that I did not notice any difference the last time they all went on strike. Should that tell us something?

Whoa Boy!!

Many public sector people do the most amazing jobs, I have watched a group of them save the life of a family member of mine.

But!

Like I keep pointing out in various posts tough times are coming probably like we have never seen before, we ALL have to make concessions to what we thought we were entitled in the past.

ILW

homelessskilledworker wrote: »

Whoa Boy!!

Many public sector people do the most amazing jobs, I have watched a group of them save the life of a family member of mine.

But!

Like I keep pointing out in various posts tough times are coming probably like we have never seen before, we ALL have to make concessions to what we thought we were entitled in the past.

True, but for every "front line" hero, there are an army of penpushers who seem to believe they should have the same perks as the ones who do something really useful.

I can see the argument for a fireman retiring early, but an admin clerk is a different matter.

RJP33

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Actually, over 60% of the country supported public sector workers' strike action. This may not have been overly apparent to you, what with you being trapped in your Daily Mail bubble of perpetual indignation and all.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15910621

I don't read the Daily Mail, and 60% is more likely the number of 'striker's' who went shopping that day,

It speaks volumes for your value to taxpayers when for example the border agents can be striking and immigration is more efficient using people with 3 days training.

ruggedtoast

RJP33 wrote: »

I don't read the Daily Mail, and 60% is more likely the number of 'striker's' who went shopping that day,

It speaks volumes for your value to taxpayers when for example the border agents can be striking and immigration is more efficient using people with 3 days training.

It is unfortunate that you are confusing "more efficient" with "letting more people in more quickly", which is what happened.

I suppose you think doctors become more efficient the shorter the time they spend diagnosing each patient also?

Oh dear.

lynzpower

RJP33 wrote: »

Vast majority of people in this country do not agree with you. The public sector is overbloated, overpaid, inefficient and needs at least a 20% reduction and it's impossible to sack people who are not competent. That is from personal experience.

Perhaps you should think of the plumber or builder who contribute towards the pensions that they can only dream of.before being so selfish.

You dont think there are any builders or plumbers working in the public sector?

nicko33

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Actually, over 60% of the country supported public sector workers' strike action.

actually, 611 people of 1005 asked thought they were justified in striking, which isn't the same as supporting them

ruggedtoast

nicko33 wrote: »

actually, 611 people of 1005 asked thought they were justified in striking, which isn't the same as supporting them

Oh dear, you just can't accept it can you, any of you.

More people think public sector workers deserve their pensions than don't. And the tories don't have a proper majority, and more people don't read the Daily Mail than do.

It's almost like, not everyone in the UK is a miserable dessicated right winger who wishes hardship and want on everyone else because they are unhappy with their own lives.

Not that you'd know it from this forum.;)

Generali

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Until 2007 I don't think anything was put by for a bank collapse was it? But the government seemed to manage to find hundreds of billions of pounds to bail them out.

Not sure why nurses and teachers shouldn't get their pensions at the rate the government agreed they would do two years ago.

The teachers are a slightly different case as their pensions are funded for the most part.

The current value of civil service unfunded pensions is, IIRC, £1,000,000,000,000 (a trillion quid) and that is just the cost of putting away enough money today to make the required payments in future. With a currently accrued pension pot of £0 (no quid), the taxpayer is going to have to pony up the compound interest amount between now and retirement.

The bank bailouts (which I did not and do not support) actually cost £125,000,000,000 in loans and share purchases. Presumably a reasonable chunk of that will be repaid one way or another, although I doubt that the taxpayer will ever actually make a profit on this lunacy. It is worth noting that this was a response to a crisis.

The debt of £1,000,000,000,000 is entirely planned except, I suppose, for the rather messy bit of paying for it. There are about 29,000,000 workers in the UK. How many do you think have put aside their £35,000 share to pay for this? Have you? If you think only private sector employees should pay the unfunded part of your pension then their bill rises to around £45,000. Plus compound interest if they haven't saved up their share of your pension of course.

BTW, it's not a case of whether the employees deserve their pensions as IMO they do. They met the terms of their contracts and their employers should do the same. However, if the money isn't there to pay for this then it won't be paid.

RJP33

lynzpower wrote: »

You dont think there are any builders or plumbers working in the public sector?

I'd bet a lot more work in the private sector. As do people on minimum wages working in supermarkets and the like who are subsidising these pension changes.

As we pay for public sector wages we have a vested interest in getting value for money, which clearly many departments in the public sector fail to do.

Or lets end up like Greece and give the unions everything they want.