Osborne loses his nerve in the face of Union solidarity

Killmark

Generali wrote: »

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.

So because the government decided to spend the contributions deducted from salary its tough luck on public sector workers?

Where exactly do you think the money was spent that would have otherwise gone to the employee had they not signed up to their pension plans?

The public has benefited from the use of public sector pension contributions being spent through short sighted planning rather than being invested, as a result the taxpayer should carry the burden.

ruggedtoast

RJP33 wrote: »

Despite all the anti-Tory rhetoric (I have no idea why it's in there) you'll probably find if you compare our public services to other countries the taxpayer gets very poor value for money.

I think you'll find we actually have very good public services compared to the vast majority of countries.

The majority of the world's population lives in India, Latin America, Africa and China. Fancy swapping with them? No didn't think so.

That's the problem with you people, you want first world services at third world prices. Well if you pay what you think you should pay you get India, if you pay what you are paying you get England. That's the difference.

ILW

geneer wrote: »

Cant say I support the public sector bleating.

I have to say that the UK are world class Bleaters.

RJP33

ruggedtoast wrote: »

I think you'll find we actually have very good public services compared to the vast majority of countries.

The majority of the world's population lives in India, Latin America, Africa and China. Fancy swapping with them? No didn't think so.

That's the problem with you people, you want first world services at third world prices. Well if you pay what you think you should pay you get India, if you pay what you are paying you get England. That's the difference.

If we're looking more realistically at other developed countries we're way behind. The problem is that there's too many people in the public service who don't offer anything and shouldn't be there, such that it’s poor value.

Unions make it very, very difficult to change any working arrangements for the better or get rid of anyone incompetent and people get paid more on average than the private sector for relative jobs, which is absurd.

That’s from a lot of personal experience. The upcoming tube strike is a classic example of this.

headcone

ILW wrote: »

I have to say that the UK Tory voters are world class Bleaters.

Fixed it for you.

ruggedtoast

RJP33 wrote: »

If we're looking more realistically at other developed countries we're way behind. The problem is that there's too many people in the public service who don't offer anything and shouldn't be there, such that it’s poor value.

Unions make it very, very difficult to change any working arrangements for the better or get rid of anyone incompetent and people get paid more on average than the private sector for relative jobs, which is absurd.

That’s from a lot of personal experience. The upcoming tube strike is a classic example of this.

Which countries? Explain yourself.

RJP33

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Which countries? Explain yourself.

France, Germany, Japan, Canada etc. Other comparible countries with developed economies.

RJP33

wotsthat wrote: »

George Osborne has sent a message to everyone in the public sector that he thinks they are all s**t. Even the harshest critic of the public sector can't think everyone is s**t. Wouldn't it be more productive to get rid of those that are s**t and try not to vilify those doing a good job?

I agree completely with this, but have you experienced it is to get rid of someone incompetent in the public sector?

Jimmy_31

lynzpower wrote: »

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

Nowhere near as many as there once was as most of the work now gets contracted out and self employed subbys like me do the work.

I get no contract, holiday pay, sick pay or pension.

ruggedtoast

RJP33 wrote: »

I agree completely with this, but have you experienced it is to get rid of someone incompetent in the public sector?

I suppose you're right. It took forever to get rid of Gordon Brown.