What do you think of the public sector strike on Wed 30th ??

[PC Electrics 316]

I have incurred the wrath of a close friend and my sister in law by posting my views on my Facebook wall.

I'll come back later with more, but for now it is sufficient to say I think they are a bunch of greedy muppetts. They are being made an offer that most of us in the private sector would jump at if we could.

And as for teachers striking and disrupting our young peoples education - well don't get me on that soapbox, i think it's reprehensible!

Any way up, I'd like to gauge the opinion in here before I lay into my sil anymore!

[Theorysparky 261]

Well my wife has to go to the local school on Wednesday and face the wrath of the parents

She is the Chair of Govenors

to be fair not all of them will strike but a dim view is taken of those who do by the parents

cant blame them

[Ali 61]

I'm not sure how I feel about it all, but my husband is a paramedic and when he started the job 6 years ago, he signed a contract with the London Ambulance Service setting out the terms and conditions of his employment. Since then he has had his pension reduced, his working hours increased and the amount of calls in any given shift is about 3 times highter that it used to be.

When he joined, LAS staff nearing retirement were put on special ambulances that did the urgent rather than emergency jobs because it was recognised that it is harder for a 65 year old to run up 15 flights of stairs or carry a heavy patient. This policy has now been removed. The retirement age of LAS front line staff is now 67 and up until the day they retire, they are expected to do the same job as a 20 year old. If they can not do this, they can be kicked out because they are no longer competant.

I don't have a big problemn with this in theory, it's just that 6 years ago he and the LAS agreed what he would do for his money and he has upheld his side of the agreement and they have constantly erroded the pay and conditions they supply.

Having said all this, he isn't striking because he doesn't think that any of this should have an impact on the patients.

[Apache 1,652]

If you strike then you shouldn't be paid, get a written warning for not turning up to work and if it happens again get sacked. I have no sympathy. The country's broke and they have always done very well for themselves. Maybe if they were in the private sector and had to work for their money things would be very different. Teachers give you sob stories how hard it is but they get 13 weeks paid holiday per year. Know some people who are teachers and they do not spend every night marking work. Their day is done at 3.30pm.

[NozSpark 1,043]

I used to work in the public sector and we went through a pension change about 12 years ago. They wanted us to contribute more for the same pension or stay the same for less of a pension (IIRC).

Now I'm not saying that the pension is bad, it isn't it's blinking good considering what you pay into it...

But, and here is the big BUT,,,, when you get the job you join under certain employment conditions and any change in them is hard to take especially something that makes you lose money or extends your working life. I'm sure that they know that things can't carry on the way they are, but this along with a 2 year pay freeze is going to be hard to swallow.

You also have to remember that while their terms of service are pretty good, that their pay is much lower than what they could get in the private sector,,,,, I personally remember getting pay rises of 1.5% when inflation was over 5%,,, so that's effectively a pay cut then!!!!

[Sidewinder 2,230]

There are many issues here that we will never get to the bottom of.

Jobs in the public sector used to be jobs for life, no longer.

Jobs in the public sector used to have fixed terms for the period of the job, no longer.

Jobs in the public sector are lower paid than the private sector, they could live with this, however, they had their pensions which are now being taken away.

[sellers 160]

I think they need to shut up and deal with it.

Many many things have affected me and others during this recession that we have to deal with. The firm I used to work for went bust last year. Sparks loosing their jobs, sparks that have worked for over 40years for the same company. They didn't moan about it, they just got on with it.

The public sector think that they deserve everything, I think the stat is that 1/3rd of all employed people are employed in the public sector. Thats mad! Along with the daft pension schemes final years salary, etc. Its all too easy for them. I know people who work in the public sector, they get very good money, good pension and if Im honest I dont think theres the same work loads involved as it is being self employed.

Everyone needs to take a hit during this recession, its the only way to get out by cutting costs, its idiotic and narrow minded to strike without thinking about long term. If they had any sense they would let it happen knowing that when labour get back in (hopefully never) that the rediculous public sector incentives will come crawling back.

[johninlondon1 70]

No mention of the thieving MP's taking a pension drop or drop in salary and we all know they are thieves from the way they reacted after their expenses came under more scrutiny.

[batty 520]

If you strike then you shouldn't be paid, get a written warning for not turning up to work and if it happens again get sacked. I have no sympathy. The country's broke and they have always done very well for themselves. Maybe if they were in the private sector and had to work for their money things would be very different. Teachers give you sob stories how hard it is but they get 13 weeks paid holiday per year. Know some people who are teachers and they do not spend every night marking work. Their day is done at 3.30pm.

Are you sure about broke strange there is 29 billion to build high speed rail link and money to send our troops abroad to there deaths in other countries.

[johninlondon1 70]

and the countless billions going to European Union that they still can't account for in the EU accounts.

[Andy™ 2,584]

Are you sure about broke strange there is 29 billion to build high speed rail link and money to send our troops abroad to there deaths in other countries.

and the countless billions going to European Union that they still can't account for in the EU accounts.

which is why the country is broke...

[Ali 61]

I had assumed that the MPs were public sector workers - I only realised a couple of days ago that they are exempt from the pension cuts, the increased pension age and the pay freeze. I don't know why I was surprised.

[Robin Spark 245]

I had assumed that the MPs were public sector workers - I only realised a couple of days ago that they are exempt from the pension cuts, the increased pension age and the pay freeze. I don't know why I was surprised.

Cant believe you thought even for one moment that the MP's would do that to themselves! Scam artists the lot of them! I hate politicians, they are all the same when they get into power!!

[Revved Up Sparky 191]

I'm 41 and have no pension plan, I've never been able to afford to pay into one, therefore I think the strikers should wake up and smell the coffee, the country is broke, they've still got a pension, be happy.

[M107 891]

well firstly let me just remind people, please do not tar all public sector workers with the same brush as most do not want to strike & like me will not strike (refused to join any union) as I have a mortgae to pay & a family to support...................................unfortunatley having seen it first hand in the fire service, if you do buck the union & cross picket lines, life after the strike is made unbelivably hard in the work place & the working laws in place are **** all help.

Now as Ali has pointed out with the nhs, working for an frs I to have had an increase of some

[Andy™ 2,584]

things change... im sure if someone was offering a pay-rise that the unions wouldnt be wanting to strike to stop it. same as if a company decides to take on extra staff, they wouldnt have a problem with this either

if people dont like the job there in, go find another.

[john the scone 11]

Politicians are a discgrace ,they are all bent in all senses of the word . Just like those one,s who sit there wearing them silly wigs they are the worst . No affence folks they just make puke.

[PC Electrics 316]

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks they should realise when they are being offered a good deal (by todays standards). They haven't yet realised that you cannot judge any pension by standards that applied 20+ years ago.

My friend was bleating on about being

[Apache 1,652]

Politicians are a discgrace ,they are all bent in all senses of the word . Just like those one,s who sit there wearing them silly wigs they are the worst . No affence folks they just make puke.

Cant believe you thought even for one moment that the MP's would do that to themselves! Scam artists the lot of them! I hate politicians, they are all the same when they get into power!!

It's inevitable that they get the flack. The very vast majority of politicians expenses claims were perfectly genuine, it just didn't make very nice reading. They were entitled to them and they claimed them. Just imagine how much it would cost just to travel down to London maybe 20 times a year and have to stay over frequently. Renting a property might be cheaper than paying for accommodation. Our politicians are paid less than most countries but the expenses were generous to make up for it. If you look at it they have actually all taken a huge pay cut. I wouldn't want the job. The country wouldn't function without them.

What do you suggest we do?

[PC Electrics 316]

I wouldn't want to be a politician either. 24/7/365 job and damned if you do damned if you don't.

But just at the moment it's the strike particularly and the pensions thing that have got my goat. I've got an enforced days holiday on Wednesday 'cos my lads school is shut. Business expenses will still be running up!! And what about the damage to his education?? Ever tried taking your child out of school yourself? They make you feel like a criminal, but it's ok for them to shut the schools. Hipocrits.

[john the scone 11]

Dont agree at all they do me no favours i was out of work a while ago payed into the pot since leaving school i reluctantly went down first time in my life and they turned me away i've got 2 children we had nothing yet they spend millions on translators ? not on sorry

[Terry W 10]

topic kinda reminds me of this

Original 4 Yorkshiremen Sketch - YouTube

My friend was bleating on about being

[Admin 2,508]

Are you sure about broke strange there is 29 billion to build high speed rail link and money to send our troops abroad to there deaths in other countries.

And all that to save, what? - 15-20 minutes on a rail travellers journey time?

[Andy™ 2,584]

And all that to save, what? - 15-20 minutes on a rail travellers journey time?

if that, we all know that it will constantly have delays, wrong leaves on the line etc....

if they fixed the existing rail network then the whole country would benefit

[revjames 848]

we are all being squeezed one way or another. As someone who will have to work til I drop - a nice gilt edged free pension that offers 60% of my salary at 65 or even less , would be lovely. If I want such a pension, I will have to pay for it. I don't see why I should pay for someone else to get one either. Yes my heart bleeds for those poor hospital workers, police, councillors who may have to actually pay towards their own pension.

Time people faced facts, the last year or so JIB workers got no pay rise and many are working longer hours etc. Country's finances are a mess cos we give the euro spongers