Thursday Strike

[USER1999]

Trouble is, introducing that now will give results in fifty years time. As a country, we will be Greece long before we see the benefits. It has to happen now. For people in current employment. Sad, but true.

 

[welshjim22]

Funny many go on about final salary pensions but that only benefits the minority who have a big increase over the years. I am not on final salary pension and it will make very little difference unless i get a substantial payrise before retirement. It's amazing how anti civil servants people are based on poor basic understanding of the facts. If u don't agree with strike action no wonder u had it worse. What would u suggest instead when an employer wishes to drastically change your pension WITHOUT negotiation. And once again it has been proved that pensions are not only affordable but without any more change they will already become cheaper in the years ahead. I don't want to strike or lose pay but I will proudly do so tomorrow knowing that based on the real facts, not the media twisted ones, I have no choice. Don't blame the workers blame the government, who are making the changes, for not negotiating and lying about the facts. Oh and I am not a teacher or pen pusher.

 

[AuburnWarrior]

Let's be honest, most civil servants striking tomorrow will have caught up with their back log by 9:05am on Friday..

 

[NWJocko]

Funny many go on about final salary pensions but that only benefits the minority who have a big increase over the years. I am not on final salary pension and it will make very little difference unless i get a substantial payrise before retirement. It's amazing how anti civil servants people are based on poor basic understanding of the facts. If u don't agree with strike action no wonder u had it worse. What would u suggest instead when an employer wishes to drastically change your pension WITHOUT negotiation. And once again it has been proved that pensions are not only affordable but without any more change they will already become cheaper in the years ahead. I don't want to strike or lose pay but I will proudly do so tomorrow knowing that based on the real facts, not the media twisted ones, I have no choice. Don't blame the workers blame the government, who are making the changes, for not negotiating and lying about the facts. Oh and I am not a teacher or pen pusher.

Not being argumentative, genuinely interested question.

If final salary pensions are "affordable" for public sector workers then why has the state pension age been increased steadily (and will continue to do so) and the benefits reduced?

 

[Imurg]

I feel sorriest for one of my pupils.
He's got his Driving Test booked for tomorrow and has a 75% chance tht it'll be cancelled. There are 4 examiners at our Test Centre and 3 of them are going on strike.
This lad works hard between College lectures to pay for his own lessons. His parents can't afford to pay for them so he's doing it himself.
If he gets cancelled tomorrow he has to wait until the DSA re-book him a slot and at current waiting times it's going to be late August/early September before he will get to take his test.
He'll have to have lessons between now and then to keep at the standard so he'll have to wait longer for the car he needs to be able to apply for more and better jobs a bit further away from where he lives.

Or the kids at The Boy's school who are going to miss out on a trip because their class Teachers are going on strike - The Boy's isn't so he gets to go to the Theatre, his best mate's is so he can't.

 

[RGDave]

Is there a strike?

Oh, good. I can play golf tomorrow then.

If anyone asks, I'm on strike.

Don't know what for mind you.

 

[Mungoscorner]

Funny many go on about final salary pensions but that only benefits the minority who have a big increase over the years. I am not on final salary pension and it will make very little difference unless i get a substantial payrise before retirement. It's amazing how anti civil servants people are based on poor basic understanding of the facts. If u don't agree with strike action no wonder u had it worse. What would u suggest instead when an employer wishes to drastically change your pension WITHOUT negotiation. And once again it has been proved that pensions are not only affordable but without any more change they will already become cheaper in the years ahead. I don't want to strike or lose pay but I will proudly do so tomorrow knowing that based on the real facts, not the media twisted ones, I have no choice. Don't blame the workers blame the government, who are making the changes, for not negotiating and lying about the facts. Oh and I am not a teacher or pen pusher.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

 

[Baldyeagle]

I'm a bit puzzled as to why the Government keeps refusing to disclose the precise finances of the Public Sector pension funds. You would think that both parties having the facts would help any negotiation. Anyway, not to worry, I'm sure that Government spokespeople wouldn't tell fibs about something as important as that to strengthen their argument.

 

[Ethan]

I support the public sector employees who are getting shafted by the Gov't. It is a lie to say that the public purse cannot afford their pensions and changing the deal halfway through is simply unfair. The MPs who do not support the people are hypocrites, sitting on their fatcat pensions and directorships.

The fact that private pensions were previously raided by Brown does not excuse a race to the bottom for the public sector too.

 

[sev112]

Very difficult subject

Only bit i want to add is that my daughter's state school teachers typically work a 11 to 12 hour day at the school, plus marking, plus later evening events (teh whole school teaching staff were in the school until 9.30 on Tuesday just to be available to speak to pareents and it wasnt even a Parent's Evening) and weekend events to raise money for the school. They work many many more hours in the apparently "long holidays" on planning and organising, and even though i HATE INset days, i dont object to the teachers gettting a bit of CPD to make tehm better.

They are all to a person, wonderful people who couldn't do more for my daughter.

Pick on anyone else if you want (i still might disagree with you), but stop picking on state school teachers. Thess people deserve more, not less