Strikes Good or Bad? (1 Viewer)

[We'll_live_and_die]

So what do we all think of the strikes today? Personally I don't work in the public sector so they don't affect me and I'm grateful that I've got a job. I may be inclined to show my employers some gratitude by not striking, although it would be a hard decision if all my colleagues were striking.

What about you lot?

 

---

[Otis]

Partially in support. Know cuts have to be made, but to have people working longer for less money while bosses pay increases have risen by 4000% over the past few years just seems wrong.

 

[blueflint]

always the same the rich get richer the poor get poorer hope strike works out :claping hands::claping hands:

 

[JazzCat]

Looking at twitter it's a touchy subject. So I'm going to climb back up onto my fence and stay there.

 

[We'll_live_and_die]

Would you strike or not though Jazzy?

 

[stupot07]

I've got a spare cushion you can use jazzy.

 

[torchomatic]

I work in the public sector and I'm in Unison, but decided not to strike today even though my son's school is closed due to strikes. I just can't afford to lose a days pay.

 

[We'll_live_and_die]

I work in the public sector and I'm in Unison, but decided not to strike today even though my son's school is closed due to strikes. I just can't afford to lose a days pay.

What do you're colleagues make of that decision?

I can see why you don't mind going in though if you spend all day on here.

 

[smileycov]

i heard less than 25% voted for strikes, but they still went ahead......stinks of union bully's and greed to me!! we are in a massive recession, ask them layed off or 16-20 year olds with no hope of a job, if pensions should be increased!

 

[ccfcdan]

Ill be honest i have no idea why they are having strikes.
Is it not because they've all just been paid and they want a day off work to get the christmas shopping done early this year??

 

[JazzCat]

Ha ha... you won't tempt me off the fence no matter what you are offering !!

Personally regardless of my thoughts on what they are striking for i still wouldn't have had the day off and would have voted against it.

 

[Macca]

the public sector is quite a broad range of careers. Feel sorry for those in the NHS that have to work in extremely physically and mentally challenging jobs until they are 68. Doesn't fill you full of confidence as a future patient!

 

[smileycov]

the public sector is quite a broad range of careers. Feel sorry for those in the NHS that have to work in extremely physically and mentally challenging jobs until they are 68. Doesn't fill you full of confidence as a future patient!

Yea must be tougher than a coalminer or policeman....bless give em bigger pension and finish at 40

 

[Nick]

I don't get it sometimes. If they don't like it then get another job?

It is different for nurses and doctors etc but if you are a pen pusher for the council, just get another job.

 

[ccfctommy]

Get another job? Why should I? You make it sound so easy!

BTW i'm public sector and i'm striking today.

 

[We'll_live_and_die]

Get another job? Why should I? You make it sound so easy!

BTW i'm public sector and i'm striking today.

Are you on the picket lines?

 

[JazzCat]

I've found reading twitter amusing this morning. It's funny it is a topic which seems to divide people to the extreme.... you either are dead against it or really really for it to the point you nearly burst a blood vessel. No one seems to see the other point of view and there is no common ground. Which is really odd.

I can genuinely see both sides of the argument, hence sitting on the fence, but no one seems to want to hear the other sides story.

I think the main problem is there is a distinct lack of knowledge generally, not everyone but the majority, about the other sides situation.

 

[smileycov]

I don't get it sometimes. If they don't like it then get another job?

It is different for nurses and doctors etc but if you are a pen pusher for the council, just get another job.

beacuse they have it easy, no other job would give benefits like the public sector!!

Times have changed, 68 is no longer old, retirement should be increased and the goverment want to level off pensions to cover your whole working salary and not just the level of your last couple of years. No one in there last 10 years of working life would be affected. I have paid out today to get child cover i wouldn't need, some people will suffer beacuse of that! Kin hate the Unions!!

 

[spwaverley4916]

Nobody wants to strike, lose money that you never get back - however it is the only way the working man/woman can get there point across in the strongest possible terms. The unions involved have obviuosly held a lawful ballot for industrial action otherwise they would have been taken to the high court to get the 'day of action' stopped. The turnout for that ballot (25% of membership I believe someone quoted) has no bearing to the outcome if the majority voted for strike action than that is what it is. The other 75% should have excercised their right to vote instead of just ignoring it if they had voted perhaps the outcome would have been different.
My personal opinion is that nobody outside of the actual negotiating bodies know what is the actual truth behind the detail as, speaking from experiance, both side add their own spin to the situation.

 

[CCFCSteve]

I think whats been offered broadly appears a decent deal. The one area where the government has caused itself problems is the part time workers (as this mainly effects women) that when you pro rata their pay back out are on over £15k, becaase these people will now have to contribute more (and may struggle to afford it). This appears a bit harsh.

Was listening to 5live for about 2 hours in the car with them interviewing various people and it appears to totally divide the nation.

There was a couple of interesting examples mentioned by someone from the government that did annoy me though.

Someone on £18k pa in the NHS, with a four year career break, paying in the suggested amounts would contribute a total of £27k to a pension pot under the new rules. This would provide £9k per year pension which would cost £200-250k for a private sector worker.
An x ray guy on £35k would contribute £70k over their career and it would provide a pension pot of £18k per year which would cost £500k in the private sector.

Not bad in my eyes.

If its correct that people under £15k have not been asked to contribute any more (thats what Ive heard, dont know if its correct) then apart from the part time worker issue mentioned above I struggle to see the issue warrants a strike.

 

[lordsummerisle]

Nobody wants to strike, lose money that you never get back - however it is the only way the working man/woman can get there point across in the strongest possible terms. The unions involved have obviuosly held a lawful ballot for industrial action otherwise they would have been taken to the high court to get the 'day of action' stopped. The turnout for that ballot (25% of membership I believe someone quoted) has no bearing to the outcome if the majority voted for strike action than that is what it is. The other 75% should have excercised their right to vote instead of just ignoring it if they had voted perhaps the outcome would have been different.
My personal opinion is that nobody outside of the actual negotiating bodies know what is the actual truth behind the detail as, speaking from experiance, both side add their own spin to the situation.

Only 23% of the electorate voted for The Conservatives at the General Election, and only 39% for combined Conservative/Lib Dems(Though nobody actually voted for a coalition)

If, as the Tories keep bleating, they want it to be 51% of the membership to vote for a strike to make it valid(not merely a majority of those who voted), then are they not, by their own definition, an in-valid government?

 

[Macca]

Yea must be tougher than a coalminer or policeman....bless give em bigger pension and finish at 40

Yes because thats what I was advocating clearly.

The people to blame in this country are the great swathes of uneducated lazy workshy plebs who constantly drain the resources of the country.

Bet they don't have to wait until 68 to claim their benefits...cunts

 

[lordsummerisle]

There was a couple of interesting examples mentioned by someone from the government that did annoy me though.

These vested interests eh?

 

[Macca]

An x ray guy on £35k would contribute £70k over their career and it would provide a pension pot of £18k per year which would cost £500k in the private sector.
.[/QUOTE]

With annuity rates like that I'd be transferring out of that private pension scheme sharpish

 

[spwaverley4916]

Only 23% of the electorate voted for The Conservatives at the General Election, and only 39% for combined Conservative/Lib Dems(Though nobody actually voted for a coalition)

If, as the Tories keep bleating, they want it to be 51% of the membership to vote for a strike to make it valid(not merely a majority of those who voted), then are they not, by their own definition, an in-valid government?

My point entirely!!!

 

[LastGarrison]

I have to say my experience of working in the public sector is that there is too much wastage and years of it being ran like a circus (I am only talking from the education side of things) and in my eyes serious changes do need to be made and it certainly starts needing to be run very much as a private sector business.

The one thing I never hear as well is from the Public Sector side of things is coming up with a different solution, our country is in serious debt other countries such as Greece and Italy are fucked with numerous others on the brink what do they expect our Government to do? The simple fact is costs need to be cut and they need to save money and until somone can come up with a suitable alternative then everyone has to bite the bullet.

 

[torchomatic]

Apart from the Cabinet and MPs it seems. Francis Maude, the tory twat who is constantly telling those of us in the public sector how lucky we are gets a £500K lump sum and something like £50K a year when he retires.

There's the fallacy that all us public sector workers have golden pensions. Not so. If you're a teacher or a fireman or a Chief Exec maybe so, but not for the rest of us.

I have to say my experience of working in the public sector is that there is too much wastage and years of it being ran like a circus (I am only talking from the education side of things) and in my eyes serious changes do need to be made and it certainly starts needing to be run very much as a private sector business.

The one thing I never hear as well is from the Public Sector side of things is coming up with a different solution, our country is in serious debt other countries such as Greece and Italy are fucked with numerous others on the brink what do they expect our Government to do? The simple fact is costs need to be cut and they need to save money and until somone can come up with a suitable alternative then everyone has to bite the bullet.

 

[Macca]

I have to say my experience of working in the public sector is that there is too much wastage and years of it being ran like a circus (I am only talking from the education side of things) and in my eyes serious changes do need to be made and it certainly starts needing to be run very much as a private sector business.

The one thing I never hear as well is from the Public Sector side of things is coming up with a different solution, our country is in serious debt other countries such as Greece and Italy are fucked with numerous others on the brink what do they expect our Government to do? The simple fact is costs need to be cut and they need to save money and until somone can come up with a suitable alternative then everyone has to bite the bullet.

I agree that the country should be run like a private sector business. So how about we stop paying people for doing nothing. That would save a fortune.

 

[LastGarrison]

Apart from the Cabinet and MPs it seems. Francis Maude, the tory twat who is constantly telling those of us in the public sector how lucky we are gets a £500K lump sum and something like £50K a year when he retires.

There's the fallacy that all us public sector workers have golden pensions. Not so. If you're a teacher or a fireman or a Chief Exec maybe so, but not for the rest of us.

My Old Man worked for Cov Council most of his life and he got a very healthy pay off.

Simple fact is the higher up you are and the more money you earn the more pension you are going to get paid when you retire. Now I don't know the ins and outs but is Francis Maude going to get hit with the same cuts as yourselves? (relative to his pay of course) if not then you have a right to bemoan him, if yes then I don't really see your argument.

 

[LastGarrison]

I agree that the country should be run like a private sector business. So how about we stop paying people for doing nothing. That would save a fortune.

I'm with you brother! Fight the power!

Though the only thing I would say, and again this is from my personal experience, is that many many people in the Public Sector would then suddenly find themselves out of jobs.

Too be fair Cov Uni have just started doing it, they have outsourced some of their International Admissions jobs to India whilst making roughly 30 people or so redundant. I am afraid if you run it like a business then things like this will become reality....

 

[Nick]

Get another job? Why should I? You make it sound so easy!

BTW i'm public sector and i'm striking today.

Maybe I don't fully understand, but if I didn't like my job or what was going on I would leave.

Of course people higher up are going to get better pay offs and everything. It is just how things work nowadays. Will the people at RBS get a massive pay off like the head did when he went? Doubt it!

Would the cleaning lady get the same pay off as the MD?

 

[Macca]

I'm with you brother! Fight the power!

Though the only thing I would say, and again this is from my personal experience, is that many many people in the Public Sector would then suddenly find themselves out of jobs.

Too be fair Cov Uni have just started doing it, they have outsourced some of their International Admissions jobs to India whilst making roughly 30 people or so redundant. I am afraid if you run it like a business then things like this will become reality....

(Just getting my tin opener to open this can of worms) Do you know what gets me. The biggest problem these days it that people think they are equally deserving of things. Possessions, income etc. The whole reason that the country is in massive personal debt is that people think they have a god given right to have things. There will always be have and have nots in any society but while not always the case it is usually because those who "have" have earned it. I take myself as an example. All through my 20's I did a string of jobs, never put any effort in, never tried to get ahead and pissed my wages against the wall. In my 30's I decided to push on, take some industry exams put in the extra effort and now have a decent job and a better life. It doesn't just drop in your lap. Trouble is you get people, lazy bastards no intention of putting into the system but still expect to spend £1000 on Xmas, have IPhones, SKY etc.

Now o.k we all know about the banks and the issues there buts lets look at the real drain on the countrys finances. 1/ An ever increasing number of people who expect to be supported by the State while they spawn the next generation of leeches. 2/ Still throwing millions and millions on stalemate wars to try and convince ourselves we are a miltary power. 3/ The constant addition of economic migrants on a daily basis to an already hugley populated island. Dealing with all 3 of these issues would save this country money, but sadly it would also require courage.

 

[ICHAN]

Did anyone watch that programme a few weeks ago about the welfare state and what they have done in america? off subject I know, regarding the strikes, but links to macca's thread.
Personally have no idea what it's about so will not put my two pence worth in.

 

[CCFCSteve]

An x ray guy on £35k would contribute £70k over their career and it would provide a pension pot of £18k per year which would cost £500k in the private sector.
.

With annuity rates like that I'd be transferring out of that private pension scheme sharpish[/QUOTE]

I think that's about right. You get taxed so 18k Pa wouldn't be far off

To be fair to the politician nobody questioned his figures and there were people from the council and union there. The council guy started banging on about people at the council getting 4k Pa on average...not really relevant to the point

 

[cloughie]

Not only should the public sector take less next( and in some circumstances already happening ) the private sector should take cuts , seems to me the only way to guarantee yourself a brilliant pension is to be an Mp, and you get to decide on your own wages and pension...

Oh well the rest of are constantly laughed at by them so lets all sit back and fight amongst each other while they drink their cheap booze in the house of parlament