Strikes

[Flashman]

Flashman for President of Europe!

 

First law: compulsory topless star jumps for women every morning at 9am.

[KPV4]

I haven't got a lot of sympathy for the public sector workers and thats despite my wife being one. Why should they feel they are exempt from the same effects of the downturn aseverybodyy else. They still have some of the best T&C in the country.

A lot of them have no idea what the real world is like. Its not all about the firemen and the NHS. Public sector covers a lot of people that don't do more than sit on their bums doing very little compared to people in the real world. Like the council workers who regularly sit parked up under the trees in the road adjoining the side of our house for hours at a time smoking, drinking coffee and reading the paper.

 

 

Sorry you feel that way about those sitting outside your house Vince, but the true fact is these workers are on little more than minimum wage and after around 40 years service and paying into a pension they will get around £6000-£7000 a year pension(if that) so not so "gold plated" as you think. Agreed they shouldn't be sitting around doing nothing, but their supervisors should be stopping this. You need to let then know to prevent it in the future, so they do what they are paid to do.

 

As has been stated previously public sector workers have put up with lower wages etc in the thought they would get a decent pension etc, and those in the public sector have paid higher tax and national insurance than the self employed in this country, as they don't have the option to appoint a "good" accountant. How many of you self employed who keep shouting about "how good the public sector have it" would honestly change what you currently do with the benefits and wages you get? I have seen many self employed trademen join the public sector (trades) because it is "easy work" only to leave very quickly saying they can make much more for doing less self employed!! So whats all that about, if it is so good in the public sector?

 

I have worked in the public sector for 27 years in my main job mainly as a tradesman, and in my second job (retained fire-fighter)for 20 years (only a pension with one) and won't leave with a "gold plated pension". I don't believe strikes are the way forward and I do think there is room to make some changes to the current pension system. But I believe those currently in employment should retain their terms and conditions and they should change for new starters as happens everywhere else. Is it un-fair to move the goal posts now after I have committed 27 years to the company, earning very little compared to the self employed trades? If I had have known 27 years ago I wouldn't have joined and gone on my own.

 

I'm a little disappointed when there is the attitude of "the public sector all sit on their *****", let me tell you this is not the case. Yes there is some dead wood, but let me assure you they are being whittled out with the cuts that are going ahead. To those who say they have had it hard in the private sector for the last 2 to 3 years, so have the public sector, frozen wages, wage reductions, reduced holidays and other terms and conditions, massive losses of jobs still on-going. Which have all been accepted, but the pension situation appears to be one step too far.

 

All of those on the site who are self employed and appear to hate us public sector with vengeance, please remeber whatever you do in life you have chosen that route, if you feel the public sector have it so good then why not join? and whatever you do, you would fight to keep what you need to feed yourself and family.

 

I suppose the biggest point is to remember is, the more public sector workers who lose their jobs or with less money to spend will effect you all. Who will be able to afford to purchase the services of the self employed tradesman at your current rates? it will drive down your prices leading to a poorer quality of life for you and your family. Less goods will be purchased, which in turn will mean more buisnesses closing down, and a manufacturing slowdown.

 

I agree we are not in a good position and we all have to chip in, but let me assure you, we in the public sector are chipping in greatly, it just might not be obvious with all the Government "spin".

 

My Rant is now over, I'll get my coat and head for the hills, I hope I haven't offended anyone (sorry if I have), but sometimes many appear to be miss-informed or not aware of the truths, and are only fed "the spin" from those wanting to make the cuts.

[Mungler]

The Country is broke. There's cuts coming, the public sector isn't insulated and from the real world. That's it really.

 

Striking won't solve anything. If people don't like it in the public sector - quit. Do something else. Who says anyone is owed a job for life, a decade, a year or even a week.

[Dr W]

I think a more interesting poll might be who is supporting the strikes.

 

I have a feeling that the unions have got it very wrong and there is very little public support for these strikes.

[al4x]

exactly next to no public support as we all know public sector workers have gone from being poorly paid to relatively well paid then good pension on top. Thats part of the problem and the other part is how many public sector workers there are at the moment, its not sustainable unless we all want to pay a serious amount more tax. Fundamentals are the country is broke we are only dealing with the defecit not the actual borrowing till we do we run the risk of going bust. Labour have stitched us up good and proper and the thing is the current mob will get us out of it and then the uneducated will vote liebour back in

[ack-ack]

 

 

First law: compulsory topless star jumps for women every morning at 9am.

 

 

Some women.

 

 

 

Were my neighbour to do that I'd prolapse my digestive tract.

[kdubya]

The Country is broke. There's cuts coming, the public sector isn't insulated and from the real world. That's it really.

 

Striking won't solve anything. If people don't like it in the public sector - quit. Do something else. Who says anyone is owed a job for life, a decade, a year or even a week.

 

 

 

Lets see, the country is in the proverbial, the pound is so devalued its worth in the economists eyes less than the Euro (hopefully soon to fail) what on earth can we do, will we look for someone to blame? or get everyone to contribute fairly, nah the latter goes in the too hard box,let's go for the first, in the meantime let's get the blame off the stalwarts of society, I.E the self-employed

 

 

SO we can get all the self-employed to say they only earn £1.50 an hour (ooh they already do that )then they can't be considered tax dodgers, and they will meet their tax liabilities easily and be considered real good eggs far better than those benefit claiming scum who claim they need help from the system due to "low pay" **** must be having a laugh everyone knows road sweepers and council workers (idle oiks) go to work in rollers and aston martins

 

Even better we can blame it on every public sector worker who paid their taxes at source (cant fiddle that eh!) ,contributed to a pension scheme (soon to ripped up after years of contributing)and then tell them it's for the good of the country :lol: still shares have collapsed pension pots are down, but it MUST be their fault anyway , and they are only getting what they deserve, yep that one will do, lets all sing happily along, kick them in the goolies, kick them in the goolies lah la lah la lah.

 

what a bunch of self-centered bigoted I'm all rights some on here are?

 

KW

Edited September 15, 2011 by kdubya

[ack-ack]

 

 

I have a feeling that the unions have got it very wrong and there is very little public support for these strikes.

 

Generally I don't think us Brits support strikes in this day and age. Its a bit too French for us.

 

During the Firemans strike a few years back I was driving through Folkestone with my brother who had recently fallen at the last hurdle of the fire brigade selection protest for the the third time. Stuck in traffic out side the fire station there were a few token firefighters holding placards, standing round the flaming oil drum and generally trying to gain public support. My brother shot out like rocket and gave them a broadside worthy of HMS Hood. It was fantastic. I loved it when the Army came in with the antique tenders, applied a bit of logic and provided the same service with less resources. I lost a lot of respect for the Fireman for that stunt.

 

Best industrial action ever had to be the ship yard up North that the firm closed down. The workforce carried on working for nothing but donations from fundraisers and they fulfilled the yards orders and managed to escape closure. There was a brilliant documentary about it on TV a few years back. Very moving.

[Bloke]

Lets see, everyone knows road sweepers and council workers (idle oiks) go to work in rollers and aston martins

 

Even better we can blame it on every public sector worker who paid their taxes at source (cant fiddle that eh!) ,contributed to a pension scheme (soon to ripped up after years of contributing)and then tell them it's for the good of the country :lol: still shares have collapsed pension pots are down, but it MUST be their fault anyway , and they are only getting what they deserve, yep that one will do, lets all sing happily along, kick them in the goolies, kick them in the goolies lah la lah la lah.

 

what a bunch of self-centered bigoted I'm all rights some on here are?

KW

I have to agree, 99% of the rubbish spouted about public sector terms and conditions comes from rags like the Daily Mule, who also trot out all the anti-shooting garbage (Funny how nobody here believes those figures then, eh? ) As one of the 'gold-plated pensioners' from the NHS, doesn't feel like that from where I am standing. My pension, after 30+ years service means that I can either pay the bills and have a litle left for shooting etc, or run a car, not both, so living in a rural area, I am stuck without transport. Now I was a senior nurse, for most of the NHS pensioners, the pension is a lot less. As for wages, well thats another case altogether, I have friends who work in the local engineering factories, who could be called semi-skilled at best, who will walk out with £100K lump sum and a pension over 50% more than me. That might sound like a snobbish criticism, but I had to do nearly 6 years Uni standard training to do that and d most of that was paid out of my own pocket - no tax relief/accountants etc.

Yes, with such huge organisations, there are time wasters, but they are being chased down hard now, for the first time since 1948, nurses are being made redundant and most of the maintenance and support services are now contracted out to private firms, so changes are under way. As for plumbers, well I am sorry things are hard for you, I wouldn't wish financial hrdship on anyone who works for a living, but my plumber came round yesterday, has just got back from 6 weeks on his boat, which is moored off spain, his wife just got a new BMW, and he is moaning that he has to keep his two year old motorbike and van for another year before he can write it off tax! Boasting that he pays almost no tax, I had to pay full tax for all my working life and didn't grumble - who is the idiot, obviously me!

 

Having said all that, I strongly disagree with striking. whilst the public sector is not as cushy as some of you think it is (Or you would work there), It is a job, and it is paid, and most of my old colleagues recognise that they have to suffer cuts, the same as anyone else. Pay has been frozen for three years, a lot of the old extras are now long gone, but at this rate some of them will be better off on the dole! Lets not pick on the public sector workers and instead lets pick on the real problems - benefit scroungers and all of the pseudo-Trotskyite union leaders, who seem stuck in the 1970's, but with huge salaries for them and no grasp of the real world. Right, as my learned friend said, rant over, I'll close the door as I leave and I apologise if I have upset anyone here, it is just that we seem to have fallen into the oldest trap of all, let the spin doctors give us a tethered goat to blame and 'divide and conquer'. Good luck and prosperity to all on here.

[four-wheel-drive]

It wasn't just the bankers that got us to where we are. A fair percentage of the population ( including a number i know) spent and spent, either knowing they had no hope of paying it off or expecting the value of their house to climb to cover it so it's not just the bankers.

 

Remember our new communist govt at the time were also happy to be raking in the taxes created by the banks and consumer spending. It's all three sectors that have got us to where we are.

 

Let's remember that all economies are cyclical and we are where we were after the last labour govt got booted out in 79.

 

The country is like a household, you can only spend what you can't afford for so long.

 

Mungler, could not have put it better myself. Our friend has just been made redundant from the govt office. His role would not exist in the private sector and he has been paid off to retirement age depsite not working there long.

 

The private sector has had the pain for the last 2-3 years why shouldn't the public sector have some?. It grew by over a million under new communism with brothers Blair & Brown.

 

Rant Over

Much as I dislike the banks when the union people say we should tax the banks ok lets tax the banks 95p in the £ that will bring in loads of money except the banks will just move to another country and pay no tax at all.

 

As the governments of all persuasions have let all of our industry disappear I'm afraid we are stuck with the banks as for unions I was in several unions for a long time and they have done a lot of good for the workers not only in getting workers a living wage but also safe working conditions.

 

What really peas me of with them is the way they claim to be working for the low paid when they just use them as a ploy to improve the wages of those higher up the line an extra 5p ph for the lowest with differentials means the higher ups will get 90p ph

 

I well remember the dockers and the printers on £500 a week when the rest of us was on £80 and the only way that you could get a job doing it was to be related to one of them .

[Cam_in_Cornwall]

If all those in the public sector dont like the deal why dont they get another job - good luck with that. Oh and they would have to arrive at work before 9am do a full days work and leave at 5:30pm at the earliest.

[Cam_in_Cornwall]

I would like to point out my opinion is not aimed at those people like nurses etc, but all those council execs who just sit around in meetings all day and do ****** all.

[kdubya]

nice to see the regulations on the wa oops bankers are taking hold?as yet another loose cannon costs one of them 1.3 billion, you really could not make up what the banks are able to do with OTHER people's money, do they do their training in nigeria?

 

KW

[al4x]

sorry your reading skills are lacking Kudubya or it was conveniently missed, the bank confirmed straight away no customers had lost any money and it was entirely their loss

[kdubya]

sorry your reading skills are lacking Kudubya or it was conveniently missed, the bank confirmed straight away no customers had lost any money and it was entirely their loss

 

 

yeah right! and you believe them? best keep the light on them boagey men will be out soon.

 

KW

[AVB]

yeah right! and you believe them? best keep the light on them boagey men will be out soon.

 

KW

 

Yes I believe them. What do you think that a customer is going to find 1.3 billion missing from their current account? Anyway if UBS lost 1.3 billion somebody else (or a collection of others) in the world would have made 1.3 billion. Happy days.

 

We closed down our traning centre in Nigeria. Moved it to India.

[kdubya]

Yes I believe them. What do you think that a customer is going to find 1.3 billion missing from their current account? Anyway if UBS lost 1.3 billion somebody else (or a collection of others) in the world would have made 1.3 billion. Happy days.

 

We closed down our traning centre in Nigeria. Moved it to India.

 

customers cant loose then that will be why on monday, the Independent Commission on Banking, recommended that U.K.-based banks should be legally separated into their retail and investment-banking arms in order to protect customers from investment/ casino poker playing tactics of our banking system, the nigerians seem to have more scruples

 

KW

[AVB]

customers cant loose then that will be why on monday, the Independent Commission on Banking, recommended that U.K.-based banks should be legally separated into their retail and investment-banking arms in order to protect customers from investment/ casino poker playing tactics of our banking system, the nigerians seem to have more scruples

 

KW

 

The customers can't lose. The government could, as they have underwritten the retail customers deposits. The ICB recommendations are there not to protect customers but to prevent governments (which means taxpayers) having to bail them out. So you could argue that the taxpayer could lose if the loss was material enough to bankrupt the bank but not customers. Unless they are one and the same.

 

And I resent the comparison with Nigerians if you don't mind. My e-mails begging for money are better written.

[death from below]

STRIKE,

STRIKE,

STRIKE,

STRIKE.

 

 

I for one am looking forward to the 30th - I will be doing half a shift protecting shops from looters then the other half divided between

1) collecting bins then

2)Nurse for an hour then

3) a fire(fighter)man then

4) a dole office counter hand.

 

[Lampwick]

Lets see, the country is in the proverbial, the pound is so devalued its worth in the economists eyes less than the Euro (hopefully soon to fail) what on earth can we do, will we look for someone to blame? or get everyone to contribute fairly, nah the latter goes in the too hard box,let's go for the first, in the meantime let's get the blame off the stalwarts of society, I.E the self-employed

 

 

SO we can get all the self-employed to say they only earn £1.50 an hour (ooh they already do that )then they can't be considered tax dodgers, and they will meet their tax liabilities easily and be considered real good eggs far better than those benefit claiming scum who claim they need help from the system due to "low pay" **** must be having a laugh everyone knows road sweepers and council workers (idle oiks) go to work in rollers and aston martins

 

Even better we can blame it on every public sector worker who paid their taxes at source (cant fiddle that eh!) ,contributed to a pension scheme (soon to ripped up after years of contributing)and then tell them it's for the good of the country :lol: still shares have collapsed pension pots are down, but it MUST be their fault anyway , and they are only getting what they deserve, yep that one will do, lets all sing happily along, kick them in the goolies, kick them in the goolies lah la lah la lah.

 

what a bunch of self-centered bigoted I'm all rights some on here are?

 

KW

 

Well said that man! I'm not seeing too many disputing the tax dodges and cash in jobs ! KW for President

 

Ps no I'm not striking and feel we need more than that to resolve this one!

[ME]

Well said that man! I'm not seeing too many disputing the tax dodges and cash in jobs ! KW for President

 

 

It is all a load of nonsensical drivel, not much point in trying to sift through it for anything of any substance.

[Mungler]

It's funny really. Anyone who can read a newspaper has been looking at the civil unrest in Greece and mocking the inhabitants for rioting and striking against the cuts.

 

And here we are....

 

That's it public sector, you strike away - I'm sure it will do you and the Country the power of good

[100milesaway]

My partner works his rocks off to earn a take home pay of £1000 per month, i would lay odds that not many of the cretins who will be striking will be earning less than that and most wont be "working " for it. Too much greed about today Coupled with millions of lazy scroungers, doesn't look too good for our once proud country. from Auntie.

[kdubya]

My partner works his rocks off to earn a take home pay of £1000 per month, i would lay odds that not many of the cretins who will be striking will be earning less than that and most wont be "working " for it. Too much greed about today Coupled with millions of lazy scroungers, doesn't look too good for our once proud country. from Auntie.

 

 

Cretins/ lazy scroungers, not working for it? yes you really have generalised havent you? not that you come across bitter or anything tell that to the ambulance man who comes to your assistance, and point out to him his pension that he paid into for year upon year is undeserved and should rightly be snatched away from him,(after all he just sits on his arriss doing nowt for his pay) and of course remember to drop the bit about the govt maxing up the credit card , selling off the gold, de valuing the pound,privatising profitable industry (selling it cheap at that)providing billions in oversea aid, plus the senseless welcoming of every waif and stray into the country and providing for them, yes its all the public sector lads fault, lazy ****!!

 

KW

Edited September 15, 2011 by kdubya

[100milesaway]

Britain, as a country is almost bankrupt and going on strike will not help. We all have to belt up, The ambulance man will still have a pension albeit a smaller one, just like my self employed savings over49 years of slog have virtually plummited to peanuts, but i accept thats what happens when the country we all love is on it's knees. Bitter? No but i am very much a realist and know that the more you give the more folks want. from Auntie.