So whats with all these Strikes anyway ?

[Lanstrom]

I am trying to read up on WHY all these strikes are going on but its all full of the usual media hype about the actual strikes and disruption and not the actual cause.

For instance ... someone just told me that teachers retire at between 55 and 58 ... is that true or not ?! If it is true then why do the rest of us have to work till 65+ ??

I just want some honest facts and figures without all the bull ...

 

[MH]

They are striking, as they dont want to work as long as we have to, to earn a decent pension!

 

[ManofScience]

i'm part of the LGPS - however i understand the facts - there is a pension defecit no matter what happens and the money has to come from somewhere and shock horror - we'll have to pay for it. Public sector as yet, hasn't been hit as hard as the private. yes, pay freeze for a few years (equal to a pay cut), yes massive redundancies to come but the private sector has also had this.

what chesses me off is greece - they're complaining about having the tax cut to 8k! we've been at 7 for years!!!!!

 

[oneman]

It will mean that teachers are about 15% or more worse off (depending how long they live) in their pensions as they will have to work longer and get less. However they will still be at least 10% to 20% better off then private sector workers in equivalent pay structure.

While I am no fan of the currently government I have to agree that the previous government over inflated pensions. And the basic facts are that people are living longer (dam the NHS) so its just not feasible to keep up current pension plans.

I'm on a really good plan at work and we've just recently had it restructured. I'm currently on final salary but I can't see that lasting till I retire.

 

[SuperPP]

all pension funds are faced with huge problems which no one wants to tackle.
this is just bringing public sector pensions into what the private sector has been trying to rectify for a number of years.

can't believe teachers have gone out on strike whilst still in negotiations though, hardly going to help.

 

[parricull]

These strikes are ridiculous when you compare the money both average wages and pensions to the many armed service men and women defending our country, which they sign a contract of an undisclosed figure up to and including there own life to give them that very right that allows the public sector to stop work due to not being happy about money. its about time they looked at the bigger picture. We are fortunate to live in a democracy unlike other countries that we see falling into turmoil on a daily basis. Why GREED, the reason for the strikes is greed, its time for them to buckle up and suck it in just like every other employment sector. You should be grateful you get a private pension on top of a state pension, theres not alot of working class people on the national minimum wage like myself can afford such a luxury just yet.

Armed Forces ~ New Entrant Rate = £13,895
as a Private first Class(this is combat ready) they then get a pay rise £17,265
This is salaried to 24hour days ~ 365 days a year

Newly qualified teacher = £21,588 (£27,000 in inner London)
approx 50 hours per week

The figures speak for themselves. I can see a rebellion on its way if more strikes are announced.

 

[speedy1234]

dont know were the 50 hrs a week come from ... mate of mine is a teacher he spends most nights marking work till about 10pm at home. and most weekends.
and to be fair its not only teacher's that r on strike !!!! also dont think there will be a state pension for much longer either way

 

[zad]

As I said to one of the teachers the Mrs works with you are striking but not going to picket? they just class it as a day off!!! they are even striking before any thing has been decided and teachers are supposedly the educated ones!!! and tbh do they really think the government will back down.... NO!

 

[audiobookman]

i agree with this strike, my wife is a learning support assistant, she earns £7400 a year, but also has a deacent pension.
She has been told that her pension contributions will tripple this year, she has had no pay rise in 6 years and still its been frozen for at least another 3 years.
I keep telling her to quit as she doesnt even break even every month now as we lost the family tax credit, vat rises, and most of all the cost of her fuel to and from work.

The govenment are taking too much now, and people are going to hit the wall, luckly i earn a very good wage and can bankroll her petrol bills but ive even noticed that im around £400 per month worst off than i was in jan - this cant carry on as my buffer has nearly vanished.

I really feel for the teachers and other general civil servants, its often a thankless job with poor pay - even a qualified teacher who spent years getting degress etc still earns a lot less than me with a job that dosent require any formal education.
The govenment should be forced to live off the average wage and pension entitlement, i bet they wouldnt be so cut throat then.... better still put them on the min wage and see how long it take before we get a govenment that will do the job correctly.

It seems to me that the only people not being touched by the govenmet cutbacks are the ones that caused the problems, the high earners, all the middle / lower earners are paying for thier royal cockups.

 

[zad]

i agree with this strike, my wife is a learning support assistant, she earns £7400 a year, but also has a deacent pension.
She has been told that her pension contributions will tripple this year, she has had no pay rise in 6 years and still its been frozen for at least another 3 years.
I keep telling her to quit as she doesnt even break even every month now as we lost the family tax credit, vat rises, and most of all the cost of her fuel to and from work.

The govenment are taking too much now, and people are going to hit the wall, luckly i earn a very good wage and can bankroll her petrol bills but ive even noticed that im around £400 per month worst off than i was in jan - this cant carry on as my buffer has nearly vanished.

I really feel for the teachers and other general civil servants, its often a thankless job with poor pay - even a qualified teacher who spent years getting degress etc still earns a lot less than me with a job that dosent require any formal education.
The govenment should be forced to live off the average wage and pension entitlement, i bet they wouldnt be so cut throat then.... better still put them on the min wage and see how long it take before we get a govenment that will do the job correctly.

It seems to me that the only people not being touched by the govenmet cutbacks are the ones that caused the problems, the high earners, all the middle / lower earners are paying for thier royal cockups.

If she works for the council she has had pay rises they have up until this April then it was frozen for 2 years.
at £7400 she is part time can she not get full time if she doesn't want to leave the job?

Its teachers that are striking not support workers, they get payed a damn site more then support staff and I don't care that they work till 10 at night they knew what they were doing while training for the job

if I am not mistaken they will have to contribute 3.5% more over the year at least they will see a pension at the end, we put 3.5% extra into private pensions and we will see nothing as they are still running at a loss.

 

[Trabbs]

[/QUOTE]Its teachers that are striking not support workers, they get payed a damn site more then support staff and I don't care that they work till 10 at night they knew what they were doing while training for the job
[/QUOTE]

That is the point - we knew what we were signing up for - lousy wages but a good pension at the end of it at the age of 60. You can't have it both ways, I have been working and contributing to pension for over 30 years now and suddenly I have to work an extra 6 years, pay more money to the pension fund and then get less back at the end of it! That, on top of pay freeze for two years whilst VAT goes up, petrol goes up and food goes up. If you want to talk about waste of money, the last government introduced a new pension scheme to address rising cost of pensions last year and every employee was given a choice of whether to remain on old scheme or transfer to new one. Suddenly, all that is trashed and you get dumped on the new one.

I know I am lucky to have a job with what will still be a reasonable pension but you make choices about your career based on the contractural terms of service, seems a bit rough they can just be ripped up whenever it suits!

I do take on board the points above and realise there are many ways to look at this - I won't be striking over it. At the end of the day, I know I am lucky to have a job at all.

 

[oneman]

From the inquire on which the government policy has been based,

BBC News - Public sector pensions report explained

Isn't it true that these schemes are just too generous to afford?

Lord Hutton denied this in his interim report, saying that "there is no evidence that pay is lower for public sector workers to reflect higher levels of pension provision".

Although 85% of public service employees contribute to a pension, he said that these pensions were far from "gold-plated", with the average pension in payment currently at a "modest" £7,800 a year. Around half of public service pensioners received less than £5,600 a year.

Some private sector schemes are worse than this - with only 35% of workers signing up for a pension - but this is a problem for the private sector and not the public sector.

As I mentioned before, I don't have sympathy for the public sector workers with regard to this matter and seeing all the changes in private sector pensions and how I have been effected. Its time for some people to get realistic.

 

[pipsqueaker]

Seems by the posts in this thread, the Tories are succeeding in what they always do. Namely, divide and conquer.
I've never understood why British workers slag off other British workers for having a slightly better deal, when they should be fighting for a better deal for themselves.
There seems to be a 'Race to the bottom' to see who can get the least.
We are suckers to believe Government lies.
There is ample money when they want to bomb someone but no money for lollypop ladies

 

[zad]

Seems by the posts in this thread, the Tories are succeeding in what they always do. Namely, divide and conquer.
I've never understood why British workers slag off other British workers for having a slightly better deal, when they should be fighting for a better deal for themselves.
There seems to be a 'Race to the bottom' to see who can get the least.
We are suckers to believe Government lies.
There is ample money when they want to bomb someone but no money for lollypop ladies

But as I have said before it is not this current governments doing it was "new labour" who sent us to war and now the true cost is showing and cuts have got to be made..
I want a better life and I certainly don't want to pay the 9k for uni tuition fees for when the lad goes etc but I will just have to get over it....

 

[pipsqueaker]

But as I have said before it is not this current governments doing it was "new labour" who sent us to war and now the true cost is showing and cuts have got to be made..
I want a better life and I certainly don't want to pay the 9k for uni tuition fees for when the lad goes etc but I will just have to get over it....

It's this government moaning about deficits and then started bombing Libya at £3million a day
It's this government that's cut funding for essential services but spend millions on hired limousins
It's this government that decided to give Pakistan £840million in aid but cuts benefits to cripples
It's a shame that most of our people have your attitude and "just have to put up with it"

 

[zad]

It's this government moaning about deficits and then started bombing Libya at £3million a day
It's this government that's cut funding for essential services but spend millions on hired limousins
It's this government that decided to give Pakistan £840million in aid but cuts benefits to cripples
It's a shame that most of our people have your attitude and "just have to put up with it"

So "new labour" didn't over spend on any of the above? I think so

And its not the fact that I just want to put up with it its the fact that British people don't stick together for any thing, fuel strikes for one oh look it was all planned and lasted a couple of hours ffs. Teachers strike, I asked quiet a few if they were picketing and the answer I got was "we lose a days pay so might as well use the day off for our own use" again supporting the strike not!

All governments that get in are a bunch of over paid f@%k wits, who are completely detached from normal life. But as I said nothing will change no matter how many strikes or threats as we can not all stick together.

 

[pipsqueaker]

So "new labour" didn't over spend on any of the above? I think so

And its not the fact that I just want to put up with it its the fact that British people don't stick together for any thing, fuel strikes for one oh look it was all planned and lasted a couple of hours ffs. Teachers strike, I asked quiet a few if they were picketing and the answer I got was "we lose a days pay so might as well use the day off for our own use" again supporting the strike not!



All governments that get in are a bunch of over paid f@%k wits, who are completely detached from normal life. But as I said nothing will change no matter how many strikes or threats as we can not all stick together.

But Labour weren't banging on about deficits. This government is using it as an excuse to browbeat us, and leave the pillocks who caused it, alone.
This country has always had deficits as do many others.
The Tories would be making these cuts EVEN if there was NO deficit, it's their way, helped along by the LibDem bumsuckers
It's wrong to say we can't do anything about it. For centuries the people have forced massive changes to the way we are treated.
No government anywhere in the world can withstand the will of the majority of the population, if the people want it bad enough. Look at Egypt and Tunisia
It happened here when there was mass rioting against the poll tax. The poll tax went and so did Thatcher