Public sector strikes on Wednesday

[grahame]

Yup, I can't quite square the "50% tax" bit with the "I can't afford a pension" bit either.

 

[Rumble]

I'd call a public sector attitude one with an air of entitlement totally divorced from reality, not to mention a hugely over-inflated sense of self worth.

If I put 11% of my salary aside each month i'd have to choose between eating and paying the mortgage. That's what it means to not be able to afford something.

I'm 28, and like most of my peers i've never had a pension, can't afford it. Are you telling me, with a straight face, that despite that I should continue to fund above average pensions for a public sector which serves us so poorly? Maybe I could have more services cut so you can live a bit more comfortably in your old age at my expense. Seriously, many me the people in the public sector don't even know you're born!

I'd call you someone that believes far too much what they read in the right wing press rumble.

I know exactly what it's like not to be able to afford things thanks, I manage to successfully not afford things every day and my bank keeps sending me love letter to remind me what I can't afford. I don't look at my wage before deductions, I look at what I actually get in my hand. The pension is just another deduction, I've never seen the money.

You say you don't have a pension. When you retire and claim the state pension who exactly do you expect to pay for that?

As it happens I don't read much of any press, but when I do it's one of 2 left leaning papers. For the record, I also voted for a nominally left of centre party in the last election. I'm basing my argument on what I know from personal experience, what I learned in my last job and what i've heard from those I know in the public sector.

You're really not getting it are you? You CHOOSE to make a contribution, so you can afford it. I can't afford to make that choice and i'm a reasonably well paid graduate in a sector that isn't that badly hit.

As for what i'll do when I retire - I don't know. At this point, frankly, i'm f*cked. I chose to buy a flat instead of start a pension. At the time I thought it was the right thing to do, in hindsight it wasn't. Now i'm in negative equity and can't move even though it's costing me a fortune every month. I'm unlucky that my generation is the first that on average is going to be poorer that its parents', but you know what? I can see that sometimes you get dealt a bad hand and you have to make the best me it like everybody else. That's why i'm not stamping my feet like a spoilt brat. With a million unemployed, most of whom would love any job let alone one with a pension, public sector workers need to grow up.

 

[mikee]

rumble , your not "the first generation to be poorer than thier parents "mate
my farther retired at 50 with a good pension and no mortgage

i cant afford to do that

as for your graduate view of public service workers , they're not all blue collar reds either

 

[marky2484]

"You're really not getting it are you? You CHOOSE to make a contribution, so you can afford it. I can't afford to make that choice and i'm a reasonably well paid graduate in a sector that isn't that badly hit.

As for what i'll do when I retire - I don't know. At this point, frankly, i'm f*cked. I chose to buy a flat instead of start a pension"

Well, live with your choices, and let public sector workers live with theirs. No doubt you would be rubbing your hands with glee if your flat had increased in value astronomically. BUT just remember, that's what you chose, no doubt in expectation of said increase.

 

[LeeDevelopment]

I work in the public sector....I'm also a tax payer..... we've had a four year pay freeze now....all other annual 'pay increments' are well below the levels of inflation......I don't have a gilt-edged pension, in fact the pension I am 'looking forward to' isn't really worth shit....... the trade union is a pointless waste of time they are only self-serving.... should you have any problems at work, for example disability discrimination in the workplace, they won't help you...... they will however offer you discount pet insurance!

One day strikes are ridiculous, if they wanted an 'all out' then all of the trade unions and companies need to work together to pull EVERYONE out of work for a week, that will hit the government right in the knackers, but it won't happen. So, you're off work for one day, what happens the next day, ahhh yes you're back logged in the office and no one's there to help you clear that work so it's all down to you, will the trade union draft some of their workers in to help, no, don't be silly!

I support the people striking, alas I don't believe it will achieve anything. It's all very depressing.

 

[mikee]

you sound like my wife

 

[Neil]

save and invest

That's the problem, without the "enforced" saving of pensions, people don't.

pensions are just a scam

A bit overly cynical for me.

 

[Rumble]

This is exactly my point, I made choices, they haven't turned out as i'd hoped because the game changed while we were all playing it. But I don't expect anyone else to pick up the slack for me, we all have to cut our cloth accordingly.

For what it's worth my view of the public sector is based mainly on 2 factors: the apalling waste and inefficiency i've seen close up, and the end result. Doctors and firemen are great but on the whole paying tax gives you pretty poor value in this country.

 

[cchris2lou]

For what it's worth my view of the public sector is based mainly on 2 factors: the apalling waste and inefficiency i've seen close up, and the end result. Doctors and firemen are great but on the whole paying tax gives you pretty poor value in this country.

try a different country

 

[Rumble]

There's a referendum coming up, I will...