Public sector strikes on Wednesday

[brocklanders023]

When did I ever say I expect to retire comfortably on my state pension? That's right, I didn't. In fact i'm well aware that it'll be next to worthless, which is why I described my personal situation as it stands as f*cked. Perhaps you can understand why that means taxpayers like me don't have a lot of sympathy for public sector workers being asked to contribute a bit more to their disproportionatly good pensions?

All I said is that I can't currently afford a pension, I realise i'll have to make up for that later in my career when I can afford it. Not to mention working significantly longer than is the norm now. See, i'm going to support myself, I don't expect the party to do it for me. Do you get that now, or do you need it again in shorter words?

Where did I say you'll expect to be comfortable? I said that you will expect the state to look after you after making no effort to save for your future, which you will.

The money my employer pays each month towards my pension is counted in the same way as wages, it all comes out of the same budget. so if you'd prefer to look at it that way I get paid quite well but don't see most of it. What me and my employers contribute each month will be more then enough to keep me going a fair while after I retire where as you will contribute far less but still expect to be looked after. How's that fair?

 

[MikeD]

A slight diversion, but:

she is expected to work late shifts, until 11pm, then straight onto early shifts , at 5.00am. 4.5 hours sleep.

I suspect that the Working Time Directive has something to say about that:

Daily rest - a break between working days

If you are an adult worker you have the right to a break of at least 11 hours between working days. This means as an adult worker, if you finish work at 8.00 pm on Monday you should not start work until 7.00 am on Tuesday.
Weekly rest - the 'weekend'

If you are an adult worker you have the right to either:

an uninterrupted 24 hours clear of work each week
an uninterrupted 48 hours clear each fortnight

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ ... G_10029451

 

[We_are_Stevo]

The country stupidly allowed the Tories in by the back door by overlooking the fact we are in a Worldwide recession, brought about by the greed of the Banking Industry in general and the American banks in particular; we were doing very nicely up until that point, and most people were better off under the Blair/ Brown partnership - despite what all the armchair politicians would have you believe now... :roll:

If the action tomorrow over pensions didn't stand any chance of success the Government wouldn't be getting increasingly desperate to blacken the publics perception of those involved.

More power to them I say - and no, I don't have a pension, so I shall be working until I die... :?

 

[technodup]

we were doing very nicely up until that point, and most people were better off under the Blair/ Brown partnership

No. Most people thought they were better off under the Blair/ Brown partnership. Big difference.

Problem being the horrendous levels of personal and sovereign debt which now has to be dealt with. But you keep looking back with your rose tinted shades all you want.

The global crisis wouldn't have affected us nearly as much if we weren't in hock up to our eyeballs as a result of Labour's various "investments" over the last decade.

Are our schools churning out uni or job ready candidates?
Are our hospitals clean, efficient and value for money?
Are the buildings even paid for or are they on the never never for 25 years?
Is our social housing stock modern, efficient and desirable?
Is our public transport system quick, cheap and clean?

What the **** were they doing with the money?

 

[We_are_Stevo]

Well there must be something right with it or we wouldn't have the immigration issue to contend with...

...another digression from the topic, gods but I hate politics :x

 

[Rumble]

When did I ever say I expect to retire comfortably on my state pension? That's right, I didn't. In fact i'm well aware that it'll be next to worthless, which is why I described my personal situation as it stands as f*cked. Perhaps you can understand why that means taxpayers like me don't have a lot of sympathy for public sector workers being asked to contribute a bit more to their disproportionatly good pensions?

All I said is that I can't currently afford a pension, I realise i'll have to make up for that later in my career when I can afford it. Not to mention working significantly longer than is the norm now. See, i'm going to support myself, I don't expect the party to do it for me. Do you get that now, or do you need it again in shorter words?

Where did I say you'll expect to be comfortable? I said that you will expect the state to look after you after making no effort to save for your future, which you will.

The money my employer pays each month towards my pension is counted in the same way as wages, it all comes out of the same budget. so if you'd prefer to look at it that way I get paid quite well but don't see most of it. What me and my employers contribute each month will be more then enough to keep me going a fair while after I retire where as you will contribute far less but still expect to be looked after. How's that fair?

Sheesh... seriously fella this is getting pretty boring now.

My words:
I can't currently afford a pension, I realise i'll have to make up for that later in my career when I can afford it. Not to mention working significantly longer than is the norm now. See, i'm going to support myself, I don't expect the party to do it for me.

And somehow in your head that translates as:
you will expect the state to look after you after making no effort to save for your future, which you will... you will contribute far less but still expect to be looked after.

I really don't know how you come to that conclusion from what you've read here. Wait - you are reading it aren't you?

I'm not sure how I can say this any more simply but I'll give it one last shot:
I do not expect the state to support me in my retirement. I will provide for my own retirement. I am not doing this now but I am still young. As soon as I can afford to I will start a decent pension. I will work for as long as I need to until I have enough funds to retire on.

That work for you, or are you still going to argue black is white?

 

[JeRkY]

Are our schools churning out uni or job ready candidates?

Obviously not, Universities are vastly undersubscribed and simply cant get enough students in.

Are our hospitals clean, efficient

On the whole yes, they are cleaner and more efficient now than at any time in the previous 200 years.

and value for money?

Ideas of value differ, and I agree there are aspects that can be improved upon, for example the financial drain caused by the state of many of our core hospitals infrastructure that has been left in terminal decay throughout the administration of many a government, tory and labour alike.

Are the buildings even paid for or are they on the never never for 25 years?

I agree with you PFI was a stupid idea, the Tory party agreed with you and stated so during the election. (despite beng the ones who dreamed the idea up last time around, iirc) However since coming into power they have continued to initiate new PFI schemes, even this week it was commented that some of the £30bn kick start injection would be via new PFI (or son of PFI) infrastructure projects.

Is our social housing stock modern, efficient and desirable?

True theres not been enough social housing built, if only we had a stock of social housing, oh wait we did, it was all offered up on the cheap by the tory government of the time.

Is our public transport system quick, cheap and clean?

Nope. Unless you live in central London, and then actually yes, it is very good.

What the f**k were they doing with the money?

honestly... what did the Romans ever do for us?

 

[technodup]

Are our schools churning out uni or job ready candidates?

Obviously not, Universities are vastly undersubscribed and simply cant get enough students in.

Subscription isn't the issue. 13 years of Labour dumbing down education standards has led to employers saying candidates aren't suitable and unis offering remedial maths etc because the students haven't a clue. I'm sure this is completely unrelated to the arbitrary 50% target... and subs are down in Scotland this year already. England will follow after the fees debacle.

Are our hospitals clean, efficient

On the whole yes, they are cleaner and more efficient now than at any time in the previous 200 years.

Cleaner than comparable elsewhere? Efficient? Really? I beg to differ. And I think it's more appropriate to measure them against current examples in EU/US/Asia rather than rancid Victorian death chambers.

Is our social housing stock modern, efficient and desirable?

True theres not been enough social housing built, if only we had a stock of social housing, oh wait we did, it was all offered up on the cheap by the tory government of the time.

Best social mobility policy ever. Should have replaced it and carried on but then Labour didn't build any in 13 years so they're hardly blameless either.

 

[brocklanders023]

When did I ever say I expect to retire comfortably on my state pension? That's right, I didn't. In fact i'm well aware that it'll be next to worthless, which is why I described my personal situation as it stands as f*cked. Perhaps you can understand why that means taxpayers like me don't have a lot of sympathy for public sector workers being asked to contribute a bit more to their disproportionatly good pensions?

All I said is that I can't currently afford a pension, I realise i'll have to make up for that later in my career when I can afford it. Not to mention working significantly longer than is the norm now. See, i'm going to support myself, I don't expect the party to do it for me. Do you get that now, or do you need it again in shorter words?

Where did I say you'll expect to be comfortable? I said that you will expect the state to look after you after making no effort to save for your future, which you will.

The money my employer pays each month towards my pension is counted in the same way as wages, it all comes out of the same budget. so if you'd prefer to look at it that way I get paid quite well but don't see most of it. What me and my employers contribute each month will be more then enough to keep me going a fair while after I retire where as you will contribute far less but still expect to be looked after. How's that fair?

Sheesh... seriously fella this is getting pretty boring now.

My words:
I can't currently afford a pension, I realise i'll have to make up for that later in my career when I can afford it. Not to mention working significantly longer than is the norm now. See, i'm going to support myself, I don't expect the party to do it for me.

And somehow in your head that translates as:
you will expect the state to look after you after making no effort to save for your future, which you will... The money my employer pays each month towards my pension is counted in the same way as wages, it all comes out of the same budget. so if you'd prefer to look at it that way I get paid quite well but don't see most of it. What me and my employers contribute each month will be more then enough to keep me going a fair while after I retire where as you will contribute far less but still expect to be looked after.

I really don't know how you come to that conclusion from what you've read here. Wait - you are reading it aren't you?

I'm not sure how I can say this any more simply but I'll give it one last shot:
I do not expect the state to support me in my retirement. I will provide for my own retirement. I am not doing this now but I am still young. As soon as I can afford to I will start a decent pension. I will work for as long as I need to until I have enough funds to retire on.

That work for you, or are you still going to argue black is white?

Yep, I'm bored of it too and we're never going to agree. Good use of selective quotes though. I really hope you do get chance to provide for yourself but time goes by very quickly and after this lot have finished you might not find you're ever in a position to sort a pension.

What annoys me the most is that if I didn't work to my contract I'd get sacked but they seem to think they can brake it with no come back. They're wrong. I couldn't care less if I've got the backing of people like you, I'll defend what I believe to be right.

 

[Scougar]

To be fair rumble, you seem to be flinging a lot of insults/put downs in this thread. Prob best you stop that