General Chat

Instead of striking about future pensions I think there ought to be strikes about groups who don't contribute to the system,immigrants who receive better benefits than our own society, to the youngsters who are bringing children into this world living on benefits and young people who refuse to do menial jobs because they are only paid the standard rate of pay.

In days gone by apprentices were always paid lousy wages but this was in the hope of getting a good salary after the age of 21. Nowadays most young people haven't contributed a penny at 21, whether that is because they are on benefits or that they are still educating themselves, which is good in itself but it is a luxury that could only be dreamt about by most people years ago.

Qualifications came from day release from work, together with a couple of evenings of study. The last thing that would have crossed the mind of young people fifty years ago would have been bingeing on money that they didn't have.Today some women expect their state pension, simply because their husband paid stamps. Sure, like everyone else they expect money because they have spent their lives bringing up children and plumping up cushions, whilst other mothers have been getting up at six in the morning, looking after their families and still doing a full-time job which means paying taxes to keep others in the life of their choosing.

I think if the truth be known, everyone knows that people are living longer, and that there isn't any spare money in the pot. Yes I think the bankers should be made more accountable, but so should the quiet parasites who are allowed to remove money from our system just because we try to be a fair society and look after the vulnerable.

When I saw an article in the paper a couple of weeks ago where a teenager had fathered about 17 children, and his own mother had disowned him, I see him just as dishonest as the MPs who make false claims.

In times of plenty all this seems irrelevant but now we are going through a rough patch it is time to sort out. - jl

There is so much wastage in civil service. Speaking to an acquaintance this morning whose daughter works in CS she informed me that some staff from daus. office will be transferred to an office in another town about 12 miles away and staff from that office will be transferred to hers!!!

Gets better this will be for a period of 3 years and travel expenses for that period will be paid for!

Apparently no one can find out the reasons why? My reaction was try an MP or leak to press!

It is as good as BBC transferrring staff to Manchester to save money and looks like it is costing a lot more!

Public purse - easy pickings?????

Thank you everybody a nice debate
everybody with diffrent opinions
all said with thought and some really good posts


WELL DONE xx

Bernard and Janet, i agree with both of you. I think that for too long the public sector workers have been protected from what the private sector workers have suffered from forever.

In the '70's when everyone was on strike on and off, I was training to be a nurse in London. I can remember being shocked to discover that, in one of the strikes, our oxygen porter, known as Jim O2, was on strike. He was the only oxygen porter in our hospital and hundreds of patients suffered. We students were running around delivering oxygen cylinders to wards when we should have been with our patients.

In the "coal not dole" strike my step-mother was an ardent supporter of the miners. She failed to see how ironic it was that she put her bucket outside her front door, a 6 bedroom house in a private road in a posh part of London. Now I would love to live in a house like that, but I did say to her to her she might collect more cash if she trolled the streets, which of course she didn't.

Chris, usually moving staff to other offices like that is for reasons like some kinds of work being moved to particular locations to be more cost efffective. They have to transfer people if there are not enough people who want to move with the work.

Annx - apparently the same number of persons is switching/swopping - the staff have not and cannot find out the reasons why. The switch is only for 3 years and then they all switch back again.

What worries me is that at the moment they have increased the retirement age to 67 going up to 68 I am only 47 and my retirement age has already gone up by 7 years since I started working at aged 17. We know it is going up to 68 in a few years time. BUT how many more years will they add on to this before I get to retire. They say that we are living longer but how do they know I will and when I eventually retire will I be in a fit state to enjoy it.

I am part time and I know I can put money into a private pension which I do but this wont help me much. The amount you can put into a private pension depends on the amount you earn. It has also been hit hard by the fall in stocks and shares.

My NHS pension wont give me much either. I think it is a percentage of you weekly wage. I earn about £100 per week. So That isnt going to go far in 20 years time, if I am allowed to retire then. WE are not allowed to go full time at our Health centre so I cant increase my hours. Their are no jobs in our area so I cant get another one.

If they keep on increasing what I have to pay into the pension scheme what will I live on now. If they get rid of tax relief on pension contributions then I may as well opt out.

How long will it be before the Government decides that they can no longer afford to pay State pensions so scrap it. All the money I have paid into it wont help me then It will have gone to pay everyone elses pension'.

As for the strike I do think that people should stand up for what they believe in. If we dont the Government will keep on walking over us. I dont think it will do any good but you should be allowed to try.

A someone said Pensioners now get a raw deal but what makes you think that it will be any different when we retire. If we are allowed to retire and if there is still a state pension availble to us then?

Jane

Did the strikers win?

Well, the govermnement has made some concessions on Health Service and teaching pensions, so that would be a yes.

I couldn't believe that had happened. Don't quote me but I think the papers said lower paid NHS workers earning between £15,000 and £26,557 wouldn't have to pay increased contributions next year. Most Civil Servants including first line managers earn less than nurses so how unfair is that!! I can't see the Unions being happy at the inconsistency.