General Chat

Hi All I note with interest that you are all concerned about your rubbish not being collected and your children taking packed lunches to school. I am on strike and have the right to do so. Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech, however consider being forced to work an extra five years. I presume this does not apply to those concerned about their rubbish collection. So there you have it and would appreciate constructive critisism only.

I have no problems with the strikers complaints... I just kicked myself for nipping up to the library to do a lookup when I should have remembered it wasn't open. Murphy's law says that it happened on a the day when it was easy for me to go to the library!

Bravo! I may also be forced to work extra years which means that I shall be older than the patients that I am caring for! (That's if I'm not made redundant before!)

i chose to work when i could have taken strike action if i chose. each to their own jess x

I think anyone is within their rights to strike over what ever they feel strongly about, but i think this is just the start of more to come as it is your pension today and the rest of our pensions tomorrow?

just to add, the only people who are having any extra years work forced on them are the ones that stand by and let it happen, if you dont like it then do some thing about it, at the end of the day these people had a contract with their employer and the employer has dishonoured/gone back on that contract

Sorry but I dont agree with people who go on strike. I work and pay tax on my income and pay my council tax. Do I get a rebate if my bin is not emptied? I dont have a pension scheme so will be relying on my returns for my stamp that I pay out of my wages!!!

Hi This is the first time i have ever strike. I'm striking, as Chester and wales lost the battle in this one, i also believe in my own opinion that what i am fighting for is a really good cause, not only do i not want to work an extra 5 years, but they are trying to change the way i am paid, so i will still work the same amount of hours, but wont get paid term times, so this means i will lose money and get paid less. but work the same amount of hours, same job description etc etc. I dont believe this is fair nor right. So for once is my life, i have strike and lost a days pay, which i cannot really afford to do, but then again, nor can i afford to lose money each year like i will if we lose. If thats the case, i know at least 10 people who will leave education, these people work because they love their job. its a shame, but if this fails, people, parents etc, will see a massive change in the education system and wonder why they never backed this fight with us. :-)

Jane Completely agree with the strike action and the reasons behind it. Good luck

Jane, I'm on your side. Sue

This is all very well - and I sympathise...but if we think that our pension money is going to magically appear then we're wrong. We may well get the right to retire at 60 - but with it will undoubtedly come the right to a much reduced pension. We can't have it both ways. It may not be 'fair' - but it's true all the same. I speak as a teacher - for what that's worth. William

I have paid income tax and national insurance ever since I left school so when I eventually reach retirement age then it is down to the government to supply me with a pension. Who knows I might not even reach that age.

I fully support this strike, local government (and government workers too) are poorly paid and have no bonuses. I just hope people don't get fined for late returns on the library books.

thats fine by me our school dont do hot dinners they all take packed lunches & we recycle 80% of our rubbish & the waste food goes in the compost bin so you shout & fight for your rights i would if i where you good luck x

I guarantee that you earn a lot more than me

Jane, last year it was us on strike because of pension, so I fully support your action, the government have gone back on promises too many times, we work for them, then have to claim top ups because of low pay, then they do that with our hard earned pensions, it's definatly out of order. Bev

My Husband is on strike today, or should be. But at least a month ago he booked this week off as 'holiday' as he was still owed two weeks which have to be taken before the begining of April. He can only 'carry' three days over. But he has just told me he will have to donate todays holiday pay to the Strike Fund. He fully supports the Strike, and so do I. Our plans for our old age will be ruined if he has to work until he is 65. Jenny.

nevermind the caretakers, dinner ladys, refuse collectors we have heard about all day on the news, who and how are we going to pay the pensions of the Army of civil servants jobs that are in the Gaurdian jobs page every week at £40.000 to £100.000 a year salaries. you know the ones Lesbian outreach pregnancy (co )ordinators, when this lot start retiring on £40.000 a year pensions in less than 25 years time the country will go bust, this is where the real problem is not a £5.50 an hour dinner lady.

Gary Most civil servants earn less than £18000 you know!! Some only earn £12000 (full time)!

i look through my free paper jobs section every week here in Derby, and i would say there is hardly ever a job in ther under £25k a year at the local council and its full of them, as i said the low payed ones arn't a problem what about the high paid ones of wich there are thousands and if most council jobs are 12 to 18k a year, thats because they are low grade/no brain jobs that you would get paid a lot less for in the Private sector and get no pension, or why dont they all leave and go to the private sector, if this was possable then the council would have to pay bigger salaries, i thing with the cushy jobs at the council and goverment they should be made to work till 75