General Chat

thats another good point Sue, have you noticed manuel jobs are always x an hour, but the office jobs are x a year, and it gets interesting when you divide the x a year by 52 then by 37 hours a week, it then makes the manuel hourly pay look sick, i think if all the big pay jobs at the council were advertised as an hourly rate there would be an outcry and people would realise how well off council staff are. Speedy working hard is relative, i have seen people in offices moaning how hard they work, but try scaffolding for an hour and then tell me sitting in an office is hard work, its what you get used to. Nicola, opt for a private pension, you could not pay 100% of your council pay into one and get the same return, do you also get the luxury of being payed for all those weeks when the schools are off and no nights or week end work, sounds a cushy number that, your on the inside looking out, i wish you could come out into the real world and see what thats like.

I would strike everyday, all day for this battle. I may wish to retire at 40 and freeze my pension, i may wish to retire at 60 etc. Who in there right mind would like to work until they are at least 65 if you didnt have to. Nobody, who says at 65 i am healthy or i may not be living, but the people who are left behind will get a good payout. If there is a way to fight it then i will. I chose to opt into this pension as because of what they were offering was good, now its being changed, then if i knew that was going to happen i would have opted for a private one. I am also backing the wages for all assistant, the money they earn is low as it is, only for it to be lowered by a few thousand. Noway. :-) oh i am at work 40 mins before hand to set up etc, that is my choice, i am also there until about 5pm when the school closes at 3.15pm, that is my choice. I only get paid from 8.40am - 3.15pm. I also go into school at half term and help, that is my choice.

well from what was said tonight on the news it seems as if the majority back the one day strike but if it is repeated it will not be favourable. Only repeating what the reporter said. At least people got to cross the humber bridge free of charge and not so long ago they were complaining about how much they need for the upkepp of the bridge and to pay for the buildiing of it in the first place. Dont think it has paid for itself yet. So lots more revenue lost there today

I work for a council and don't get even near 12,000 in fact I am on just 10,000 a year full time. And like everyone else I have bills to pay and only my wage coming in. I also have to be in work at least 10 minutes before my time to start work and I have worked over with no pay. When you are a Manual worker for any council the pay is usually just above the minimum wage. And yes I back the strike. Sue

Gary I am sorry but I take offence at being called mindless, I am in a lowish grade and I would say that maybe I am showing more brains than you at this present time, I do not insult people that I have never met, we work hard, and with systems that don't do what the government have paid megga bucks for, the place is full of collage and uni graduates, but the truth of the matter is in the rural areas we don't have the optens open to big city areas. Bev

exactly Gary. This country has become greedy and materialistic. I am only on a basic hourly minimum rate of pay although I am expected to be there 15 minutes before I start and I often dont get out of the building until 15 minutes after I have finished meaning I work for half an hour a day for nothing. My doctor charges at least £10 just for his signature on a passport application form. I wouldnt mind working for the council. When I have applied there before they dont even bother responding. And I always have a long wait when I go to enquire about paying my council tax

Its about time more people in this country stood up and fought for what they beleive in, and not just sit on there bots and accept everything.

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

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

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.

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.

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

I guarantee that you earn a lot more than me

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 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.

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.

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

Jane, I'm on your side. Sue

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

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. :-)