Let's get political....Opinions on the Strike

Svenghali puts in best in his longer post, but the crux of it is that Cameron has been making his own rules up and reneging on deals that were already done and dusted. This govt wants public sector workers to pay in an extra FIFTY PERCENT of their current contributions into their public sector pensions, up from 6.45 to 9.6% of gross pay. Get this bit, the govt then will pay back less than what was previously agreed, paying more for less effectively! The extra funds made by the pension contribution increases are for paying off accrued govt debts and NOT to put into existing pensions.
THATS WHY I AND MANY OF MY PUBLIC SECTOR COLLEAGES ARE STRIKING, WE MOSTLY EARN WAY BELOW THE £425 AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGE TOO, mostly ordinary people like me are hit the most, that is care workers, nurses, caretakers, teachers, road sweepers and the like who are always the first to get whacked.

I think the real crux of the matter is that Blair and now Cameron have continued
the work Thatcher did to vilify and alienate the Trade Unions to the extent that
most of Britain now thinks anyone mentioning the word STRIKE is an evil, good
for nothing greedy b*stard.

This means that all the money they save by f*cking workers off over pay rises and
pensions can go to where it REALLY matters....

Evil, good for nothing greedy fat cats/employers/tax-dodging 'Lords of the Realm'
and erm.... Politicians!

Mrs Thatcher did more for the workers of this country than any politician had done in several generations. Unfortunately she did piss off the "money men" as they were next. Major, Blair, Cameron, oba bin obama, just puppets of a sad world. The workers united will never be defeated, we just got to lick 14 years of wounds and start again.

Two nil to those of us that bother sheep

Strange then that a woman so intent on 'doing more for the workers' was so
intent on smashing the rights of workers in Britain.

She never gave a flying f**k for the working man

Svenghali puts in best in his longer post, but the crux of it is that Cameron has been making his own rules up and reneging on deals that were already done and dusted. This govt wants public sector workers to pay in an extra FIFTY PERCENT of their current contributions into their public sector pensions, up from 6.45 to 9.6% of gross pay. Get this bit, the govt then will pay back less than what was previously agreed, paying more for less effectively! The extra funds made by the pension contribution increases are for paying off accrued govt debts and NOT to put into existing pensions.
THATS WHY I AND MANY OF MY PUBLIC SECTOR COLLEAGES ARE STRIKING, WE MOSTLY EARN WAY BELOW THE £425 AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGE TOO, mostly ordinary people like me are hit the most, that is care workers, nurses, caretakers, teachers, road sweepers and the like who are always the first to get whacked.

I think the real crux of the matter is that Blair and now Cameron have continued
the work Thatcher did to vilify and alienate the Trade Unions to the extent that
most of Britain now thinks anyone mentioning the word STRIKE is an evil, good
for nothing greedy b*stard.

This means that all the money they save by f*cking workers off over pay rises and
pensions can go to where it REALLY matters....

Evil, good for nothing greedy fat cats/employers/tax-dodging 'Lords of the Realm'
and erm.... Politicians!

Taffy you are right. Labour had plenty of time to restore something to the average Joe but chose to do nothing. I found John Major more left wing than Tory Blaire. I think the Labour party forgot that they were created to represent the working man. Instead they concentrated on supporting the bankers and immigration. They turned their backs on us and got people to beleive that the only hope for this country was to bring people in because the people all ready here were not up to the job. There are still some that beleive that rubbish.
We desperatly need a Labour party who represents the average Joe in the street and not one who are just another Tory party.

Public sector pensions have been profitable for years and years. This profit has gone back to the exchequer and has been spent by the Government.

Now the Government has run out of money, they expect public sector workers to contribute more again. These pensions were only revised a couple of years ago to the detriment of those paying in and now the Government wants to move the goalposts again.

And for those saying Public Sector employees are well paid, whether they be pen pushers or not, are talking absolute rubbish. I work in the public sector and have had to take a 2% pay cut this year having had no pay rise for the 3 previous years as well as a £200 a year charge to park my car in the office car park.

Well said. The government has wasted billions of pounds through sheer waste.

The frustrating thing is that MPs have yet to sort out their pensions. These people should sort themselves out first and lead by example.

I work in public sector and am on reasonable money. The frustrating thing is that millions is wasted thanks to the pen pushers. THe Health Service has too many chiefs and not enough Indians (more managers than Doctors). The Education system has OFSTED (costs over £200million per year and many inspectors are failed headteachers). Local Government is overran with admin staff and risk assessors etc.

Finally we have 650 MPs screwing the country. We could save millions by getting rid of half our MPs.

Gareth, you make some good points here

However, this Government sorted their pensions out long ago by 'ring-fencing' them prior to previous changes in the Public Sector.

Their pensions were of a similar format to those of all other public employees (if not worth a LOT more, of course!!) but they effectively looked after themselves before sticking two fingers up to the 'common' person (with whom they no longer have any real contact or understanding) and patting themselves on the back for doing so

MP's (sadly of ALL parties nowadays) are career politicians with little or no interest in anything outside their own tiny little minds. Until, that is, it's time for them to knock YOUR door and tell you what a wonderful job they can/will do for you IF you vote for them!!

I am no militant but THIS issue has made my blood boil and I will support Wednesday's strike by people who are simply tired of being treated as imbiciles by this 'holier than thou' bunch of public schoolboys PLAYING at politics

Ironically, unlesss the British public are dafter than we think (and they most certainly are not!!) then this bunch of cross-party mis-fits will have ONE term in office and ONE term only. After that, there will be a return of the 'Party of the People' (I jest, of course ) who will likely do NOTHING to reverse the policies put in place by the public schoolboys; preferring instead to simply lay the blame at their door whilst reaping the benfits of having their own pensions 'ring-fenced'

They (the Government) are pathetic!! And that is why Public Sector Employees feel IMPELLED to take action NOW!!

Good luck to them (and you)

It’s True their well paid and their pension scheme is way above most private sector schemes! BUT

The reason for the pension deficit and the resulting pension cut is that both the Torys in the early 90s and then labor happily dipped in to their pension pot when it was in excess against all independent finical advice for their own means

Had they left it alone thier would be no problem

Still News report this morning !

A main bridge remains closed this morning because the council is on strike and thiers no one to remove the closed signs

Public sector pensions have been profitable for years and years. This profit has gone back to the exchequer and has been spent by the Government.

Now the Government has run out of money, they expect public sector workers to contribute more again. These pensions were only revised a couple of years ago to the detriment of those paying in and now the Government wants to move the goalposts again.

And for those saying Public Sector employees are well paid, whether they be pen pushers or not, are talking absolute rubbish. I work in the public sector and have had to take a 2% pay cut this year having had no pay rise for the 3 previous years as well as a £200 a year charge to park my car in the office car park.

f**k me this is the first and only time I think I will ever agree with a jack!

We have no money left so something has to give.

Private sector pension schemes are fucked thanks to the last shitty Govt.

I always feel sorry for the lowest paid workers in the private sector.

All they will have is a state pension.

We have no money left so something has to give.

Private sector pension schemes are fucked thanks to the last shitty Govt.

I always feel sorry for the lowest paid workers in the private sector.

All they will have is a state pension.

Yes there's no money left because the bankers and the other trough feeders have scoft it all.

It nice to see though that the governments devide and conqure messages are making it though.... No money left.... Public sector got it good... Blame the last lot... blar blar...

The bankers generate the bulk of the wealth in the UK.

Unless you don't think the finance sector is key to the UK?

Unless you still think coal and iron ore are our main exports?

Disgraceful behaviour with people not going to work today when millions have no job due to the economic climate. Unions are a compete pain in the arse.

It winds me up they need to get over it they are working till there 65 just like me and everyone else why strike and piss people off

68 Teachers will be working till, know all the facts 1st

Disgraceful behaviour with people not going to work today when millions have no job due to the economic climate. Unions are a compete pain in the arse.

Unions are a compete pain in the arse...!! yeah thats right the working man/women shouldn't have any rights whats so ever and be allowed to be walked all over without being able to have a say or do anything about it..!!

What do you do for a living...!!!

Most will now have to work until 70.

And what's going to happen to those who will only have a state pension to look forward to?

And f*cking lol at unions are the only reason workers have rights.

Union leaders have lined their own pockets and have had their own agenda for years.

Disgraceful behaviour with people not going to work today when millions have no job due to the economic climate. Unions are a compete pain in the arse.

A seriously daft post, Blazing Saddles and you miss the whole point/principle completely!!

It winds me up they need to get over it they are working till there 65 just like me and everyone else why strike and piss people off

68 Teachers will be working till, know all the facts 1st

You are right, mate. EVERYONE (inc. teachers, Council workers, admin staff, Nurses, Police, Firefighters et al) will be FORCED to work longer, pay more and receive less at the end

What happens to those who would naturally filled the gaps as these people retired?? Erm, they stay out of work and remain a drain on the UK's finances. If that's fair (on ALL concerned) then the world has finally gone COMPLETELY crazy

Think of it this way: If you were in need of a policeman or a firefighter to rescue you (or your family) at 3 o'clock in the morning would you rather have a fit, active YOUNG person to your rescue or a 60 year old who (at that stage of their career) simply doesn't want to be there??

It's a sobering thought in my humble opinion

LOL at keeping a 60 year old man on the front line.

They will give him a desk job.

The population is growing.

People live longer.

People will have to work longer.

How ironic that those in the Private sector are calling public sector workers
greedy.

By and large, workers in the Private Sector are fucked, and have been fucked for years
since erm..... erm.....Thatcher fucked the Unions over. They are lucky to have any
pensions at all, and are extremely lucky if they are earning a decent wage in our
terrific new 'service industry' society!

The Public Sector have gone without pay rises for years too.

But because they still have Union representation, and are not about to lie down and
let the government trample all over them... they are called greedy bastards, by jealous
bastards!!!

In a nutshell... its...

"We've been shat on for years - so why shouldnt you be!!!"

Aint Britain turned into a right c**t of a place!