I hate this government

[NipHolmes]

All civil servants deserve pay rises.

Firemen and nurses more so than anybody else.

I detest the narrative of putting civil servants down and bemoaning their 'luxury working conditions', they've got it how it should be across the board. Our council taxes are still the same yet public services are being cut all the time, an absolute joke to say the least. Working conditions in most work places are terrible, measly sick pay, no pay rises, working weekends and bank holidays as part of rotas for no extra and seen as a number rather than a human. Minimum wage, holiday pay, sick pay and maternity pay was all gained via strike action, we should not suffer in silence, if we see smoke we must shout fire.

Fact is the banks fucked us over, the establishment are in bed with them. Tax payer bailed out yet tags payer having to suffer to repay the costs, meanwhile bank bonuses I crease and tax evaders still dodging the bullets.

Tories reneged on many promises made which got them in parliament and they've not been held accountable for that. The recovery is media myth to get people spending and borriwning again, especially keeping the housing market artificially inflated as the house of cards is staked on shaky ground. I wish they never see power again, we are still paying for Thatcher and Dave and his cronies are doing grave damage each and every day that passes. Debt up, living standards down, morale down, austerity still on the horizon for foreseeable and most of all I feel cheated, I'm serving a sentence for a crime I've not committed or even been part of. Low wages, high living costs, no hope and a fucking circus conning us all in the meantime.

Firemen deserve the pay increase the m.ps are getting and I am truly gutted that we celebrate burning Guy Fawkes when really it should be Thatchers and Cameron's. Guy Fawkes had it right ;)

 

[smudgedj]

I know a bloke who was a self enplyed roofer. Injured at work. Small insurance pay out and had to take a different job to make ends meet as he couldn't be a roofer anymore. He's now working for me. Earning nearly 20k a year.

I also know that if he had a pension sorted his contributions would have stopped the day he stopped working.

Forgive my ignorance...


Is this not the same apart from a few broken promises?


Don't get me wrong, I admire what the firefighters, police, nurses etc et do. I couldn't do their job. Brave men and women. They should be paid a decent wage, and on the most part they are (maybe not nurses) but these pre austerity pensions need to be trimmed somehow.

Breaking promises isn't the way to do it admittedly, but something needs to happen.

Sorry about your mate but the difference is that I'm putting my life on the line Id like to think Id be backed up. Apparently the economy is doing well, well I don't see it.

If you don't mind me asking, how much do you contribute every month to your pension and what would the payout be at 60?

 

[Blue Maverick]

Ok I contribute around £380-£400 a month to my pension it's approx 13.2% rising to a possible 15% by next April, bear in mind this has risen from 11% two years ago and we have only had a 1% pay rise twice since austerity began. As for what I would get a 60 it's complicated due to old scheme/new scheme protection and calculations but what they are saying is the new scheme is a 40 year one but you would have to join at 20 to get the maximum which in today's money is £19000 you can commute upto 25% as well tax free to a certain amount.
However this is not the issue as we changed our scheme in2006 to that and the old scheme was ring fenced, this was all agreed and amicable, they also said on 2006 that if injured you would be redeployed. This has all changed again, they are putting everyone in the new 2015 scheme regardless and like I said even if injured on job and can't carry on you will be sacked losing a lot if your pension. Our fitness levels are unachievable to get the VO2max at 60 they want you would have to join at 20 with an Olympic VO2 level, their figures not ours. So if you can't achieve it they can sack you, again their doctors say 80% FF over 55 would lose their jobs currently.
Again it's not about pay, I feel paid fairly however to basically tear up the deal I signed purely done on age is outrageous, it's morally wrong and these fuckers have been taking the piss well the rumours are bonfire night will definetley on strike last year we didn't because of calls abut public safety this year it's in the governments head.

 

[blue for life]

Feel for you mate, had the same problem working for a Gov Dept. After 33 years getting ripped off, the last 6/7 years with either no pay rise or 1% rise while my pension conts were going up to eat up any pay rise I was lucky enough to get. I managed to get a package.

I'm well out of it.

Forca the Firemen.

Whop de do.

I work for DHL. I haven't had a pay rise in 7 years except for 1% last year. In that time I've lost loads of stuff like free Bupa, paid sick pay reduced, yearly bonus etc etc.

Just because you work for the government it doesn't mean you are the only ones being put under the cosh. Is it worth striking for? Nope, as the outcome is the same. If there's no pot to piss in then there's no pot to piss in.

The pensions and add ons were worked out and given to people when no one gave a thought to the future. Now companies/ governments are bricking it and trying to reign in their costs.

What can you do? Public sympathy for your cause is stretched a bit as they are all in the same boat. Most people I know haven't had a pay rise in years, or at least a decent one.

So you strike.

For fuck all.

All in this together eh?

Have you noticed it's always the ones who haven't got the balls to stand collectively with their fellow workers to try to improve their lot or, in this case, retain what they were originally promised under the terms of their contracts, who are the biggest critics of those who do want to stand up for themselves.

Absolutely spot on! What I have always said. And they are always there to pick up the pay rise when it is eventually won on the backs of those who have sacrificed their wages for strike days! Disgusts me to the core. Parasites! Why should you just take it continuously. A time comes when you have to stand up and be counted!

 

[Bilboblue]

I wish you the very best of luck BM.... it makes my blood boil to see so much given in overseas aid ( a lot of it unnecessarily IMO) while our own people have to 'put up and shut up'.

I work in the construction industry and we haven't had a rise for 6 years or so, in fact, most of the time, wages on offer are below 2005 levels.

 

[BimboBob]

You implied it BB, but I'll forgive you. Mainly because it's more subtle than that. The private sector deems successful hard work as making money whilst my job in the Public Sector deems success as making a difference to someone's life. Im not aiming to get all righteous here, just pointing out that the two sectors have very different aims.
And, in our case, difficult to measure or shout about

My line of work is delivering direct to a customer's address, this also makes a difference to their lives. It might only be a bath panel, but it makes a difference.

In the modern era, the local Council is a business. It is run like a business and as such has to balance the books. The trouble is they have working practices and conditions that are now out of touch.
My staff have one break. Halfway through their shift. That's it. Another of my sites has a complete smoking ban. Once you are in, you can't smoke....even in the carpark until you leave. We have 100% searches. No mobile phones. Rules for this and that. Always bloody rules.

The perception of the average council job is a bit different. It's an outdated perception granted, but it's still the perception.

So you're a van driver ? You come across as a fascist one !

You are definitely not a policeman with that deduction.

Sorry mac for getting your job wrong, my mistake.

 

[Blue Maverick]

Just a final note many believe the government are doing this in order to privatise the fire service by making the pensions unaffordable. Just imagine if you smell smoke and call us out and it happens to be coming from your next door neighbour you will be charged £200 fir that call out, don't believe me well this is what happens in Ireland as it has to my sister in law. G4S will be turning upto your house or car crash and we all know how good a company they are.
Anyway our fight will go in we may not win anything but at least we can hold it heads up high and say we did everything we could.

 

[blueinsa]

You should remind Dave who this very morning is crying foul, saying it's unfair to be asked to pay more, why it's good enough for him and his ilk to do so?

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

Never said that mac.

You implied it BB, but I'll forgive you. Mainly because it's more subtle than that. The private sector deems successful hard work as making money whilst my job in the Public Sector deems success as making a difference to someone's life. Im not aiming to get all righteous here, just pointing out that the two sectors have very different aims.
And, in our case, difficult to measure or shout about

My line of work is delivering direct to a customer's address, this also makes a difference to their lives. It might only be a bath panel, but it makes a difference.

In the modern era, the local Council is a business. It is run like a business and as such has to balance the books. The trouble is they have working practices and conditions that are now out of touch.
My staff have one break. Halfway through their shift. That's it. Another of my sites has a complete smoking ban. Once you are in, you can't smoke....even in the carpark until you leave. We have 100% searches. No mobile phones. Rules for this and that. Always bloody rules.

The perception of the average council job is a bit different. It's an outdated perception granted, but it's still the perception.

It isn't run like a business as it isn't aiming to make a profit. That is a fundamental difference that you are failing to acknowledge.

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

Fuck off-Nobody in the public Sector deserves a pay rise ...according to Urmston.

Apparently we don't pay taxes!!

You are right , this government are a set of cunts.

Spunking money of the sick lame and lazy and not looking after the workers.

Makes me fucking sick.Yet on the radio into work today they can find 2-3million notes for a "vulnerable fathers project in Salford so they can have a better life. Please note these so called fucking vulnerable fathers are heroin addicts and alcoholics. ALL SELF INFLICTED.

You tell me that is right. Is it fuck. All workers be it public sector and private sector deserve pay rises. I have no say over mine being a public sector employee. I'm lucky,I enjoy my job. Many don't and can't change due to family commitments etc.

This country went to the dogs a long time ago.

Rant over