Nov 30th strike

[luluj]

Although in a union I will be going into work on Wednesday - what will be will be ....no I don't want to pay more money each month, but at the end of the day and in the current financial climate I am just very happy that I have a semi secure job that pays my bills at the end of the month and gives me enough money to live on !

[kazzafunk]

I think that's my main problem Liz - I won't be able to pay my bills from next April when this comes in. V scary times.

[kallis3]

Same here Liz - don't want to pay the extra but just glad I have a job.

I'm still trying to get early retirement but can't see it happening somehow.

[lem]

I'm not striking on Wed as the union I am in haven't voted to strike, but I am day off then anyway. I would strike if my union votes for it and will afford it somehow.

For me, it's not so much the increased contributions that I have issue with, its the increase in retirement age, how on earth do the government expect nurses who work in acute care like myself to work at 68 years old?, hubby is a prison officer, it wouldn't be safe for him to work in that environment at that age, same for police officers, firemen etc, these are all physically demanding jobs, it's all very well people saying that we can all move into an area that is less demanding but we can't all do that can we as there just aren't enough of those posts available

[Foggy]

Actually, the issue for me isn't the increase in contributions, the change in retirement age, or anything like that ... it's simply the Goverments belief that they can simply change previous promises, agreements and contract mid-stream, and alter the laws accordingly to allow them to do it !

I know it won't save them quite as much money, but why can't they consider making all these changes for NEW ENTRANTS, who know what they are signing up for, and leave the rest of us to get what we signed up for and were promised.

[oskiee6]

Looks like I have initiated a political debate. I think its ironic that I am in debt and on an IVA and my taxes have been used by the government to bail out the banks, and what do they do? Pay millions of pounds to each other in bonuses !

[plasticdaft]

Losing a days pay is nothing compared to what will happen if the pension changes go through.

I certainly dont want to pay more for longer to get less back,I lose out 3 ways then,how can that be a good thing???

I am off sick until january anyways but wouldnt be worried about losing a days pay to take a stand.

Paul

[kallis3]

I'm going to be struggling enough next month as it is without adding the loss of a days pay to the equation.

Very selfish of me but I only have two years to go before I can go on full pension. I'm trying my best to.get out earlier if I can so I don't have much of an incentive to go on strike.

[kazzafunk]

I've decided - I'm off for the day. It's prob easier for me with no kids, and no-one else is coming in on the day (out of the 6 of us there) so it'll save on electric and heating. lol

[louiseh]

Private sector employee, no final salary scheme, just the crappy gambling on the stockmarket version. Pay in hundreds of pounds a month, latest pension statement shows i'll get a few hundred a month, if all remians the same for the next 25 years and i've been paying since the day I left education. I have no choice I will be working until i'm 67, assuming I live that long. It may be bad in the public sector, but it could be worse you could work in the private secor!

[MerlinL14]

I am by far not a socialist, but would never contemplate crossing a picket line. The reasons for joining a union are so you have moral/bi-lateral support in times that you need them. To be in a union, take the benefits, and then say you will not support that establishment when they ask is unjustified no matter how you wrap up your excuses. I completed 24 years in the Army and my pension is two thirds that of a comparable graded teacher who also does 24 years before retirement, there the comparison ends as I was 'asked' during 9 different engagements to put my life on the line, the worst a teacher suffers could be a paper cut! If you want the support of your union then stand up when asked and be counted. The struggle of the loss of a days pay pales into nothing when compared with the struggle a serving soldier in Afghanistan will endure next Wednesday.

[Foggy]

font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:<hr height="1" noshade>Originally posted by louiseh

Private sector employee, no final salary scheme, just the crappy gambling on the stockmarket version. Pay in hundreds of pounds a month, latest pension statement shows i'll get a few hundred a month, if all remians the same for the next 25 years and i've been paying since the day I left education. I have no choice I will be working until i'm 67, assuming I live that long. It may be bad in the public sector, but it could be worse you could work in the private secor!

Thing is, louise, people who chose to work in the private sector know there is a crappy pension ( or whatever). Those that chose to work in the public sector were promised the pension that is now being devalued.

Whatever peoples thoughts on whether the public workers get gold plated pensions or not, the principle is that the Government are moving the goal posts mid game and reneging on earlier promises.

By the way --- these "gold plated pensions" everyone harps on about ..... gold plated = a very thin layer of precious metal laid over a cheap base metal to give the appearance that it is worth more than it actually is !!!

[Skippy]

Can we try not to let this get too heated? I know a lot of people have strong feelings but let's all play nicely!!!

[Foggy]

aawwww Skip .........

:0)

[louiseh]

I do believe things have to change, the current funding requirement for public sector pensions is unsustainable. They were fit for purpose when they were set up, people only lived 10 years beyond retirement, unlike the 20 or 30 now. I agree however you can't just change things overnight. People need time to make adjustments, and to make provisions for increased payments and extra working. In an ideal world this would be phased in for new employees and change over a lifetime, but we just don't have the money, whoevers fault that may be. We can't just keep printing money we are ALL going to suffer.