7 replies to this topic

[Wokster]

And next week could be the first time I don\'t take part in strike action

Poor tactics by the unions, the government definitely have the public\'s support now.

[machinegunbassdrums]

our government is a load of *********, always has been and always will be. thats also why i dont vote tory, thay completely destroyed my hometowns industry so i hate them for it with a passion xD

[carox]

'scuse my ignorance of current affiars, Carl - but what strike? Only thing I'm aware of is the Border Agency staff threatened strike. Does that involve you, or are other sectors coming out as well? And is it still about pensions?

Sorry, but we've all been screwed by this current economic situation. When I left work two years ago, my had been pay cut 2 years before by 20% and I was doing two people's jobs due to the redundancies. My private pension, that I had paid into for 30 years, had all been projected on interest rates that crashed just as I retired and had to buy an annuity with it. My annuity pays 1.5% (and that will be FOREVER now) whereas anyone who retired a few years before me is getting 7%. But working for a small private firm, there was bugger all I could do about it. I'm not sure the public support the government exactly - it's just that there's a lot of people like me who had to just take being screwed - by pay cuts, redundancies and losses on their pensions - and couldn't do a damn thing about it. Personally, I sympathise with you, but it's not just the civil service that's affected by all this.

Sorry again, don't mean to sound harsh but every time I hear something about pensions, it makes me so angry about what happened to MINE.

[Wokster]

I am part of the area which ‘voted to strike – although I votes ‘no’ to a strike – which is due to take place the day before the Olympics open

I agree with the union regarding the reasons why they are angry/disappointed with the governments measures to keep more money in the treasury purse, my pensions contributions increased by £50 per month (now paying 150 per month), and I will get about 7k a year less. But I just do not agree with the morals and ethics of this strike at all.

I think it is dirty tactics by the union, makes me a little angry too.

I have never always agreed with the union strikes, but have taken part in the industrial action anyway. This time, I don’t think I will

The one thing about civil servants and unions I would say is positive is that it is really only people in the civil service that can stick up for themselves against the government and their plans, rather than having to accept it. Theoretically the union could have overwhelming public support if them employed the correct tactics and fought not just for the union but as an example of what the country feels. This time I think they just lost any last support they had!

[carox]

Theoretically the union could have overwhelming public support if them employed the correct tactics and fought not just for the union but as an example of what the country feels. This time I think they just lost any last support they had![

Not sure I agree with you there, I'm afraid. There are so many people suffering, who don't have the benefit of a union to help them, nor the option of strike action - I think that's where the public support is lacking.

And, speaking from my own experience, I also don't think it's a matter of "keeping money in the treasury purse", it's that the money is just not there. My pension is worth less because interest rates crashed. I can't say to them "You told me it would be worth £x, so that's what I want". My husband isn't drawing his company pension yet, but a few years ago they changed it from being index linked, to flat rate. He still has to pay the same into it every month, but it's worth less. Again, it's because due to interest rates, the money won't be there to keep everyone on index linked pensions. There are probably lots of other factors that are beyond me, but I don't think it's because they want to "keep the money in the ... purse".

Like I said, I sympathise. If I'd been able to strike, I would probably have considered it. It's not nice situation to be in, having what seems like your own money snatched away from you, and the prospect of having to survive in retirement on considerably less than you expected to have. But, as regards public sympathy, I expect a lot of people just think "I had to accept it, why shouldn't you?".

[Wokster]

You make very fair points, and I agree with you too. I can really see your point about the ‘purse’ situation.

What I meant by public support was to act in a way which could be perceived as being honourable, highlighting the overall situation and options available to the government rather than waging an all out war. I don’t think it is a coincidence that there were huge queues at airports just after huge staffing cutbacks, likewise with the foreign national prisoners a while back. I think if the union was to show more publically that the government’s plans might not always be the best way, that there are suitable alternatives, rather than being militant, then the public might support them in the goals that they are trying to achieve. I honestly don’t think that striking is the only option available to the union and suitable alternatives should be used.

I think unions, particularly the one I am in, could represent the public at a wider level – not just civil servants, but by completing acts of militant unionism such as the one next week, the only people who support what the unions are trying top achieve are the ones which voted ‘yes’ in the past ballot.

[carox]

Does the union have any "suitable alternatives"? Does anyone? I dunno. I kind of think if there were any the government would jump on them - the main objective of all MPs being to get re-elected.

Anyway, my sympathy again. My last few years at work, every day I was expecting my firm to fold, or to be made redundant. Every month I got paid I thought "Phew, that's another mortgage payment down". But it's worse when you have a young family to support. Luckily, times were good when mine were young.

But even now - I can't be sure the state pension won't be cut. Or that my private pension provider won't go bust. It's happened. No-one feels secure (unless you're the CEO of some bank in which case it wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to you when you walk off with your £gzillion handshake).

Good luck Wokky !!!

[Trevcirclestudios]

Yeah I'm with Carox. To add to that though, people love somone to blame but the mess aint actually the goverment's fault. Most of the western world is in the crap because its been over-borrowing for years. The previous government did the same. We now have a huge overdraft to contend with just as all hell breaks out across the world. In some context our overdraft aint far different from that of Spain and Greece. They are in bigger trouble because the market is charging them huge interest rates to borrow money to run the country. That means they can afford even less public spending which is why people are rioting. The only reason we don't have interest rates that high (and therefore much deeper cuts) is because the government are making sensible cuts now so the market is giving them the benefit of the doubt and keeping interest rates low. If they didn't, things would be much worse. The government would have to be cutting public sector wages and closing pension schemes. So the changes they are trying to make is conversely to save public sector jobs and pensions. its a kind of lesser of two evils. Make sense?