Todays strikes.

[Thracian]

I see the unions have had a massive sense oh humour failure over Clarkson, along with about 5000 other people... all of which I would bet are teachers.

Apparently, in the next Labour administration, if any remark is not funny to the Trades Unions it'll be banned!

[acooling08]

I do not understand why the Public sector feel so aggreived. Surely it's only fair to bring them into line with the Private Sector.

[Houdini Logic]

I do not understand why the Public sector feel so aggreived. Surely it's only fair to bring them into line with the Private Sector.

I agree, it's time the private sector started to also make a fuss when people go against their word regarding contracts/pensions.

[Rincewind]

A time where people were desperate to get work instead of knowing they could rely on the state to prop up their lazy lifestyle?

Or a time when there were were people crapping on others regardless of who they were then for good measure pissing on them. I believe they made a film about it.

I heard that those in the private sector have tax relief on their pensions those in the public do not.

So what is happening I gather is that the Government want them to have reduced pensions and pay more for the pivalige. Don't the government realise that the public sector may include maths teachers who can actually add up and see the flaw in the proposal?

[Guest MattP]

Or a time when there were were people crapping on others regardless of who they were then for good measure pissing on them. I believe they made a film about it.

Braveheart?

I agree, it's time the private sector started to also make a fuss when people go against their word regarding contracts/pensions.

Impossible unfortunately, that's free market capitalism. It's still better than anything else on offer though.

[Houdini Logic]

Impossible unfortunately, that's free market capitalism. It's still better than anything else on offer though.

The idea of a free market is just an illusion. Ask RBS, Northern Rock, Bradford and Bingley, ING....

[Rincewind]

[Babylon]

Bloody Nimbys.... "We accept cuts must be made".... "Hang on don't ****ing cut anything of mine, tax the rich, tax everyone else more, but you aren't having my out of touch pension scheme"

I can say this safely anyway as all the teachers are too busy working hard and marking books to come on here today.

[accessory]

The idea of a free market is just an illusion. Ask RBS, Northern Rock, Bradford and Bingley, ING....

Absolutely.

If the state hadn't had to spend hundreds of billions propping up these supposedly "mega-efficient" private institutions, the question of pension cuts would not have arisen.

[Finnegan]

Some of you are clearly unaware that Bob Crow has a legendary sense of humour.

[Babylon]

If the state hadn't had to spend hundreds of billions propping up these supposedly "mega-efficient" private institutions, the question of pension cuts would not have arisen.

It would have the way our deficit was going. It's just brought it all forward.

[accessory]

Some of you are clearly unaware that Bob Crow has a legendary sense of humour.

What, like the Mail?

Or the Telegraph?

[Webbo]

See, this is the attitude I just can't ever understand.

What you're essentially saying is that you're content with your company treating you like shit but you resent an organized group of workers fighting for a better deal for themselves?

The enemy here should be chief execs (private and public) and politicians on six figure salaries - not nurses and teachers on a pittance. But the public as a whole just buy in to this recycled tabloid propaganda over and over about selfish union bully boys and how awful they all are. This is exactly what people mean when they spout the 'divide and conquer' rhetoric, it's about those with money splitting the vote of those without to keep us separated and it's been happening since the dawn of democracy.

Or possibly doing the best they can afford under the circumstance. Why does everyone on the left think everyone in business is rolling in money? Thomas Cook is £800 million in debt why don't their workers go on strike, that should help.

PS anyone who is offended by Clarkson's obvious joke is a twat.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Very much against yesterday's strike. We are in a financial mess, and we need to get out of it, for everybody.s sake.

[Webbo]

Absolutely.

If the state hadn't had to spend hundreds of billions propping up these supposedly "mega-efficient" private institutions, the question of pension cuts would not have arisen.

I think you'll find that people are still living longer,the extra 900,000 public sector workers Labour took on, who are all entitled to a pension as well didn't help either.

[accessory]

Or possibly doing the best they can afford under the circumstance. Why does everyone on the left think everyone in business is rolling in money?

Here's one reason ...

Directors' pay rises 50 per cent in a year

As usual, one law for the rich and another for everyone else. We can't go on like this.

[Houdini Logic]

I just don't think I can get involved with this thread.

Now I don't have testi-phobia, but even for me there are far too many ball bags in this thread.

[Rincewind]

It's the haves and have nots scenario and the have nots being told they cannot have what the haves have and the haves not having what the have nots have not.

I think.

[Webbo]

Here's one reason ...

Directors' pay rises 50 per cent in a year

As usual, one law for the rich and another for everyone else. We can't go on like this.

How stupid of me, that obviously applies to every business in the land.

Edit; Removed the last bit. Cheap shot, sorry.

[Webbo]

It's the haves and have nots scenario and the have nots being told they cannot have what the haves have and the haves not having what the have nots have not.

I think.

The public sector are the haves (a good pension) and the private sector are the have nots.

[Houdini Logic]

The public sector are the haves (a good pension) and the private sector are the have nots.

Says who?

I work in the private sector and get two bonuses a year and a pension that would piss on most public sector, and that's representative of my company and industry to be fair.

Is everyone that stupid that they read what's in the papers and what politicians tell them, rather than opening their eyes?

Seriously

[Webbo]

Says who?

I work in the private sector and get two bonuses a year and a pension that would piss on most public sector, and that's representative of my company and industry to be fair.

Is everyone that stupid that they read what's in the papers and what politicians tell them, rather than opening their eyes?

Seriously

So you're saying that Teachers, police, firemen, prison officers, local govt officers, nurses, doctors, NHS admin staff all have crap pensions, worse than the majority of the private sector? Are you saying that they are not guaranteed (like in the private sector) and not index linked?

If you've got a good pension then well done, but you're not typical.

[Rincewind]

The government have to cover their own backs and blame someone. They just have to convince the Mail and Sun reading public.

Wait a minute, that's it they let the Mail and Sun do the convincing.

[Houdini Logic]

So you're saying that Teachers, police, firemen, prison officers, local govt officers, nurses, doctors, NHS admin staff all have crap pensions, worse than the majority of the private sector? Are you saying that they are not guaranteed (like in the private sector) and not index linked?

If you've got a good pension then well done, but you're not typical.

Where did I say that exactly?

What I'm saying is that people keep harping on about 'well in the private sector...' or 'why should they get a decent pension while over in the private sector...', well it's nonsense. The majority of people I know in the private sector have many perks of the jobs that the public sector simply don't get (though we have to work past 4.30pm ).

People are far too easily swayed by the media or whatever politics suits them, but I genuinely believe that the public sector don't have the rosie life people are led to believe.

I know several people who work in the private sector, earn a decent wage and have many perks in their jobs. I know one person who works for the NHS as a porter and as well as earning shit all they've already had their working hours contractually changed twice within the last couple of years. Oh, and their pension is shit.

Now this is simply arguing whether or not people in the public sector do have it better, not even starting to think about the whole argument of whether companies/government should legally be allowed to change contracts at their leisure!

[Rincewind]

And that is what the government wants to do.

Anyway I have had enough of it all. If I am told that I am entitled to pension credits or a disability allowance cos I'm not as agile as I used to be (which never was that good anyway) I will grab it with both hands. After 45 years of paying into the system I think I deserve to take a little out rather than pop my clogs whilst working a few hours overtime in a shit paid job.