Local government pension strike

[neilcoalesce]

Second time I'll have been on strike in about six month - but it's something worth fighting for. More info here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4848584.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4841166.stm

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thre...0603280 72946

Interesting to see the discussion thread on the BBC. People in private pension schemes moaning vs. Local government workers justifying their position.

[AlanG]

Originally Posted by neilcoalesce

Second time I'll have been on strike in about six month - but it's something worth fighting for. More info here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4848584.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4841166.stm

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thre...0603280 72946

Interesting to see the discussion thread on the BBC. People in private pension schemes moaning vs. Local government workers justifying their position.

Saw your line this morning on way to work but was a bit out of way to go. I thought PCS were out too but after checking online theyre not . Social Work up here is out and back of wellgate was picketed too by library staff.

[humndislocation]

Three quarters of those workers are women, and it is no accident that the government has chosen not to protect their pensions in the way it agreed last year for the civil service, the NHS, teaching and others.

Oh fuck off. I'm fed up of idiots who are like "HAY LET'S PLAY THE SEX AND OR RACE CARD AT ANY OPPURTUNITY HURRRRR. HAY SOMETHING HAPPENED TO A WOMAN IT MUST BE BECOZ OF SEXISM AM I RITE HURR".

Not everything is about sexism or racism. Quite frankly, this just makes things harder for geniune victims of sexism and racism.

As for this pension issue, I don't really understand enough about pensions to know what's going on. Given my family history, health-wise, I don't see the point in getting a pension. Being pragmatic about it, it's most likely that I'll die 20-30 years before I would need to claim a pension.

It's my understanding though, that people in the public sector get told that their wages are low, because of their pension, and now they're getting that taken away too. Confirm/deny?

Also, is this retrospective, or will it just apply to new employees? If it's the latter, then I could agree with it, but not the former. You can't shift the goalposts once the game has started. On the other hand, it's a reality of life that there is going to be less money to go around for pensions, and I don't see anything wrong with being realistic about things.

[Kenny]

PCS aren't out? That's a bit of a surprise. When I worked in DWP PCS had us out just about monthly.

[neilcoalesce]

Originally Posted by humndislocation

It's my understanding though, that people in the public sector get told that their wages are low, because of their pension, and now they're getting that taken away too. Confirm/deny?

Also, is this retrospective, or will it just apply to new employees? If it's the latter, then I could agree with it, but not the former. You can't shift the goalposts once the game has started. On the other hand, it's a reality of life that there is going to be less money to go around for pensions, and I don't see anything wrong with being realistic about things.

Public sector wages do tend to be low, but their pensions are better than most (at present). The proposed changes will apply to all employees apart from those really near retirement who, I believe will be protected. I'm 30, I've been in the local government pension scheme for four years and they're moving the goalposts with mine. The main grumble is that other public sector workers (Police, Fire Brigade, Teachers etc.) have had their pensions protected but others (classroom assistants, Library Staff, Police support staff) have not.

[neilcoalesce]

Originally Posted by Alan G

Saw your line this morning on way to work but was a bit out of way to go. I thought PCS were out too but after checking online theyre not . Social Work up here is out and back of wellgate was picketed too by library staff.

Stayed picketing until 11-ish then went up and joined the march. The speakers at the square were good, especially Rosie Kane. Saw a few of your fellow SSP members on the march.

[AlanG]

Originally Posted by neilcoalesce

Stayed picketing until 11-ish then went up and joined the march. The speakers at the square were good, especially Rosie Kane. Saw a few of your fellow SSP members on the march.

Oh didnt know Rosie was coming through, but I suppose Tommy will be at the rally in Glasgow.

I had assumed any SSP speaker would be Jim McFarlane. Went on the Dundee city centre webcam too late to see the size of the rally

I did check the schools in Angus list this morning as I know a few people fuming about being possible scabs as the teachers werent out but the jannies had closed the schools so yay - they can sleep at night knowing they arent scabs.

--
On the sexism thing the reason its brought up that the women in local government are discriminated against because of their gender. Although the Equal pay act was passed what - 25years ago? councils still havent enacted it. Because of this the female employees receive less cash because they dont have a penis. Now when they are claiming their back pay the councils are trying to blame them for any potential council tax rises due to their illegal discrimination of the female employees.

And theres not "less money to go around for pensions" in this case. These workers put their own wages into a pension scheme so that on retirement they can get this saved portion of their own wages back and their employer is trying to shaft them out of their own money whilst paying obscene salaries, golden handshakes and pensions to their senior management.

A private/employee pension isnt free money you are given as the Sun et al seem to imply constantly. Its a percentage of your own pay you put aside for your eventual retiral (the employers matching part of course is slightly seperate but normally doesnt match your own contributions etc and you could argue that it would be better to get that 3-5% extra wages rather than money put into a fund you may never see the result of).

[AlanG]

Just adding that theres also a huge strike in France today over the appalling new employment law discussed in this thread