rtbiscuit Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 OK I maybe opening myself up for a whole world of pain on this one, but i's interested to hear the points of view of others in the club on the current teachers pensions strikes. Just to clarify i am a teacher but i didn't strike today, and i was in work, but my school was closed. the reason i ask is that this striking thing is a whole new world to me; I've never really seen it while i was a student and its the first time in my career I've seen it, I'm not sure what i make of it, and if I'm honest I'm on the fence over it, and i haven't solidified my own position on it. i can see both sides of the argument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmac Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 If i was to brief and honest I would sum it up as "Welcome to the world I have lived in for several year, 10% of my salary and 14% from my employer to prop up my reduced pension at 66". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I'm on the fence too, though I'm not a teacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnailHerder Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Us Brits don't stand up for ourselves enough. The effectiveness of striking is debatable, but I have respect for people who don't roll over when they're told to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Unions and all the rubbish that goes with them boil my pee. They are half or what's wrong with this country. I can see why people in the public sector are annoyed that the pensionable age will raise but it's the same in the private sector so the WHOLE country is affected by it. If people are that bothered by it then they need to look after themselves and get a private pension to top up and let them retire early. Simple as that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Last edited by rtbiscuit on Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:38 pm, edited 1 time in total. . Thanks Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Us Brits don't stand up for ourselves enough. The effectiveness of striking is debatable, but I have respect for people who don't roll over when they're told to. They are just doing what some Union leader tells them to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmac Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 My union are actually very good Stew, a bit like the AA, if i need them i call them otherwise they send me a card once a year. I kinda works. Called them twice and got sorted twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 i don't mind working till 68; well i do, but i can cope with the idea, as has been said we are all living longer. for me its the changes to my pension that hurts. i see it a bit in kiddy's terms, if i have a mortgage, i agree the terms and conditions at the start i agree the time length and then i start paying it for 25-35 years, if i turned round half way through and thought you know what I'm only going to pay half the amount over the same time, the bank would reposes my house and I'd be in the stook. so why is it perfectly legal for the government to change the terms of agreement on a legal contract just because it doesn't suit them. i don't mind i get paid less than my friends in industry as i feel my pension makes up for it; sorry did make up for it. i don't like unions, which is why i took a bold step (a lot of my colleagues say stupid step) to leave my union 6 years ago, i din;t like their ethos, or the fact that the top union bosses get paid so much. but it leaves me very vulnerable as a teacher. it also means i can;t strike, but it does mean I'm not breaking a picket line (i think) as I'm not in the union. my only thoughts thus far, is that the 2 unions that have taken action are a little premature, i do feel its too early for industrial action. i know another big union are currently balloting over action. i fell it puts me in an awkward place, with my colleagues on one side and the views of friends and family on the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vik54 Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Can of worms Rich The point is that those of us that have paid into Local Govt pension schemes in good faith are having our terms and conditions changed. Yes I can lift what I've put in but why the hell should I?! Public sector workers' salaries are in the main not comparable to private sector - so saying people should pay into private pensions as well is simply not an option for many of us. Part of the choice to work in the public sector takes account of the pension expected - you accept that you're not going to earn what you could in the private sector but that the pension scheme is a softener. The changes being proposed mean for me that I will no longer have a choice when I retire ( I was aiming for 60 it will now be 68) and my pension will be worth less - added to current pay freezes which in real terms amount to cuts of 4% over three years I will be on the picket line soon enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 i have to decide if i should rejoin a union and join the strikes or stay out of it. or stay out of it, if they reduce my pension in line with the private sector i would like my pay increased to match the private sector, i;d also like to see the final salary schemes of the MP's and white hall scrapped as well. if they are removing final salary schemes it should be for all in the public sector and not just for those who aren't in charge. would make the pill a lot less bitter one to swallow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I am somewhat against striking, I am umming and urring about the principle for which they are striking but striking is not the way to resolve anything. It hurts private sector workers directly in various forms. Although you get the 'standing up for your rights' argument if you flipped it and took an extreme example of the private sector striking and the government then saying to the public sector to cough up time and money to cover the strike by the private sector then I am sure the whole ethos from them about standing up for this and that would be straight out the window. As for pensions, my own view, anyone with any sense knows pensions are defunkt, the days of a government looking after people in old age has long since gone, and I am not sure if anyone had noticed it but the country is flat broke, I am not sure where this money is meant to magically appear from? Maybe we just borrow it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Can of worms Rich The point is that those of us that have paid into Local Govt pension schemes in good faith are having our terms and conditions changed. Yes I can lift what I've put in but why the hell should I?! Public sector workers' salaries are in the main not comparable to private sector - so saying people should pay into private pensions as well is simply not an option for many of us. Part of the choice to work in the public sector takes account of the pension expected - you accept that you're not going to earn what you could in the private sector but that the pension scheme is a softener. The changes being proposed mean for me that I will no longer have a choice when I retire ( I was aiming for 60 it will now be 68) and my pension will be worth less - added to current pay freezes which in real terms amount to cuts of 4% over three years I will be on the picket line soon enough Actually a really good comment...although I still find striking too extreme...sure you are not part French Vik? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Man Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I just wish the "Private" sector went on strike back in the day when Gordon Broon robbed their pension pots in 1997! He single handedly laid the foundations to this country's pension woes, looked after the "City", take all the peasants cash and gave it to them to play with, he's the real ***** in all this. Now private and public pensions are being affected by the little publicised act that has changed the way your pension is index linked, not RPI anymore, it's now CPI, which just happens to be a lower rate I'm spending every penny I earn, saving f*ck all, as my savings continue to lose money even in the highest paying ISA's etc, I'm going to smoke and drink more, be a fat **** and be a general pest to the state, so there!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael robinson Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I am a maintenance engineer at the dwp site and totally agree with the government bringing the public sector in line with the rest of us they have had it to good for to long, when they get down to my level of pension maybe then al have sympathy for them but till then **** em , they never backed the average Joe when we fighted so why should we give a **** about them . Did you no when dwp staff retire they get 3/4 of there final salary which is a minimum of 20k and could retire at 50 they have crazy pensions. so why should they get these benefit ??? why can't they pay the same as us ?? why should they be able to retire earlyer than the rest of us ??? This hole thing pisses me off cause they think there hard done by because finally there little bubble has burst . Welcome to the real world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 i don't know why i bother paying NI, there are more old people than young, so basically when i get there the pot will be empty, so why should i be paying into it now? the thing is no one has actually measured the pension pot for teachers yet, they are saying there isn't enough in it, but know one actually knows, not only that adjustments were made 2 years ago to offset things and the unions and government agreed a system that would help the pension system and government. i don;t think working to 68 is a problem either, if the pensions followed it. i must admit the thought of still being in the classroom at 68 is quiet a terrifying prospect, its very much a young persons job. and kids behavior is only getting worse. i dread to think what it will be like in 35 years time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 .............I am not sure where this money is meant to magically appear from? Maybe we just borrow it... The money has already been paid by the people who are complaining and by their employers; day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Look what you have gone and done Rich...I know a few forums ban political discussion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Look what you have gone and done Rich...I know a few forums ban political discussion! and religion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 None of us are in a position to change the country (unless David Cameron has a Zed???) so we can discuss it as long as everyone is aware that each person has different views and that we all respect them. Grown up discussion never hurt anyone and I personally take the time to read these discussions and try to learn something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 It was Aristotle I think that said something like "It takes an educated mind to entertain another idea even if you do not accept it" ...but hey, question was, do you support striking. I don't, especially in hard times like this. I don't think the government is just 'picking' on any particular group of people or doing this out of malice, its purely cost cutting which has to happen somewhere. It does seem a little crap that pension age goes up, costs go up etc so there is ground for debate, but it should be debate not striking. Am having a good old read up on this now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 i found this an interesting read http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/3573075.stm basically it high lights what a lot of us teachers say that what we do is extremely stressful. its very hard when people think we get all this holiday time but we work a lot of hours when not on holiday. i don't like the fact that we; like nurses and the police force get lumped in with all the bureaucrats and Whitehall people; i don't agree with heads of local councils on 200k + salaries, i think the PM's salary should be the top marker in the public sector, as i don't think there are any jobs more demanding than that. and i think they are trying to target the big earners by hitting everyone at the same time. i don't like the fact i'm having to pay for someone elses feck ups in the private sector banking world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 i don't like the fact i'm having to pay for someone elses feck ups in the private sector banking world. We all are Rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 i don't like the fact i'm having to pay for someone elses feck ups in the private sector banking world. We all are Rich. i know, but why use my pension to pay for it? i'd rather see benefits cut first, turf all the lazy gits out and let them fend for themselves. if you haven't paid taxes, you can't claim benefits. that should mean those who have worked hard, and paid taxes, get help. and those that scrounge off the state don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmac Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 In theory I only work six months of the year Rich, I get the same comments, normally over one of the 52 weekends a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.