Petem95

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

So theyre pissed off because they might not be able to retire at 60?!!!!

Theres not enough money to go round for hospitals etc, and yet they still expect to be able to retire earlier than most people, all thanks to tax payers money?!!!

They can **** off

tmo

Agree, about time the jolly club realised that out in the normal world things have changed.

Daughter misses yet another day's education to add the already abnormal amount of holidays / inset / training days

killa

iTrader: (7)

Ah they were out with some banners etc on main roads, pension hummm..

lozgti

So the flippin bins won't be done today.They forgot the other week and this time they have an excuse

David Lock

If I collected bins for 30 years I would bloody well want to retire at 60!

fast bloke

David - I am an IFA and I want to retire before 60. How do I go about this? I invest more of my income now to provide for the future. I am aware that as life expectancy increases I will either have to pay more in now, or take less at the other end. When someone started delivering bins 25 years ago, they would be expecting to retire at 60 and be dead by 70. Now they will on average survive to 77. If they want to maintain the status they they started with, they should be allowed to retire at 60, but their pension stops at 70. It seems to me that they want to have their cake and eat it, which is fair enough, but they want someone else to pay for it

TonyFlow

I think there may be a little more to it than that!

In October (iirc), a bill was passed that meant all new state workers (i.e. police etc) would be unable to retire at 60, the unions etc managed to arrange that people currently employed could still retire at 60. For some reason, this did not include local government workers, so they are effectively in the same pension scheme, but on different terms to all other workers now!

I can totally understand there reasons to strike - as I would guess a lot of them planned at retiring when 60, and now all the plans have been p!ssed on!

I think had it not been 1 rule for 1 and a different rule for another, then strikes wouldnt have taken place (or they would have, but they would have included all the other services too!)

Stainy

You're missing the point. This is a private pension scheme not the old age pension (which they will get at the normal age). They joined their jobs and the terms of condition were, pay x a month and retire at a set time. They paid. Government then fcuked it all up and want them to retire later. WTF!

For the new starters, fair enough, I say change whatever you want, but for some poor chump who's paid in for 20 years in good faith to be told that the goal posts have moved, I dont blame them one bit for being pissed off.

and the taxpayers money thing is bollox they pay in themselves and the 'employer' also makes a contribution, just like a million other private pension schemes.

Now read all the facts before climbing on that fookin tall horse
(no I'm not one of these workers but I like to actually read into stuff before making an informed decision)

fast bloke

also - 30 year ago the binman used to come down the alley, lift the bin on his back, carry it out, empty it, leave it back at the gate and collect the other bags that wouldn't fit. - 30 years of that and you are not going to see 70. Now the bin is wheeled to the end of the drive, binman wheels it 4 feet to the back of the lorry (providing that it isn't too heavy) waits a few seconds, then wheels it back. When wheelie bins were introduced, I didn't see many bin men asking for less pay because they didn't have to work so hard

mad_dr

Couldn't agree more with this. I'm sure there are plenty of good, hard-working Refuse Disposal Specialists or whatever they're called, but the ones round our area are useless! They often don't turn up, with no reason given. They won't lift anything by hand if they can possibly help it, they use the wheelie bins to create barriers blocking communal drives, so that elderly people have to park their car on the road, get out and move the bins to the side. It's pathetic - they don't deserve the pay they get. Also, the council imposes rediculous limits on the amount of refuse the will remove. 1 Black bag for every two occupants, every two weeks. Now that is just crazy. I recycle most of the refuse we produce but it gets a bit boring when we're treated like a annoying nuisance that they're forced to tolerate.

Jaydee5

One poster who knows what it's all about

ChrisB

That's when they aren't off sick with "stress". For instance:

AudiMan

Just like to add my 2p worth, yes the staff pay into the pension scheme, but the employer then adds upto 12% (which IS tax payers money), try finding a private scheme that does that. Most of the staff (within Council offices) are useless wasters who enjoy upto 32 days holiday, flexy time, company cars, large allowances for attending flower judging competitions etc..
Having worked at one for 11 years (and yes I admit to reaping those benefits) I know what they are like, if I still worked there then I would probably be a bit miffed at the Govt's plans, but would accept something has to be done and be honest enough to put up my hands and admit work there is cushy and be prepared to put in a little extra.

LG John

Well I work for a Council and I'm striking today. I don't know all the in's and outs of the pension debate but I will say this. The pension and job security is one of the last remaining perks of the public sector. If the Government erode the pension perk then they will find it increasingly hard to get good workers in to fill the jobs. In the last year I've seen the standard of applications that have come into the council for 3 professional posts, one of which was a principal post and it was woeful and we are talking a handful of applications for each post!! Everyone is moving to the private sector and taking their chances with longer working hours, less job security but usually 30%+ more pay, bonuses, chance of promotion, etc. I'll be joining them just as soon as I can.....

AudiMan

Saxo Boy,
Found myself in that exact same position about 5 years ago, get out ASAP, best move I ever made.

unclebuck

Bleedy annoying. I filled the estate with garden waste yesterday for transportation to the tip today. Now I suppose it will be closed if I drive down there. Tempted to just fly tip it somewhere.

unclebuck

Not to mention that those trucks with the labour saving wheelie bin hoists on the back cost an absolute fortune. Of course it's us that pays for them out of our council tax. No wonder it keeps going up by so much.

jasey

Aye - the ******* have stopped you from browsing the web all day .

I actually agree with striking over pension rights - This government is not happy with robbing Pension Funds - it wants to rob future pensioners too. Hopefully all the people in jobs that shouldn't exist will realise where it's all leading to - UK plc as a Bankrupt

LG John

Yes they did and my performance dropped when they took the net away. I'm so unmotivated, so bored and so devoid of 10 minutes of 'relief' (i.e cup of tea and scoobynet) that I find it hard to focus my mind and complete reports. A happy worker is a good worker n' all that.

Petem95

Exactly, most of these public sector jobs simply arent needed, and are being supported by taxing people in the private sector.

Labour has created over 800,000 extra public sector jobs since coming to power. The problem is all these people doing these pointless jobs need pensions etc etc - and someone has to foot the bill....

Leslie

If you can still move-they will rob you, and if you can't move they still will!

Les

BOB.T

How many binmen actually work till they're 60?

OllyK

But in this case the "employer" is? And where does this employer get their money from?

Ted Maul

please don't confuse this thread with facts

Diablo

Thats all well and good, if the "local government workers" actually "worked" like those of us employed in the private sector do, instead of dossing around all day playing at it whilst being paid, by and large, from taxable income generated by the private sector.

Look at all the stats, from productivity to sickness and the private sector is better across the board.

In Scotland, at least, working for local government has always been and no doubt always will be, the easy option.

And as for social workers being off work with stress - do me a favour. Don't they read the fooking job description before they sign up?

Kenny, no offence dude, but if you move to the private sector you won't know what's hit you to begin with when you are answerable to the person who (in your line of business at least) actually pays your salary from income which otherwise would be theirs.

TonyFlow

Yeah, sorry, my mum, (a council worker who IS NOT striking today, and who has always been a grafter for the local council) must have given me the information wrong then! It appears that every ****** on here knows better though, so I will trust their judgement

Didnt realise that ALL council workers sit around doing **** all!

The Zohan

I doubt if all do but from who and what i know a lot do because it is so easy to do so. If you where to ask your mum the following; i bet she knows somone who works for the council who is off on long term sick. Someone who just got promoted due to how long they have worked there, not on ability or suitability for the job. I bet she knows people regularly taking time of 'ill' with a number of unprovable conditions.

In the real world these people tend to get weeded out in the world of local government is is just accepted.

TonyFlow

It is generally those "higher up" who are taking the p!ss in the council. I can say that all those in my mothers team always seem to be exceptionally busy (especially now, as they are producing the local plan).

She is not sure of anyone who is off "long-term" ill though, as she doesnt have time to go round checking/talking to the different depts

jasey

One of our pals is a teacher. She's been off sick for about a year. When she went back she was put on light duties to ease her back into work.

Light duties meant working half a day a week .

jonc

Lets get rid of all these public sector moaners and draft in the hard working Eastern Europeans