Public Sector Strike Today

[IC1967]

My piss is really boiling. Why on earth are these people on strike today? They seem to think they should be getting better pensions and pay rises. What a joke. Don't they realise they are already much better off than workers in the private sector?

Let's examine the facts:

On average they work 9 years less and earn 30% more.

They get much better holidays.

They get much better sick pay provision.

They retire on much better pensions.

They've been getting pay rises every year.

They can work flexible hours.

They have excellent job security.

They work in a much less demanding working environment.

Pay is higher.

I could go on. Take my advice and stop bringing your excellent working conditions to the attention of people in the private sector. Wake up and smell the coffee before the private sector rumbles you.

[LongbridgeMGRover]

People who work and use their skills for the benefit of others.

They are not greedy and profit/money driven.

Vilified by our right wing press.

Having contracts reneged on.

the current financial problems of this and other countries are the fault of greed, capitalism and parasites such as bankers.

A balanced economy with a strong public sector is tbe hallmark of a decent caring society.

This and existing rights are worth defending and i salute those on strike, whether the public sector here today, or those forced into worse working conditions such as Doncasters Care Uk workers or the drivers sacked by TESCO.

[coventryrover]

My piss is really boiling. Why on earth are these people on strike today? They seem to think they should be getting better pensions and pay rises. What a joke. Don't they realise they are already much better off than workers in the private sector?

Let's examine the facts:

On average they work 9 years less and earn 30% more. WHERE DID YOU GET THIS CLAIM?

They get much better holidays. DO THEY?? REALLY?  OR ARE YOU JUST LUMPING ALL PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS WITH TEACHERS?

They get much better sick pay provision.  WORK FOR A DECENT PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANY AND SICK PAY IS IN PLACE THERE TOO

They retire on much better pensions. FAIR POINT

They've been getting pay rises every year. ER....1%?

They can work flexible hours.  SO CAN PRIVATE SECTOR, QUITE EASILY

They have excellent job security. HA HA HA HA HA

They work in a much less demanding working environment. ARE YOU HAVING A LAUGH??

Pay is higher.  HA HA HA HA

I could go on. Take my advice and stop bringing your excellent working conditions to the attention of people in the private sector. Wake up and smell the coffee before the private sector rumbles you.

You could go on..talking BS but I am glad you didn't. 

How did you get holiday pay, sick pay, 26 plus holidays, better than minimum wage, safer working conditions??   Damn those pesky unions..they are the evil.

[RedJ]

Don't feed the troll fellas.

Looking forward to the season Mick?

[IC1967]

On average they work 9 years less and earn 30% more. WHERE DID YOU GET THIS CLAIM?

Why do you doubt me? You should know by now that I only deal in facts. Anyway, you've asked the question so I will give the answer as I always do (unlike some others around here I could mention).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1287497/Public-sector-staff-spend-9-fewer-years-work-earn-30-private-employees.html

[IC1967]

They are not greedy and profit/money driven.

pmsl. Then why are they on strike protesting about wanting bigger pay rises and better pensions?

[IC1967]

Vilified by our right wing press.

Really? Show your evidence. I've seen no vilification.

[IC1967]

Having contracts reneged on.

I prefer the word 'renegotiated' to take account of our current desperate financial situation as a country. I think you'll find the private sector has taken far more of a beating in this regard. How many people in the public sector are on zero hours contracts for instance?

[IC1967]

the current financial problems of this and other countries are the fault of greed, capitalism and parasites such as bankers.

Wrong. The current financial problems are all the fault of the previous Labour government.

[IC1967]

A balanced economy with a strong public sector is tbe hallmark of a decent caring society.

What a contradiction. You can't have a balanced economy when you have such a big public sector paid for by a shrinking private sector. At least this situation is now being reversed by Dave and George. Long may it continue.

[Nudga]

✊💦

[IC1967]

This and existing rights are worth defending and i salute those on strike, whether the public sector here today, or those forced into worse working conditions such as Doncasters Care Uk workers or the drivers sacked by TESCO.

You need to come into the real world. Our public sector is unaffordable and something has to give. I don't want to keep on borrowing billions just to keep people in jobs that we can't afford. Shame on you for wanting to mortgage the future to generations not yet born just so you can have a cushy life now.

[IC1967]

They get much better holidays. DO THEY?? REALLY?  OR ARE YOU JUST LUMPING ALL PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS WITH TEACHERS?

You really are out of touch. Many in the private sector are lucky if they get 20 days a year. More than 80% of public sector employees get more than 25 with many getting more than 30.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

We have public and private sector staff. It's quite interesting comparing the difference in all areas.

[IC1967]

They get much better sick pay provision.  WORK FOR A DECENT PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANY AND SICK PAY IS IN PLACE THERE TOO

Good sick pay is in place for all public sector employees. It is only in place for a small minority of private sector employees. I know someone on a zero hours contract that works for one of the biggest companies in the world who has just broken his leg and he gets no sick pay whatsoever.

[Not Now Kato]

[IC1967]

They've been getting pay rises every year. ER....1%?

When incremental pay rises are also taken into account (pay rises just for length of service), then public sector employees have been getting more than inflation.

[IC1967]

They can work flexible hours.  SO CAN PRIVATE SECTOR, QUITE EASILY

Wrong. it's much harder in the private sector. Haven't you heard of zero hours contracts?

[Nudga]

💩🔪

[IC1967]

They work in a much less demanding working environment. ARE YOU HAVING A LAUGH??

No, but you are. It's a much easier, less stressful life in the public sector (not in all cases, but in the vast majority).

[IC1967]

Pay is higher.  HA HA HA HA

Fact. I'm glad you find it funny.

[jonrover]

They get much better holidays. DO THEY?? REALLY?  OR ARE YOU JUST LUMPING ALL PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS WITH TEACHERS?

You really are out of touch. Many in the private sector are lucky if they get 20 days a year. More than 80% of public sector employees get more than 25 with many getting more than 30.

The statutory minimum holidays as per the working time directive (EU enshrined legislation for those wanting to pull out of the EU) for full time work is 20 days a year plus 8 bank holidays. Anyone not getting their entitled holidays need to join a union and enforce their rights.

Your talking out of your arse as usual. Go back to flogging betterware or backing nags or whatever it was you claim to do instead of writing inaccurate nonsense on here.

[IC1967]

I've said nothing inaccurate. As usual you lefties try to twist what I say to suit your agenda. So I'll repeat what I said. Many in the private sector are lucky if they get 20 days paid holiday a year. I would say the minimum in the public sector is 25 with many getting more than 30. Bank holidays is the same for private and public sector.

[jonrover]

"many" are not "lucky" to get 20 days holiday in the private sector. That is completely inaccurate. It's the law. Are you implying many private sector firms are breaking the law? You're full of shit.

[IC1967]

Do I need to spell it out? Many in the private sector are self employed or work part time. It is not the law that they get 20 days holidays. Many self employed people don't get any holidays. You obviously don't know that there are over 4 million self employed workers. I don't know about you but I would classify 4 million as 'many'.

You obviously don't know there are over 9 million part time workers. Many don't get 20 days paid leave as they don't work enough hours to qualify. I don't know about you but I would classify 9 million as 'many'. Get a grip man.

https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights/entitlement

Take my advice and do what BST has done. Realise you are being made a fool of and slink off with your tail between your legs to limit the damage to your tarnished reputation.

[jonrover]

Self employed workers can please themselves as to how many holidays they have. An employee can't. Completely irrelevant point. Part time employees have their holidays pro-rata in relation to a full time workers. Likewise if an employee is forced to work beyond their contracted hours they should be given extra holidays to compensate. Like I said, full of shit.

[IC1967]

Self employed workers can please themselves as to how many holidays they have. An employee can't. Completely irrelevant point. Part time employees have their holidays pro-rata in relation to a full time workers. Likewise if an employee is forced to work beyond their contracted hours they should be given extra holidays to compensate. Like I said, full of shit.

You just can't let it lie can you. To say self employed workers can please themselves as to how many holidays they have is laughable. Many have no choice in the matter. Many of them don't take any holidays. Many can't afford to. Many can't leave the business for a period of time or it will do serious damage to their futures. Get a grip man.

I don't know any self employed people that have more than 10 days holiday a year. You state 'Part time employees have their holidays pro-rata in relation to a full time workers'. At last something we agree on. Therefore because they are part time they aren't entitled to 20 days!!! Why can't you work that one out? Therefore the vast majority of them don't get 20 days. This is part of the many I referred to earlier.

As for your assertion that if an employee is forced to work beyond their contracted hours they should be given extra holidays to compensate that is complete rubbish. No matter how many hours you work the employer only has to give you 20 days. It is totally up to the employer if you get more.

Now take my advice and do one.

[jonrover]

Self employed workers can please themselves as to how many holidays they have. An employee can't. Completely irrelevant point. Part time employees have their holidays pro-rata in relation to a full time workers. Likewise if an employee is forced to work beyond their contracted hours they should be given extra holidays to compensate. Like I said, full of shit.

You just can't let it lie can you. To say self employed workers can please themselves as to how many holidays they have is laughable. Many have no choice in the matter. Many of them don't take any holidays. Many can't afford to. Many can't leave the business for a period of time or it will do serious damage to their futures. Get a grip man.

I don't know any self employed people that have more than 10 days holiday a year. You state 'Part time employees have their holidays pro-rata in relation to a full time workers'. At last something we agree on. Therefore because they are part time they aren't entitled to 20 days!!! Why can't you work that one out? Therefore the vast majority of them don't get 20 days. This is part of the many I referred to earlier.

As for your assertion that if an employee is forced to work beyond their contracted hours they should be given extra holidays to compensate that is complete rubbish. No matter how many hours you work the employer only has to give you 20 days. It is totally up to the employer if you get more.

Now take my advice and do one.

It isn't complete rubbish and I have won the very same when I was a union rep for my members at a previous workplace through reasoned negotiation. Exactly the lack of which has caused every single public sector dispute since the Tories took office in 2010. If you'd have read my post properly you'd notice the word SHOULD? Not HAVE TO or MUST? If you wasn't such a knob you'd understand what I said instead of jumping to conclusions. Or is it you now twisting my words to suit your warped right wing agenda?

Morally its the correct thing to do if you want to go an extra yard to look after the well being of your workers if your an employer. Why should someone working 40 hours a week get the same holidays as someone forced to work an extra 10 or 20 hours compulsory overtime? Morally, to give the employee extra hours holiday to compensate is the correct thing to do. But an ideological nut job Tory would never grasp that concept would they?

I know plenty of self employed people and business owners who have the good sense and trust to train someone up to hold the fort while they take their holidays. And if they haven't the good sense to run their business affairs properly so they can have some rest and relaxation then perhaps they should look for a bloody job with all the extras that come with employment?  Can't have their cake and eat it, or perhaps you think they should?

Thanks for explaining how pro-rata holidays for part time employees work though. I wasn't quite sure

As for limiting damage to already tarnished reputations...your hypocrisy is something else. 

[IC1967]

You don't half talk a load of old cock. No one is forced to work an extra 10 to 20 hours overtime. You'd have done better to try to get the employer to take on more workers to help get the dole queue down. By condoning extra hours for workers you are culpable in destroying family life. There is more to life than earning money. Morally the correct thing to do is to take on extra workers.

Many self employed people can't afford to take holidays, especially in the early years of business. What is it you don't understand about this?

So to my main point still stands and has been backed up by me. Many people in the private sector get less holidays than those in the public sector. Fact. You have said nothing to disprove this and I have said plenty to prove my point.

So stop talking a load of old cock and come into the real world and just admit you were totally wrong. An abject apology will be immediately accepted.  I'll say no more on the matter and we can make a fresh start. 

[jonrover]

I'd rather rake out my own eyes with a spoon that lower myself to apologise to a complete dick head like you.

Again, you jump to conclusions. How do you claim to know that no one is forced to work compulsory overtime of 10 or 20 hours a week in this day and age? You flog shit and back donkeys you muppet. I've forgot more than you know about employment and industrial relations.

Its called contractually opting out of the WTD (illegal to do unilaterally but companies do get away with it thanks to the Tories denying employees the right to challenge it in Employment Tribunals through the fees they imposed) and to have to help the company contractually in busy periods as per the needs of the business. This is a part of many contracts of employment these days.

A large seafood company in Grimsby that I have visited as part of my current job regularly force its staff contractually to do 14 hours a week extra, every week, without fail with only 4 hours notice (2 hours a day and 4 on a weekend day of the companies choice). So, once again you've shot your mouth off and made yourself look like a prat.

In my previous job where I was a shop steward, the compulsory overtime was to cover peaks in business activity. So, are you telling me you'd argue to set someone on for a few weeks, three times a year and deny my members, most of  whom actually wanted some extra money to put away for a better family life - for  Xmas and holidays abroad - in the process, and then lay off all those you set on after the peak levelled out? Really?! Its you who need to get a grip!! You make sweeping generalisations thinking your some sort of expert and you time and time again make a complete tit of yourself.

Isn't it about time you gave up?