This is not a bash the Public Sector piece but the facts on what Unions have so far been arguing about and what was essentially being negotiated when the strikes took place, and what is likley now to be agreed.
For Civil Servants - After 40 years a pension of 90% of their average career pay allowing for inflation based on the Consumer Prices Index. .
For the NHS - After 40 years a pension of 74% of their average career pay allowing for inflation based on the Consumer Prices Index plus 1.5%.
For teachers - After 40 years service a pension of 70% of their average career pay allowing for inflation based on the Consumer Prices Index plus 1.6%.
Local Governement terms still being dicussed will be similar, but no increase in contributions will apply.
The current terms where better will apply to service already completed. Employees shortly to retire will be fully protected against any worsening of starting pension.
This needs to be seen in the context of the traditional gold plated public sector pension of 66% of final salary at age 60.
Many will not or cannot work for 40 years of course, and the % will be lower.
Retirement age will increase in lione with State retirement age, with each year of deferrnent earning additional pension.
Contributions will increase at various rates agreed for each scheme, averaging 3.2% spread over three years and with easements for lower paid. Currently Civil Servants pay between 1.5% and 3.5% of pay.
There is no point in criticising Public Sector workers for what they have, feelings have already been well aired, I would just like to understand why a strike was necessary to secure what was largely already on the table. It looks to me like Unions using public sector employees to advance their wider agenda. Were Public Sector employees shown anything positive about the proposed arrangements? I really would like to know from any directly involved.
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Nevermind the details but I wish people would get away from the idea that Unions use their members to do one thing or another. Unions are their members and they do noting without their guidance. A union can not even begin to contemplate a strike without members voting for one. Even the very fact of being able to vote has to be instructed by the members.
What possible agenda can a union has which is 'its own' and not its memebrs?
DRF - I didn't think that 'wider agenda' comment was worth commenting on. As you have pointed out, it was nonsense.
I think that PCS has been sold down the river by the other Public Sector unions. It strikes me that very little ground has been given by the Government and they have kowtowed.
So you are at 45% and counting if my mental arithmetic is correct.
Scrub that! 35 and a bit% and counting!
If you were striking it was against the new AVERAGE SALARY scheme. For Civil Servants its 1/44th of average career salary i.e 90.9% for 40 years.
Just proved my point that the Public Sector didn't know what they were striking over.
Copied from the press release:-
The new offer features changes to accrual rates - the rate at which a pension builds up - and how the existing pot is revalued while an employee is still working, to guard against inflation. The terms include:
In the civil service, the accrual rate will be 1/44th of salary, revalued each year in line with the consumer prices index (CPI).
In the local government scheme, where negotiations have different parameters, the pension age will be linked to the state pension age but a new career average scheme will be introduced in 2014 - a year earlier than the others - and there will be no increases in employee contributions for all, or the vast majority, of members
In the NHS, the accrual rate will be 1/54th of salary each year, revalued in line with CPI plus 1.5%.
In the teachers' pension scheme, the accrual rate will be 1/57th of salary each year, revalued in line with CPI plus 1.6% each year.
Not sure your figures are right.
Anyway, do you mean 'gold plated public sector pension', in the way that people use 'gold plated private sector salaries'?
At least try posting about football or a would ya once in a while before coming on here stirring this all up again a few days before Christmas. Negotiations are still ongoing, why not wait, until after before coming on to push your own agenda again???
Merry Christmas btw!
Merry Christmas
I will state again - if you are a public sector worker and don't like the new terms offered then leave the scheme & pay your contributions into a private pension instead. No one is forcing you to accept the new terms. You are not legaly obliged to join or stay in the pension scheme.
See the article below for details.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15551702
Entrenched views huh? Like when you say public sector pensions are 'gold plated' (see your opening post), would you describe that viewpoint as a 'fact'?
Perhaps people who resent public sector workers getting a decent pension have been 'hoodwinked' by anti public sector workers propaganda.
My other viewpoint is that Public Sector workers went on strike with little knowledge of the facts, just a vague idea they were being robbed because that is what they were told. I haven't heard anything that changes my viewpoint, the facts speak for themsleves and are not a viewpoint. What I resent is unnecessarily holding the country to ransom and calling a strike on false pretences. Wouldn't disagree that the anti-public sector propoganda is just as misinformed, and too much emotion has been invested on all sides.
Going away for Xmas now to spend my plastic plated pension.
You say there is no risk of not getting paid what is promised ! What on earth do you think this dispute is actually about. The fact here is that the government want to change what was promised. That is the fact.
The use of your word 'unreasonable' above...is that a 'fact'?
No, you say it is your viewpoint. I disagree with you however, because the services we get from the public sector are very cheap compared with the private sector. Earlier (on another thread) I compared the cost of private childminding/childcare with schooling, and concluded that state schooling is a bargain.
Lewisham Council took away an old bed, matress, sofa and armchair for me at a cost of about £14 (plus vat) within an hour of calling them. I guess that getting that done privately would have been much more, with the possibility of the items being fly-tipped as well!
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