Really curious as to what peoples views on on this are...
As you're probaby aware, the teachers are on strike tomorrow, and it probably won't be long before the councils strike, (binmen/libraries/community centres and so on...) All this is because of how they are narked off with their pensions being affected (ie; they're being asked to pay more in, and will more than likely not get what they were promised/expected.) Also, they are being asked to take a pay cut and have their working conditions altered slightly. And there will probably be redundancies too.
So what is your general view about public sector workers? Especially those who work for the council/local authority?
Do you think...
It's very unfair that they are expected to take these pay cuts and have their pension affected, because even though they have a pretty good job with a good employer and probably a few more perks than they may get in the private sector, it's still not fair to 'blame' them for the job they have have, and have had for many years.. so yes I do fully support them and think it's wrong that they are being treated this way...
OR do you think...
They need to get over it and deal with it; 100s of 1000s of other people in private sector jobs have had to suffer cuts and redundancies; and often not only a reduction, but sometimes a total loss of pension. The public sector are already in priveleged positions, and they are abusing this, by striking, because they are simply experiencing things that everyone else is having to endure. I mean, they can bring the country to its knees if they want, to try and get their own way, but nobody else can do that. They are being unfair and demanding, and why should they think that only they should be immune to austerity measures?
Or do you have another view?
To be honest, I am really on the fence, because I have worked for the public sector in the past, and wherever I have worked, there always seemed to be an office full of people, maybe 15 or so, and half of them really did very little half the day, and took 2 hour lunches and 10 fag breaks aday, so I do think that the public sector has been over subscribed for many years, with many 'non-jobs,' and this is why they're being 'culled. And I have known a few people who work for the council, and have done for 15-20 years or more, who are somewhat smug about their 'cushy' job, their high wage, their 35 vacation days (in some cases,) their monster pension that they were going to get, and all the perks they have..
But I also feel a bit sorry for them because its not their 'fault.' I mean, who wouldn't want a job that was quite cushy, with good pay, and a whopping pension pot? And loads of people who have got used to a certain paypacket are going to possibly end up not being able to pay their mortgage/debts/ finances and so on that they took out with their old income..
My friend says that they can always sell one of three or four cars that they usually have in the family, or their caravan, or cut down from 3 holidays to 1 a year, and shop at Asda instead of M & S, and buy their clothes from Tesco instead of Next, and come into the real world like the rest of us!
Opinions?