Anyone else fearful that the 5% pay cut given to Cabinet ministers will be passed down to all public sector workers?

no overtime in my nhs trust but we can claim time off in lieu

Just a small point about pensions. The institutions that buy and sell our debt and that our pushing us towards these cuts are, in the main, pension funds.

As a teacher workng in the public sector and earning just shy of 40K I would be happy to see a short term pay cut for people on salaries like mine, up to about 10%.

As for suggesting that the public sector not being hit, I have worked in a school where they were laying off staff left right and centre because of crippling budgets.

Quattro - you make the point about pensions very neatly. Like you I'm on a 20% contribution. I know public sector pensions are not the final salary non-contributory joys they once were but they are in the main, massively more generous than private sector ones.

Other perks my ps friends get (I don't begrudge them at all unless they whinge ):

• pretty flexible in terms of hours - no one really seems to mind if you take a few hours when it's a bit quiet
• claiming every extra second as overtime (even at managerial level)
• really good holiday allowance
• for some of them, a secure job for life.

If the public sector get away with 5% they'll be doing well, if there are cuts as opposed to the pay freezes talked about. The cuts in Ireland have been deep and I hope by keeping out of the Euro we can avid them here.

Labour incidentally went to the EU for a legal opinion on their position if they stopped paying public sector pensions last year. They were told no dice.

Dh retires from the Forces in just under 4 years; I am assuming his pension won't be touched as he is close to leaving, but he may get made redundant in the meantime. It may be too political to axe HM Forces pensions, even if the pay is frozen or cut. I can't see that they can do this retrospectively, and I don't think it would be tried as it would cause hassle with the unions.

the public sector has been hit hard too - the media just don't focus on it because it's not cool... it's far more interesting to focus on the minority in the public sector than publish the truth

my team was reduced by 60% 2 years ago and no we don't do that much less

you can complain about public sector workers being protected, but its cuts in this area that will have serious consequences to people's every day lives

Cargirl - not a million miles away from DEFRA but we never had a tennis courts, football pitch or goat paddock as far as I know!

Agree Meita

aarghhelp, dh has paid in for 13 years and they HAVE changed the terms, no final salary scheme and various other stuff - didn't want to read it tbh too depressing - that's my pension too and we've both paid AVCs into it as well.

The public sector here have in Ireland have alewady had large pay cuts and additional income levies have been imposed too ( taxes). So, brace yourself, I'd say they will be coming to the UK soon.

well I have paid for my pension for nearly 20 years. I don't see how they can change the terms now.

Not recently Vic, at our local store there is consistently not enough staff (no store vacancies it's not a recruitment issue), new staff all employed on completely flexible hours etc etc etc. In the post office section they have been understaffed since it opened because it doesn't bring them in enough profit!

Soon need to take your own loo roll in.

My friend works in the private sector doing 3x8 hours shifts and was told she was being changed to work 6 x 4 hour shift to remove to need for her to have breaks. . So no breaks and double travel expenses on the minimum wage.

What about private sector such as footballers!

CarGirl: do you or have you ever worked for Tesco? Just as a matter of interest.

The thing that will go, for sure, is public sector pensions. I'm personally quite sorry about that as DH works in the public sector, but it's inevitable IMO.

DH's pension costs him 4% of his salary

My pension (in the private sector) costs me 20% of mine. Big difference

Actually who we should really rant is companies the likes of Tesco, making huge profits and treating their staff like sh*t

Having your pay frozen and keeping your job are also co sidered luxury in the public sector
you see what I mean?!!

Bonus?
Well today my bonus was looking in to the eyes of somebody I'm really quite fond of and seeing only despair and panic looking back at me.

I don't give a fig about pay cuts. It happens, it will be hard (both dh and I are NHS employees) but we'll manage. I don't care about it because you can't pay me enough anyway to do and see and be what I am.

My salary puts shoes on my childrens feet and buys holidays and nice things and pays bills but it isn't what I'm worth. The NHS is massively in my debt already - and in debt to every single one of my amazing colleagues who keep gritting their teeth and making things happen. So we'll add a bit more to the debt - meh.

I would rather have a pay cut than turn somebody away from treatment. These are tough times but not that tough.

BTW - I'm an NHS manager, we're not all souless wastes of space

So it's just the same in the private and public sector

so why do people keep saying 'it's your turn now to suffer' when we already are!!

compo - redundancy and forced early retirement and short tim eworking are common plac ein te private sector. Having your pay frozen and keeping your job is a luxury in some parts of the private sector.

Pay cuts are common across the private sector now.

I agree that there are huge salaries within the public sector but the people at the bottom end are paid a pittance and unlike the private sector there is no hope of negotiation for a bonus/pay rise if you've done particularly well, or say qualified as an accountant, nor is there much/any regional difference in pay so in the SE in particular you are very poorly paid but if you work say in the NE you've have a well paid secure job.