Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Politics
Original poster

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

186 replies

JackiePaper · 13/05/2010 17:40

It's not looking good is it, both me and DH work in the public sector, and if we get 5% pay cuts, NI goes up 1%, Tax credits are cut and VAT increases to 20% i don't actually think we will be able to afford food

OP posts:
MammKernow · 13/05/2010 18:38

LadyBiscuit - it is the traditionally female jobs in the private sector that skew the wage comparisons so much. If you remove the hospitality and catering jobs from the figures, then the private sector average is massively higher than the public sector.

I'll try and find the link to the stats...

pinkteddy · 13/05/2010 18:36

here we go - what happened to protecting the NHS

sarah293 · 13/05/2010 18:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

LadyBiscuit · 13/05/2010 18:30

I don't think all public sector pay is equal. Unfortunately it is the traditional female jobs - like nurses and care workers who are still on horribly low pay. Whereas senior management in hospitals are earning six figure salaries. I hope they do get pay cuts. I haven't had a pay rise for three years, no bonus and many of my colleagues have either been made redundant or forced to work a four day week to keep their jobs. And don't even talk to me about pensions.

The public sector has carried on as if the recession hasn't happened when it comes to senior jobs which is a bloody joke.

pinkteddy · 13/05/2010 18:29

I would strongly advise anyone who works in the public sector to join a union pdq. I suspect large chunks of the public sector will be privatised (and pay and terms and conditions reduced).

Both tories and lib dems said they would reduce public sector pensions so expect your pension to be raided sometime soon as a way of reducing spending.

seb1 · 13/05/2010 18:26

Haven't Spain's public sector workers been had a 5% pay cut. Guess it will come here too.

ooojimaflip · 13/05/2010 18:24

Because public services have had more money, they haven't had to get more efficient. That is what they will need to do now. It will be very difficult.

fembear · 13/05/2010 18:22

It was in the news this morning:

Spending on police overtime in England and Wales increased by 90% over the past decade, the independent Centre for Crime and Justice Studies says.

The overtime bill was nearly £400m last year, even though there has been a record rise in the number of officers.

ooojimaflip · 13/05/2010 18:21

sorry linky
www.rcn.org.uk/support/payand_conditions/pay_rates_2009_-2010

nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=4

ooojimaflip · 13/05/2010 18:20

A quick google suggests Nurses are on 17-26K (Bands 4 and 5 so I'm only including what to my uneducated eye looks like non-specialist but fully qualified nurses)

Not a fortune granted, but in line with private sector salaries I would say.

www.rcn.org.uk/support/pay_and_conditions/pay_rates_2009_-_2010

www.nhscareers. nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=4

pickledmonkey · 13/05/2010 18:18

give an example nancy? what sort of jobs are over staffed?

Nancy66 · 13/05/2010 18:16

the public sector bleeds money.

It's massively over staffed and wasteful - there need to be huge cuts and that was made pretty clear before the election.

EdgarAllenPoll · 13/05/2010 18:14

yup...wage freeze and recruitment ban here too. but in the private sector...

if i was doing a comparable job in the public sector i'd most likely earn £1k more pa too (i know this from co-workers who have worked for HRMC/ the council..). never mind having a pension guaranteed by the state..rather than one that lost 85% of its value last year!

we don't have good times ahead, in either sector.

Original poster
JackiePaper · 13/05/2010 18:13

the NI increase is being introduced for employees, but not for employers. (typical tories)
They can't cut my pay by much as I only earn a few pence above the minimum wage, but Dh will be seen as middle income, but his salary has to supprt the whole family, and we will be screwed if they cut it by 5%.
Unfortuately we earn enough to not recieve any help, but not enough that we have any spare money or can shoulder pay cuts without food/electric/petrol having to give. I think it is these low to middle income families who only earn enough to scrape by who are going to feel the brunt of these cuts.

OP posts:
pickledmonkey · 13/05/2010 18:12

it's just so depressing. we've had overtime ban for coming up two years now and lots of people relied on that for basic day to day living. if more cuts are made what are people meant to do exactly?

MintHumbug · 13/05/2010 18:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ladylush · 13/05/2010 18:08

ooojim - it depends on the job I guess. Frontline staff such as nurses, OTs, etc. don't get much.

compo · 13/05/2010 18:08

It's comments like chil's tho that rile me cos we have had pay cuts and freezes and staff cuts

TotalChaos · 13/05/2010 18:07

both me and DH work in the public sector and I'm more concerned about us having jobs this time next year, rather than a pay cut.

fembear · 13/05/2010 18:07

From the Office for National Statistics:

The percentage difference between the median level of full-time earnings in the public sector (£539 per week) and the private sector (£465 per week) widened over the year to April 2009, following annual increases of 3.1 per cent and 1.0 per cent respectively.

ooojimaflip · 13/05/2010 18:06

compo - there is no evidence that TA's have improved outcomes, and some that they have reduced them. There needs to be more analysis of where it's best to spend the money. Breakfast clubs have a clearer immediate benefit.

MintHumbug · 13/05/2010 18:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ooojimaflip · 13/05/2010 18:04

Ladylush - that is no longer true. Average salaries in the public sector are now higher than in the private sector.

RooBear · 13/05/2010 18:01

we've also got a recruitment ban of 2 years so we take on the jobs of those who've left, i'm terrified to take too much mat leave in case my colleauges resent me for giving them more work

compo · 13/05/2010 17:57

It's unfortunate that many private sectors think all public sector workers get bonuses on golden pensions
they won't be happy though when their children are taught be one teacher to 35 kids with no ta
that their kids can't go to breakfast club anymore so they have to quit work
or their bins get emptied once every three weeks
and their local library is closed in favour of a mobile library visiting their area once a month