To think that nurses who choose to strike over pensions will not get any sympathy from the general public??

[McQueasy]

Unison have voted to strike on the 30th, this means that nurses within that union have the choice to participate. As a result of this the NHS may have to operate as an 'emergency only' service for the day. Cancelling routine work, clinics, operations etc.

The governments pension proposals are ridiculous, in essence the average worker will pay between £50-£200 a month more towards their pension in what is realistically a levy. They will not see a penny of that when they retire (if they ever are allowed to retire as the age or retirement gets pushed back and back)

However, as operations, clinics and routine work is cancelled in an already stretched system, I cant help but think that public sympathy for this strike will be minimal.

Lassy how incredibly ignorant to suggest nursing is about wiping arses.

What is your job?

One suspects lassy is a Daily Mail reader...

Professional Nurse-wrestler and truth-sayer.

If wiping arses isnt one of the many things you do I'd be very surprised. What happened - did you 'outsource' to to another layer of public sector workers (who in turn expect their own overly generous pensions)?

Greedy at the trough AND too good to do the job. Well well well, whod have thunk it.

so Lassyarse - sorry Lass - you do not use NHS hospitals? You privately educate your children? I mean you PAY for what? a tiny tiny percentage of a nurses wages - probably about 2.5 days a year - so maybe you have a right to moan if that is ALL you use - if not - well we are all paying for you to access public services - so go private please :)

Nurses will have my support 100%. The majority of them are worth their weight in gold.

A lot of public sector jobs particularly within the NHS attract people who are not financial oriented. Most want to do their best for the patient and put the patient first. We should want to continue to encourage people into caring professions with this ethos - having experienced the nhs from both sides I would want the same level of care from a nurse that we experienced, caring and compassionate.

However we should note that many services are being asked to make large savings whilst still maintaining the same level of quality and care. This is no small feat. The effect will be huge.

People are rightly concerned about their future. I wouldn't deny anyone the right to strike under the conditions being currently offered. Anyone would.

I actually don't wipe arses. There's no need to where I work- doesn't mean that I wouldnt though. Its not 'beneath' me.

I dont think you can 'outsource' wiping arses can you????

You sound like a bit of a twat tbh.

Lassylass has to be a Daily Mail journo.

Oh, and Lassy, when you had your private sector perks I am sure the money spent on a bonus etc was offset by higher prices in that business. So you see I probably contributed to your bonus, office party etc.

Most nurses are busy checking obs, medication (which making a mistake could kill a person) making sure everything on a ward is done, dealing with admissions/safe discharges, ..... the list is ongoing.

Surely the question should be should we pay the people we ensure the care of loved ones be trusted and valued enough to give them a reasonably decent standard of living when they retire?

And actually 8k a year, whilst not being a bad pension, is hardly the lap of luxury

I have to be honest and say that, while I support my striking colleagues, I am pleased I am on ML and don't have to make a decision on a personal level. Although my union are spineless and haven't balloted on strike action anyway. I always said I would never strike (I'm an A&E nurse, not saying I'm any more valuable than any other nurses but it is harder to get experienced cover with the right skillset in our department), but then I never envisaged quite the financial shafting the government seems determined to give us. I did see something like this coming quite some time ago, when the campaign to lower public perception of nurses began in some less reputable sections of the media. This is what's making me think lassy is a Daily Mail reader, her opinion reads straight from it's filthy pages and is based on not an ounce of actual fact.

Sorry gordyslovesheep, but what has us all paying for access to public services got to do with golden handshake pensions?

We dont need to pay public sector pensions to get people to do the jobs. They would do it just for the pay. The only reason the pensions are still so generous is the unions protecting them.

Even the unions know they arent fair any longer, thus the old 'race to the bottom' bullshit they keep trotting out. Its not our pensions that are too good, its just yours are bad. So keep on paying for us while you cant afford to pay for yourselves.

Public sector/Bankers = greedy little piggies!

They get my sympathy, I think they are underpaid and undervalued.

Yeh because those pensions are ohhh massive my you are very deluded - oh and as a public sector worker (no pension can't aford one) I also PAY TAX like you - I don't however OWN every public sector worker as a result - do cop on love!

I'm not going to even attempt to respond to lassy's comments, as they are offensive and to my mind, border on trolling.

However, I would raise the following point which is aside from what is 'morally' right or what nurses and other public sector staff expect/signed up for.

As other posters have pointed out, many physical jobs in health care cannot be undertaken at an older age, especially if you have already done 20-30 years of that role. You will very rarely see a nurse who is 50 odd plus working on a ward, as the job is just too physical.

So, what does the government propose to do with this ageing workforce that cannot undertake the roles they are contracted to perform anymore?

Most people will be forced to take long term sick leave, which will cost a massive amount of money.

There are not lots of people waiting in the wings to take over these types of roles. Many nurses do not choose a long term career in ward nursing, as its really can be the hardest part of nursing. (No disrespect to my A+E, ITU colleagues, but they will know where I am coming from in terms of ward nursing not being the most glamourous option).

So, I predict a large number of staff that are physically unable to perform their role, supported by sick pay and very few others ready to take over.

Very, very worrying times ahead.

But the majority of public sector pensions aren't massive. And what is being proposed isn't actually paying into the pension scheme.

I would support anyone getting screwed over this comprehensively regardless of sector and profession. I like to think most people who value fairness in the workplace would do.

The average Local Government pension is just under £4000 per annum. Hardly gold plated! Yes there are of course people on much more than that but the majority don't get anywhere near the sums quoted by the media.
The problem with the strike is that the majority of union members themselves don't support it. Of the unison ballot, 78% supported strike action, which seems quite conclusive - but only 29% of the membership voted.
I would also point out that on top of our 'token' contributions, public sector workers also pay tax so we contribute to our pensions again that way.
Lassylass - you say the private sector doesn't ask the general public to fund their pensions, bonuses etc. Where do you think the money comes from? The profits that the company makes by charging the general public for whatever service they provide. We're all paying for each others' work pensions one way or another!

Well if we are going to get radical let's abolish the state pension then no-one is paying for anyone else's pension. (hmmm)

'' Oh - and private sector "were living it up with pay rises, bonuses, corporate events, gifts etc etc. " is fine, because they aren't asking someone else to pay for it This is the bit that keeps eluding many posters (or more likely they just dont give a shit).

My italics.

Not true. I understand I,m now in hock to the sum of ~£38K [so far] thanks to the bank bailouts. I'd have been interested in nationalising the banks when they were creaming it in - but not at all impressed to be lumbered with these struggling dinosaurs when they are haemorrhaging assets.

Think it's parts of the 'private sector' who don't ''give a shit'' about the cost to the country.

Privatise profit. Socialise debt. Great idea. Hah!!

I'm a bit about this talk of all public sector pensions being 'gold plated and all private sector employees getting perks such as bonuses and corporate events, etc.

Neither are realistic.

If only 29% of Unison members took part in the ballot for strike action, does that really mean 71% are not in favour? Surely those not in favour should (and could) have exercised their prerogative to vote against itI don't really understand this argument.

The private sector doesn't ask the general public to fund their pensions. That old chestnut again Last time I looked the general public didn't employ private sector workers. Like it or not, the general public - as the employer of public sector workers - has a responsibility to them. Shame someone doesn't enforce the private sector's responsibility to its own workers.

For information, local government workers do have a pension pot that is self funding and the taxpayer does not contribute beyond the initial employers contribution. Why they are being included in the Government's latest tax grab is a mystery to me (unless it really is nothing to do with the affordability of pensions at all, now there's a thought!)

And by the way every single last one of us is paying for private sector pension, bonuses and perks. We pay for those things every time we make a purchase, use electricity, pick up the phone, etc. Why are people being so damned ignorant about this?