to say this to all the teachers who are striking next week

[Memoo]

As a parent I am 100 % behind you.

I really appreciate that you put your life and soul into your job and im sorry more people don't get just how hard you work for the benefit of our children.

Don't let the bastards grind you down!

Do people really think that if teachers pensions are cut, blind pensioners will get the money instead? Really? More realistically, the choic e is between public spending (the devil's work) and private accumulation (rail travel, fuel show the general effect) Of course we should support the strikes, they're trying to defend our public services.

Do people really think that if teachers pensions are cut, blind pensioners will get the money instead? eh.......

We could elect an actual Government that will take from the rich to pay the poor.

Give me a break. Who do you think already pays the taxes in this country? Your few pence? Mine? No, the rich already pay most of the tax.

The problem is that there simply isn't enough rich people in the country to pay for everything we want to spend money on. Pension's being the biggest elephant in the room.

Exactly Lequeen. It isn't fair. It isn't fair at all that people signed up to pension's in good faith and now they can't have them. But if the money doesn't exist and it later turns out that the original deal should never have been offered, what you gonna do?

No amount of feet stamping and spitting your dummy out changes the situation.

Niceguy, but the NHSPS and TPS are taking in more than they pay out.

Increased contributions could fill the gap.

So how can we not afford these pensions?

Just adding my voice to the many here supporting the strike.

Very happy to face the irksomeness of childcare on Weds as a little bit of solidarity with public sector workers' cause.

I've just had a great idea. We should have some sort of "opposition" party, one that represented workers' interests -- we could call it the "Labour" Party perhaps. And its leaders could state the case for collective action and undermine the partisan narrative of the strike that the govt is ramming down our throats atm. Without such a party it is hard for the clearly enormous support for the strike to gain a focused voice.

Excuse me these surpluses include the amazingly generous employer (STATE) contributions

The money doesn't exist in the private sector??That's sooo weird, because CEO's last year got pay rises of something like 40%.
Energy companies reported record profits.
Was this, like, magic pretend money?
Amazing!

Oh, and the income in the UK from corporate tax is 2.8 % of GDP. As compared to Norways 8.2 %.
And many many companies essentially pay zero by having their "headquarters" offshore, and various tax loopholes and scams, as you must surely know niceguy?

Oh what's the point. People are determined to believe that suddenly there is no money in the world.
No, there is lots and lots, it's just that the economy is not growing at the moment, so those at the top have had to pull up the drawbridge sharpish so that they won't be affected, and the little guy (that's us by the way) can take the hit.

Public sector pensions underfunded by £770-1,176 billion (most actuaries favour higher figure. We will not get other countries (Russia, India, China...) to invest unless we can prove we understand our siuation. If we lose our credit rating any of the money (we have to borrow due to that pesky trillion pound debt along with structural deficit) we have to borrow is paid back at extortionate amounts (interest above 7% is considered unsustainable). Italy, Greece, Spain.... anyone.

OUR CHILDREN PAY

Public sector pensions =pretend money

iggly you may well have some valid points but you are coming across as slightly unhinged, so I think that's why people are ignoring you.

Okay these pension eg teacher.

Pay in 6.4% of salary the employer (yep that is the state) pays in 14.1% (of salary).

This is counted as the pension pot (the "in surplus" pot you keep refering to). VERY few private sector employers pay in that percentage (the average is 6% of salary).

The over all pension (eg teachers) is estimated to be worth circa 40% of salary (the short fall met by the state).

OUR CHILDREN PAY THIS IN INCREASED TAXES AS PEOPLE LIVE LONGR AND THERE ARE FEWER WORKERS TO SUPPORT PENSIONERS.

so employee pays in 6.4% of a salary to a pension worth circa 40% of salary

How are there fewer workers?

Ah forget it, I'm going to leave this thread. Wasn't quite how the OP had envisaged it I'm sure.

"How are there fewer workers?" in the past there were 4 workers to 1 pension as we age later there will be 2 workers to support 1 pensioner.

Money paid in already and benefits effectively purchased with it will be honoured. Just new payments will go into the new pension scheme.

If they don't strike now they will be walked over for years to come. The "talks" were deliberately prolonged by the government and potentially could have gone on for pretty well ever. These folk aren't striking for fun! Teachers are not only protecting their pensions, but the future of all our children. What kind of quality of graduate is going to want to become a teacher with the current package?

Already pay in many countries in both Europe and across the pond is much better. Talk to any teacher who has recently taught abroad if you don't accept this. Canadian teachers, for instance, are much better paid relative to Brits, and students there queue up to pay to get into college and get teaching qualifications because it is regarded as such a well paid job.
In the current economic climate we can't afford not to pay our teachers well - we need them, and we need them to be good quality. - Would YOU want to entrust your DS or DD to someone who was from the bottom of the academic pile?

The current offer on the table also allows all those within 10 years of retirement to stay on existing scheme till the end.

The only unfairness I see is the change from RPI to CPI. This is being challenged in court.

Pay looks pretty good to me. Esp when you pay 6.4% of salary into a pension estimated to be worth 40% of salary.

Teacher pay:
www.tda.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/salary/teaching-salary-scales.aspx

Please read if interested in the affordability of current public sector pensions, also options for alterations:

www.public-sector-pensions-commission.org.uk/wp-content/themes/pspc/images/Public-Sector-Pensions-Commission-Report.pdf

sorry converted:

www.public-sector-pensions-commission.org.uk/wp-content/themes/pspc/images/Public-Sector-Pensions-Commission-Report.pdf

Who do you think will benefit from teachers losing their pension benefits? Why not get upset about Branson's cut price bargain bank?

"What kind of quality of graduate is going to want to become a teacher with the current package? " Have you realised the generosity true expense of the current scheme.