Public sector pay rise demands unreasonable?

[stickershock]

I’m a nurse and outraged that we’ll only be getting (most likely) a 3% wage increase. I’m fully in favour of a strike action. But I’ve also just read that the junior doctors are planning a strike if they aren’t awarded a 22% increase 😮

We have all been losing wages year on year but 22% seems unrealistic. AIBU or have they got brilliant bargaining tactics?

You make some mass assumptions from my statements!

My street lighting etc is covered by my council tax. I use very minimal services was my point, you ignore all other points, and jump on one semantic.
My point was I pay a lot of tax, and relative to others, tax much less out. Of which I do not have an issue, however, you take what you will from that statement.

A 3 bedroom house to rent in my borough of London is £2000pcm plus. Housing is so, so expensive (and council tax!) that two adults earning 25-30k with children in childcare will struggle.

If those ppl on those salaries are struggling to live then spare a thought for those in the hospitality sector. The punchbag in the pandemic, who constantly got closed down while NHS staff had a blank cheque book written out for overtime. Notice you haven't commented on a public sector secretary in education, having nowhere near the quals that medical staff have but still earning the same starting salary. Public sector stick together.

It’s really not. Especially if you live in the south or a rural. However I must be wrong because there is no recruitment crisis in teaching, nursing, or stem based public careers. Unfortunately the “lower” ranks of the public sector are getting a bad deal and some are really struggling. It’s no wonder they’ve fucked off.

@fromdownwest

You said you don't use any public services which is obviously nonsense.

If you earn a lot you should be paying a lot of tax.

If you can afford to pay a lot of tax you can afford to pay your private sector employees a bit more then maybe they wouldn't be having such a tough time.

You clearly do grudge public sector employ being able to earn a de ent wage for the hard work they do.

Its coming through loud and clear in every post.

It's also coming through loud and clear how you don't give a shit about the bigger impact that's going to take place. Don't you just love the smugness of the public sector worker.

@Callingoccupants

Why should I care when the tories don't?

When big business doesn't?

When higher earners don't

Wow - Big bad Tory bingo right there!

How do you know high earners don't care? Happy to take their 45% 60% tax off them, is not them caring enough?

So we should care about the well being of public sector workers, but it is ok for you not to care about the big bad tory ridden high earning business world!

Also, I have never voted conservative.

Why is this a Tory Issue? We don't do negative action. We advocate the free market, where ppl, with pride, go out there and make a living, instead of relying on everyone else to fund it. Happy striking.

@fromdownwest

I never said you did. I wasn't replying to you.

The argument against increasing wages for lower earners is that it will increase demand and therefore increase inflation

Why didn't anyone care about that when it was higher earners

I've also not said you should care about the well being of public sector workers although, I'm not sure what that has to do with what I said

@Callingoccupants

You dont think the tories, aka the govt should care?

But public sector workers def should?

Huh.

Yep. Which is why there aren’t enough teachers, nurses, doctors and other stem specialists in the public sector.

I mean suits us, we can go private for everything if we so wish and relocate. Most of the population who need skilled teachers for their children, the NHS, functioning infrastructure and all the rest of it. Not so good for them when the young skill leaves the work force.

There is a lot of bitterness here, let it go. We are extremely well off but I can see how others are really struggling. Look up the word empathy you may learn something. Read beyond the right wing press and you may learn something.

I don’t think we can call the current sh*t show in charge a Tory government - I don’t know what they are, other than massively incompetent and corrupt

I don’t think we can call the current sht show in charge a Tory government*

Agree. Populist, yes. Tory, no. I’m sure Disraeli is doing headspins in his grave at this bunch of throbbers.

I think employees in the Public Sector have been trapped in a pay freeze for decades. This strategy has proven to be foolhardy as the increases need to be substantial to catch up.
Dp's company has done the same, repressed salaries for 10 yrs now they have to increase them in line with the competition. Dp has received 4 increases in the past 2yrs, totaling £4000 to incentivize her to stay but the company is still £6000 shy of market rates.
The problem is businesses and the public sector have used useless perks as a substitute for cold hard cash, the game is up.

Why is this a Tory Issue? We don't do negative action. We advocate the free market, where ppl, with pride, go out there and make a living, instead of relying on everyone else to fund it. Happy striking.

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

What I don't get, is that we need people to do the public sector jobs - nursing, teaching, cleaning, bin collecting, etc, etc. But apparently, the Tory idea is that everyone should just get better jobs. Why not value these jobs and the people doing them, and ensure they don't need to use bloody food banks or face eviction, by paying them a wage that will cover at least basic living costs?

And no one lives a life where they don't benefit from a cleaner (be it at the mall, the train station, the hospital (public or private) or the tube), or a bin collector. Have some respect. Have some appreciation.

Why are we making some of the lower paid in society bear the greater burden of the cost of the financial pickle we are in?

How about means testing the pension? Why are they so keen not to limit private sector increases and bonuses? But the cleaner and the nurse, the teacher, the signaller, they're just supposed to suck it up buttercup (again), for the good of the nation?

Why are they so keen not to limit private sector increases and bonuses?

Because it isn't in their remit to interfere with what private companies pay their staff, assuming those companies pay whatever taxes are due to the exchequer.

Whereas public sector pay comes out of tax payer money, so that falls under their responsibilities.

@TheKeatingFive

Because it isn't in their remit to interfere with what private companies pay their staff,

Ummm.

Yes it is.

We have a legal mw.

Of course the govt can interfere in wages

Of course the govt can interfere in wages

They can make laws. Companies can decide if they want to operate within those laws or move their business elsewhere. Governments act accordingly.

@TheKeatingFive

Aye cause that routinely happens

🙄

Aye cause that routinely happens

What you think companies don't structure operations in line with countries whose laws support how they want to do business? 😆

What's funny is, people lobbied for the min wage. Yet this has now become the default pay level across the board.
Now everyone is moaning.
Well no shit Sherlock.

@mbosnz the state pension for older pensioners is means tested to an extent. There is a huge swathe of pensioners who were responsible enough to try and save for an extra pension in retirement, only to find their efforts have put them marginally above the Pension Credit level. If they had just a basic state pension, they would be entitled, not only to increased income, but extra Cold Weather payments, free TV licences etc.

The two tier state pension is seen as unfair, as after 2016, its around £50 a week more, with fewer years of contributions required. A decent basic pension for all would remove these inequalities, and remove the need for means testing.

Oh yes because of course Labour always leave a booming economy behind. Winter of discontent all over again this is, if they had their way. Look beyond the left wing dream land ideology . You might learn something.