To think that people should be allowed to strike

[Kissmybaubles]

I get it causes inconvenience, and there has been lots of strikes lately Royal Mail, railway, nurses and now paramedics.

I caught on the news this morning that the government are looking to put a stop to strikes. I just don’t think it’s right to take aways peoples right to strike… These people work hard and deserve a decent wage.

AIBU?

Metabigot · Yesterday 23:27

Er we do tax wealth at 45% over £100k I think? Not sure I know exact numbers.

That's earnings, wealth is classed as assets and money in the bank etc. It gets tricky, because if you have a millionaire with several houses, you'd think that they could probably afford to pay something, based on that.

Then again, if you have an old couple, who bought a house for £20,000 in the 70s and is now worth a million....

We bought our house 30 years ago. In a desirable part of London so it's now worth a million but we are both on average wages and will struggle with energy and food costs as much as others this year. We wouldn't be able to pay tax on the asset. We already pay more than £3k in council tax.

@Metabigot Wealth is different to earnings. Paye earnings have 40 and 45 % tax rates, but the tax rate on dividends and capital gains is lower. Plus many many high net worth people use all sorts of schemes to avoid tax of this kind.
Overall real term wages have fallen since 2008 (by about £900 and for public sector this is worse 5k less for nurses since 2010). Wealth however (for some people) has increased.A family at the 80th wealth percentile has seen wealth increase by 37 per cent between 2006-08 and 2018-20, while a family at the 40th wealth percentile has seen no real wealth increases.

Won’t make much difference.
public services will be crippled if staff decide to simply work to rule.

@Twentypast Primary residence is exempt from capital gains tax and so I can't think that that exemption wouldn't stand for a wealth tax.

Capital Gains Tax is the solution here. Tax the appreciation when the asset is sold (if you're not using the funds for another primary residence). I think that some countries use it instead of inheritance tax, which means that you aren't having to sell granny's treasured heirlooms to pay a tax bill, but do still pay for the unearned income when you liquidate the assets.

100% support for the strikers today ❤

DrManhattan · Today 08:04

100% support for the strikers today ❤

From me, too. Just look at the dishonest reporting, so many people think that it's the drivers, not the low paid ancillary workers. People think that all drivers are on £65,000 a year, too.

Sickness in the public sector is incentivized and comparatively high in relation to other sectors.

Police, fire services, nurses, social workers, teachers are often working with the margins of society dealing with people facing distress and adversity and trauma on a daily basis, which takes it toll. The two times I've had longer term sick leave it's been as a direct result of my work - vicarious trauma is a huge risk for first responders and social work/social care staff. The reason sick leave is higher is because the work places relentless demands on people without sufficient support.

I'd love to know how you think people are incentivised to go off sick - do you mean they get paid for their absence, often caused by the very work they're doing?

Never heard such drivel.
You're defending long term sick pay because you needed it.
There are roles much more intensive than working in the public sector. In fact private sector health care doesn't have the same issue. People in construction, directors etc.

I have no issue with pay increases but the public sector has significantly high level of malingerers.

@PrincessConstance evidence or just a feeling ?

Ons stats-NHS Electronic Staff Record.
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/labourproductivity/articles/sicknessabsenceinthelabourmarket/2021
digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-sickness-absence-rates/july-2022-provisional-statistics
The public sector has sickness rates significantly higher than the private sector. Nhs rates are nearly double of the average public sector. Ambulance service's sickness rates are between 9-10%.

So every month the NHS averages 72000 people off work. Staggering.
Cut sickness rates in half and the staff shortages won't be as serious or felt across the service.

I still support the strikes as we've had significant salary suppression over the past 20yrs. Times up for public and private sector companies. This yr my company has had to rise salaries to attract new recruits. My old role has seen a 20% pay increase just to attract applicants.

Raise not rise.🙄

I’ve worked in the public sector.

I’ve met public sector workers who’ve gone sick , because they knew they get paid in full still.
I knew of one guy who worked in the civil service, he’d been there about 18 years. He went off so much, they eventually tried to get rid of him by paying him off.

So he was rewarded with a generous lump sum and will get a pension when he’s 60 in a few years time.

The public sector reward bad employees.

I have worked in both public and private sector.

I would say both have the same issues, In my first job in a Car Companies finance arm I didn't see a member of staff for 18 months as he was signed off sick and would work an odd day to 'reset the clock'. It was a generous private company - full pay for six months if sick, he had done this for years apparently.

I have worked in both sectors, both had their issues. What I noticed most in the public sector was the difference between departments, some were very well run on a few staff, other departments I worked in there was not enough work to go around - which was one of the reason I left altogether. It is sole destroying not having enough work. That also leads to the question as to why where there 8 of us to do the work of 3 people...