My husband is 57 and has worked in the public sector for 36 years. He is nearly blind in 1 eye due to the effects of an auto-immune disease and with nearly 30 years experience as a fully-qualified Chartered Chemist is still paid less than a newly qualified accountant. His pension is identical to those that used to be offered by private sector schemes in companies such as Unilever, Littlewoods etc.
No matter how much his pension is, 50% of b all, is still b all, and represents deferred salary.
Despite increasing responsibility, for most of the 1980's he received no increases in salary, and now that fixed pay scales have been abolished in the organisation where he works
he receives rises that are less than inflation. The performance percentages are skewed in favour of employees with less experience, and therefore lower salaries, who can be relied upon to approve them.
Each month, after mortgage, council tax etc are paid we have £200 to buy food, petrol etc. Hardly a 'jolly'. The latest proposal would reduce his pension by 33% if he left 8 years early as a fine, and would force all staff to take a cash lump sum rather than provide a larger pension for partner/children after their death.
Rule of 85 - yes in theory, in reality it doesn't exist.
Sorry it this reads like a rant, but he wouldn't even take time off when given a sick note for acute glaucoma a he reckoned he could still see well enough out of 1 eye!! He was also asked to go into work the day of his father's funeral as his boss at the time preferred to sit in his office all day writing text book rather than manage a laboratory!!