Public-sector strike: does it get your support? Please vote in our Facebook poll

[HelenMumsnet]

Morning.

We'd love to know how you feel about Wednesday's public-sector strike action. Does it get your support - or not?

We've put up a little poll on our Facebook page to help us find out. Please do click and vote.

Thanks v much, MNHQ

Work in the private sector but am ex public servant and absolutely support the strike. Your school may not have confirmed it would be closed until last Friday but come on, this strike has been proposed for months. You've had plenty of time to get provisional childcare in place.

I support the strike. And if I didn't before, Michael Gove's comments today would have convinced me to support the strikers. As previous posters said, I'm spitting mad that he said evil striking teachers would mean Mothers having to take a day off. What about fathers? Grrrr

in my team all three sets of parents of school age kids, the H's are taking time off. Not sure that comment would make me say 'oh ok then I agree with the strike' though.

www.teachers.org.uk/files/5064-pension-pamphlet.pdf

Leaflet there explaining why the pension changes will actually cost more in the long run. Basic premise is that cuts in pensions will result in more people claiming benefits in the long term.

Oh god these threads are frustrating.

1. The pensions are not in deficit at the moment. They WILL be in deficit when those currently in work retire while those currently retired are still alive. That is called forward planning.

1. School isn't childcare, but we do have to send the kids there. No-one has 365 days a year back-up childcare in place, unless their parents or similar live in the area, in which case you are bloody lucky. The rest of us have to scrabble together money and favours to cover sick days, INSET days etc. Doing it with 48 hours notice is a nightmare.

1. Of course not every public sector pension is enormous, just as every salary isn't enormous. You have to look at the proportion being paid out compared to what you pay in. Don't bring the bloody MPs up every time - there are 650 of them, compared to 2.6 million striking workers. They are an absolute nightmare for not walking the walk, but they make no difference at alll to the problem.

1. Contributions vs payout is the problem. In the public sector, you pay 6% for your working life, your employer (the state) pays in 14% of your salary. That is 20% of your salary for your working life, say 35 years. In the past, you would have lived maybe 10 years in retirement so, give or take, so that 20% of your salary would have covered 10 years where you were drawing out but not contributing. The longer you live, the more you take. MUCH more than the 20% you and your employer have paid in. In the private sector, the annuity is reduced so you would get less each year. In the public sector, the state makes up the shortfall. The state has no more money of its own, so CAN ONLY make up the shortfall by taxing your children more and more to pay the money out.

1. This is NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BANKERS. Absolutely nothing. Seriously, genuinely, you might not like it, but that is true.

1. Countries like Greece and Italy did not get into that poistion overnight. They have consistently spent more than they have made for years. We are the same. Harsh as it may sound, public services are actually the luxury of a well-managed, sustainable economy. Without the economy behind them, there will be no public services, whoever is in government. That is just how it works - you bugger up the economy and there is nothing left to spend on anything. It is the duty of government to stop this from happening. That is why even Ed M knows he cannot support the strikes as he knows that there is nothing else he could do if he was in charge.

1. Whether we like it or not, GB is no longer master of its own desitiny. China and the other cash-rich countries are calling the shots. If the govt can't make these changes of its own volition, we will be making them anyway within 5 years to the tune of our creditors.

1. So, no, I don't support the strikes. I have a public sector pension and it is my main retirement pension, so this does affect me personally, but I cannot condemn my children to a crap future just to preserve what i have with no change whatsoever.

1. Those of you in favour of the strike call yourselves socialists - how on earth can this be good for society today and in the future? It baffles me totally. I wouldn't dare to call myself a socialist and I just don't think I am up to the selflessness that real socialism requires. Reading lots of these posts, I think I am not alone.

Nantwich, just messaged you.

Yes, I support the strike.

I am striking, so I support the strike though I have been dubious about it.

I am most concerned about having to work longer. I know the pension itself needed to change and a final salary pension is unrealistic, but I don't think it's sensible for any of us to want people unwillingly working so late into their 60's in teaching/other caring roles.

No, I don't support the strike.

10. OH DEAR.

Numbered points aside I'm loving that the bankers had nothing to do with it, no really, that's a great one!

In total support of the strike.

Doraspackpack I don't think anyone is saying that they want to see no changes to pensions at all. But there is a huge gulf between no change and asking us to make a higher contribution for longer to get significantly less worked out in a different manner.

Dorasbackpack even Tory supporting headteachers who refused to strike last time are coming out now and saying that he pensions are viable for 50 years which covers the lot in work now . This is because if pension changes made a few years ago.

I am not saying that the pensions will be viable after that but the levels of cuts are not needed .

Dolly bird inset days come out of the teachers holidays and not the children's teaching time

Not on FB but I don't support the strike or the poor deluded strikers.

Don't support it - they should try working in the private sector for a reality check.

MrsFruitcake, I'd be grateful if you could explain the 'reality check' thing.

Yes, I support the strike - H and I are both public sector workers and will both be on strike - which is just as well as 2DC are not going to be at school either!

H and I are both graduates - both wanted to work in the public sector to share our knowledge and skills, to make a difference to the lives of others and contribute to society.

The wages in the public sector often do not match those in the private sector. For me, there are also no cash incentives (bonuses, overtime hours, expenses, flash xmas parties or functions etc..). This has never bothered me.

However, I do expect to be valued for the work I do and for the contribution I make to society. (Well, it's all about the big society - isn't that right, Mr Cameron? Oh sorry, my misunderstanding, what you actually meant was for people like me to provide their skills for free.)

I accept that many people are facing the pinch right now - private sector workers as well. But as someone else posted, 2 wrongs do not make a right. The government has propped up the banks and I feel we are all paying for this.

The proposed changes to pensions mean that I will pay more, work for longer and come out with less in the end. But for me the strike is, perhaps, representative of a wider issue. That is that this government places little value on the public sector and the work we do. It fails to recognise the contribution that we make to this society. No one wants to feel devalued but unfortunately, in the current climate, many in the public sector do. So for all those reasons I am willing to lose a days pay and stand up and be counted whatever the final outcome of all of this is.

I am going to be on strike. Under the new rules, I will be paying an extra 120 quid a month. I already have 60 coming out of my salary. I have been on a pay freeze for two years, which looks likely to be extended. Due to the fact that the government department I work for was paying significantly less than others, I have been on the bottom of my pay scale for six years, as they simply keep moving the minimum to play "catch up" with others. So a new graduate with no experience whatsoever will be earning the same as me - I've got over 20 years experience, some of it specialist. Oh and let's not forget the extra 6 years I'm going to have to work, to get less money than under the old scheme.

Meggles talks about cash incentives and bonuses. I got a bonus this year - 175 pounds. Before tax. It's almost laughable, isn't it?

ErpsKwerps - so you are going from paying 60 pounds to 180 pounds? All the other workers are complaining about a 50% increase in their contributions.

Ha ha @ overtime hours. I just moved to the public sector last week and this is the first time I've ever been paid for all the hours I work. My hourly wage is now significantly higher, even though my annual salary is lower.

I don't support the strike. I actually think it plays into the hands of the government by pitting public against private sector.

I don't agree with public sector cuts but I do agree that there needs to be some reform of the pension system. Not only is it not sustainable, but it is so far away from the retirement futures of those in the private sector.

And just as public sector workers shouldn't be punished for economic crisis, the general public shouldn't be punished for pension review. I suspect Cameron couldn't give a toss about tomorrow.

I, however, am self-employed, noone pays into my pension for me. However, I shall be losing a days pay, just before Christmas when money is already tight.

So I am losing support for strikers day by day.

I support the people striking, my only quibble is I think they would achieve far more by "work to rule" and am thinking of teachers especially here who do so much which is not seen. I am not a teacher but am a parent governor so I know how many are still working when I turn up for a governors meeting well after school hours have ended.

Not on FB but I support the strike wholeheartedly.

ScarletBanner yes, I was also at Gove and his 'mothers' remark. I didn't think it was possible to dislike him more than I already did!

Awayinamanger, very few people in the public sector get paid overtime hours. I have worked in the NHS for nearly 7 years working on average 10-15 hours unpaid overtime a week consistently since I started despite the fact that my salary while okay, is not exactly that of a high-flyer (14K initially, now on 20K). Perhaps your work hasn't piled up yet?

It's not just the public sector that has had pay freezes - my company froze wages, made people redundant, stopped all perks (including biscuits in meetings!), no bonuses (obviously), we never had overtime, had to sign the waiver of the working time directive etc etc etc - and it's not getting any better - there are a lot more people who are going to lose their jobs (in both sectors) in the next couple of years.

No, two wrongs don't make a right, but we are all in this together - everyone will have to pay in more and work for longer, probably to get less out because we are all living longer, and there will not be enough working people paying tax to support all of the pensioners due to the demographic bulge.

It has nothing to do with the bankers......!

No I don't support it.I'm self employed with no pension and will lose a days pay on Wednesday.