Fellow public sector workers: are you being balloted for strike action re pensions?

[Wigeon]

I'm a civil servant in the FDA union, which is balloting members for strike action on 30 November. I really have no idea whether to strike or not. The FDA is usually very conservative when it comes to striking, so part of me thinks that if they think it's worth striking over, then it's gotta be pretty bad. But then a quite substantial part of me just finds the whole pensions issue very confusing - is the government really attacking our pensions?

Is there any actually impartial information out there on what's going on?

For me personally this is a bit theoretical as I'm on maternity leave, so even if I vote to strike, I won't personally have to do anything (perhaps I could refuse to look after my DDs all day in solidarity?!).

Anyone else being balloted? What do you think about it?

Unison are balloting. I support the cause but am v doubtful the government will care whether we are there or not :(

I'm also not struck on Unison at the moment but am a bit restricted due to ongoing negotiations at work.

Do you mean that even if the strikes go ahead, the government won't listen or change anything, Harriet?

Evening bump for anyone else?

I don't know I am in the RCN but work in local gov, and would be a very lonely picket of one! I can imagine, what do we want? will sound a bit pathetic!
I am trying to track down my pensions man as both pensions NHS 18 and LG 2yrs make me contract out of state higher pension, I thought I heard that pension changes mean that all employees now qualifiy for more than the basic pension?? but I could have heard that wrong and when does it kick in if I am right?? also my Pension is tax deductable as they all are, so even paying more and at a higher rate oddly may mean I pay less tax, which seems mental to me as in they need my taxes for this hump, but oh! hang on! silly me! they are going to use my pension as well arn't they? just like they have for the past 20 years, silly me, silly girl, no wonder I need to be punished! I have only been contributing to the economy and that has been stuffed up by bankers! so my future must be changed.
PS I am 41 my retirement age has gone to 65 since I started nursing, they are now saying 67, so at that rate of interest I guestimate I will retire at 81ish, please remind me to empty my cathater bag when I do yours...

cathater? catheter, I am losing it already :) please don't point out all my other mistake it will only upset me :)

Actually I'd guess they do care if you're there or not but only in that if you're not there they don't have to pay you so they can reason they're getting the deficit down even quicker...

OP, look at the pension calculator on the FDA site. Mine worked out that under the proposed new regime, I would get £50 a month more pension, but my contributions would increase sixfold. It's a no-brainer for me: I will vote in favour of the strike.

I would have to work until I am 66, my partner would be 71. As he is ex army and now works shifts he is not expected to live past 70.

Happy retirement to us.

I will be on strike

Scarlet - thanks - I had attempted the pension calculator but got all confused. But your post has spurred me on to try again. I am confused by two things:

1. Since the birth of DD1, I have worked 3 days a week (and will when I go back from mat leave for DD2) but will at some point in my career probably go back up to 5 days. The calculator isn't sophisticated enough to work out figures for people who spent part of their career part-time.

2. How do you decide what the correct accrual rate is? Reading the blurb it looks like the government hasn't announced what the accrual will be in any new scheme - is that right?

Anyway, fiddling about with all these variables, it looks like my pension in the new scheme would be between roughly two thirds and roughly 9/10ths of my current pension (depending on how many days a week I say I work, and what the accrual rate is), but for roughly double the contributions. Hm. Doesn't look great, does it?

Wigeon I'm afraid I don't know the answer to either question. For accrual rate I just put the rate of the scheme I'm in now (I think different schemes have different rates) and I put my current working hours, although I will probably also go back to working ft once the dc are bigger. But even without exact figures, I think you can get the gist of what effect the changes will have.

Thanks Scarlett (at least my job has hardly anything to do with figures!). Yes, you're right, whatever I put in, my contributions double for a smaller pension, so I suppose that's my answer...

Oh dear, I am not in a union any more (just felt it was pointless after having no support from them on several occasions....) and I know onl;y what I have seen on the news/read in the papers about the proposed pension changes.

If I have to pay double my current contribution it will quite simply be unaffordable.... I can barely afford it at present with all the other outgoings/tax/childcare.

People think us 'public sector' workers are laughing when it comes to pensions but the reality is most people in my professional field have completely 'had it' by about 50 /55 it is just so demanding emotionally physically and mentally.

I just can't see how I can possibly carry on until 70 ish or how ever old the retirement age will be by then.....

Sooooooo depressing.......

shouldibe - not to panic you further, but did you see that Scarletbanner said that her contributions under the proposed new scheme could increase six fold (according to our union's pension calculator)? Mine "only" appear to double....

Time to join a different union to the one which gave you no support?!

I wouldn't panic, I think most people's will "only" double.

And there was a new improved offer today. Hardly any better for me but it might benefit anyone nearing retirement.

I still think there will be a strike

I'm in Unison, have been since the NALGO days but after this is over I'll be changing-not a decision I'm taking lightly as I'm not enamoured with the alternative, but IMO Unison have been beyond shite in the current dispute, and I don't see it getting any better.

And if I get more emails from my lazy git branch steward signed "Fraternally yours, Joe Bloggs", they will be printed off and rammed where the sun don't shine!

I'm a HCP.

With the new proposals my penion contributions ccould go up by nearly £100 per month for the rest of my career.

I would have to work until 67 (at least, it could go up again) and then when I do retire, assuming I live to my mid 80's (not unreasonable) I would receive over £20,000 less in pension during my retirement years.

So I pay in (much) more for longer and get significantly less.

I have voted in favour of strike action and seriously hope that my colleagues do too.

I'm in UNISON and work in the voluntary sector for a company that doesn't recognise unions for negotiating purposes. I have been to see my manager today and told her that I expect to be on strike on 30th, and taking the day off as unpaid leave.

I'm in PCS and we will be balloted. I will vote to strike as will the majority of my colleagues. We're all qualified finance professionals and could earn lots more in private industry. Even in this climate some colleagues have jumped ship and are now on higher salaries. But we've mostly worked our way up from being on the front line of our Dept and care about what we do. The decent - but far from gold plated pension - made up for the lower pay we have always had. When the decent pension goes there will be little incentive for anyone to join the public sector. This government are going to make it akin to voluntary work and public services will suffer as a result.

ilovesooty My lonely picket of just me, has increased as in I have found the union rep for unison, who will be on strike also, but he has told my admin that if she joins Unison they have a strike fund, for people who would be serverly out of pocket, which she would be she earns a paltry amount of money and her dh is very casual work, so she would stuggle, I have pointed out if she can't afford a day then she can't afford the new pension arrangements, I payed £178 this month on my pension, I would like to know the adverage the private sector workers pay for any pension and how many of them WE will be supporting in our taxes, as my DH earns 3 times what I do and he has only paid spasmodically a pension over the years, we worked out tonight he has paid about 7 years to a pension in his working life he is 45, and his employer pensions was actually better than mine, I am 41 and paid almost 20 years of pension and can only claim basic state pension, which is fair at the moment, due to our pension arrangements, but he could without me claim a higher pension and god knows what sort of benefits because he has made no provision, we Public sector are an easy tory target!

ilovesooty - what kind of voluntary sector organisation doesn't recognise unions?!

A friend of mine who is in the communications bit of the Cabinet Office (which is responsible for the negotiations) has told me that there's going to be a pensions calculator on www.civilservice.gov.uk in the next couple of days - will be interesting to see whether it gives the same results as the pensions calculator on my union's website!

I'm with Unison and will be striking on the 30th

To be honest, if I have to pay double what I currently pay (11%, but with some tax relief) I will be paying a whopping £250 a month. This is quite simply completely out of my reach.

It has been a real struggle to maintain the contribution I already make in the face of mortgae payments (live in a modest 3 bed semi but bought at height of boom like many people in my age group) childcare (nearly £700pm) and all there usual outgoings.

I think I would still stay in the scheme if I paid in the same but got less out, but I cant pay more to get less out.

What will happen to all the people like me who won't have a pension then, ultimately this is so very shortsighted as I anticipate people will simply find 'crwative' means to provide for them selves into old age, will rely more and more on the state or liquidate any assets they have early in retirement, live on the proceeds for as long as poss and then, again, fall back to the governement/welfare state from then on in. No-ones a winner!!