Dirty Lazy Council Workers

[Mike Grant]

I don’t have a pension at all. worked all my life and still can’t afford one.
So I will let you second guess my answer to that! 👿

[John Childs]

quote Phill:

(I have a private pension and I am not happy with it’s performance in recent years – what sort of action can I take to improve my lot :roll:)

Get a job on the council !!! :lol1:

[Chris Wool]

quote :

I do not have an opinion as such

the title kind of gave it away.

my pension is like my endowment package down the tube 😕

chris

[David-Foster-]

It goes as read now that we are going to have to work longer. Our financial institutions have messed up and private pensions are "up the swany". My girlfriend has an Equitable Life pension, ‘its an Equitable Life Henry" yeh right, for the bosses maybe.

Those wrongs shouldn’t be an excuse to downgrade everything else. Those workers, whatever you think of them, are trying to be shafted by this "Labour" Government to cover up their "balls up" on private pensions i.e. Make everyone equal!

I think most Council workers are not so much upset by the increase in working age, but the unfairness of singling them out from other Public Sector workers. Teachers, Police, Firemen, Civil Servants are "alright Jack". One rule for one etc.

Just think of your 25 year mortgage. If you were near the end of paying it off then suddenly told you would have to carry on paying mortgage payments for another 5 years you would not be happy.

Just another thought, the workers actually contribute a lot to their pension fund BTW. It is not a perk.

Be happy 😀

[Phill Fenton]

My point is this..

Why should council workers expect their pension funds to be subsidised by tax payers money. The tax payer doesn’t subsisidise any other pension funds so why should theirs be any different. My pension fund which I have contrinuted to for many years has not grown at the rate it would have done in the past – I ether have to work for lonfger or accept a smaller pension when I retire. A third option is to pay more into my fund. which these workers may also wish to consider (AVC’s).

No point in blaming the government when it is simple economics that are to blame. More people are living for longer and the working population that contribute to the funds are dwindling. The only answer is for everybody to work a few years longer – that’s what the rest of us will have to do.

30 or 40 years ago men retired at 60 and were dead by 65. Nowadays the average 65 year old is more like a man in his middle age and will live for another 20 years or so.

I’d hate to retire at 60 – I’d be so bored I wouldn’t know what to do with myself – but then council workers are not used to actually working anyway so retirement shouldn’t come as such a shock to them:-?

[Peter Normington]

Moral is, look after youself. council workers are doing just that, I know you cant go on strike Phil. but same principals apply, you have the intelligence and resources to ensure the remainder of your retirement is enjoyable. (I retired when I became self employed) I dont work now, I have a nice hobby that pays the rent 😀

Peter

(One of the grumpy old signmakers)

[John Singh]

I envision myself pottering around doing small jobs when I retire
Will I have a cut off date with party ‘n’ gold watch or will it be a gradual offloading to a comfortable ‘hobbylike’ state as per Peter’s thoughts. I fancy the latter

[Phill Fenton]

And another thing…..

Local councils thoughout Scotland recently increased their already bloated workforces with the addition of the "No Smoking Polizie" (council employees recruited with the sole purpose of enforcing the no smoking ban in public)…. The buggers have only worked for two days and they’re already out on strike with the rest of their council chums 😮

Smokers in pubs clubs and restaurants must be lighting up in their droves tonight throughout scotland secure in the knowledge that tonight is one night they can’t be harrassed by these fascists 😕

[Peter Normington]

I take it you dont smoke then Phil 😉

(beaurocracy gone even madder)

Peter

[John Childs]

I have strong views on final salary schemes. I think that they are an abomination and should be banned immediately and totally.

Why on earth do those that run an enterprise CHOOSE to burden themselves with practically unlimited liability in the form of pension payments to ex-employees? It’s beyond me.

Fair enough, look after the people that work for you, but an employer’s responsibility should end the moment the employee walks out the door, whether on retirement or to take up a better job elsewhere.

An employee will move on without a backward glance so why does an employer think that they should take on the responsibility of their welfare for the rest of their lives. It’s madness.

Final salary schemes are disgraceful in the public sector, but might be understandable given the lack of financial acumen possessed by those in the state’s employ, but why on earth would supposedly intelligent people running our largest private companies fall for it?

/rant mode off/

[John & Dawn Roddick]

As one of the "dirty lazy council workers" who spent today at home, I have to say that, for a change, I think the unions are right. I do not agree when they urge us to go out on strike for better pay, but feel that this is a whole different issue. People have paid into this scheme for many many years based on promises, correctly or incorrectly given by the government. Other pension schemes have been protected such as NHS, Police etc so where is the difference? Surely any changes should be for new entrants only – who can make a balanced decision on whether or not to join the scheme based on all the facts before them.

I would probably been better off at work today anyway, as I’ve just finished all the work I brought home with me yesterday!!

Dawn

[Phill Fenton]

Nice one Dawn – I ‘m releived to hear I’ve rattled at least one cage – thought I’d have rattled a few more mind you.

However, You’ve been brainwashed by your union – don’t get fooled by them and look at the bigger picture 😀

[John Childs]

Dawn,

I can see where you are coming from but I would contend that, as everybody else is having to re-assess their retirement plans in the new financial climate of lower bond yields, investment returns and increased taxation on pension funds, why should council workers be exempt? The decision on NHS, police etc was a political decision immdeiately before a general election, was wrong, and should be reversed.

I understand your point on new entrants and it does have some merit as a compromise, but many people have had their retirement plans thrown into disarray through no fault of their own by pension company failures, company bankruptcies etc etc. Again, why should council workers be immune to financial realities.

Surely you can understand why we normal people get upset at being forced to pay ever higher taxes to fund public pensions thereby reducing the amount of money we have left to fund our own.

[John & Dawn Roddick]

quote Phill:

Nice one Dawn – I ‘m releived to hear I’ve rattled at least one cage – thought I’d have rattled a few more mind you.

However, You’ve been brainwashed by your union – don’t get fooled by them and look at the bigger picture 😀

Phill

I have to say I smiled when I read your posts as it did seem you were out to rattle some cages!

[John Childs]

Here you go folks…….

As coincidence would have it I have received an annual pension statement this morning, from Standard Life as it happens. This bunch of financial geniuses have managed to increase my pension pot by the magnificent total of 2.2%.

So, in a year when the FTSE100 index has risen by 18%, all they have done is to keep my retirement pot in line with inflation. A decent building society would have doubled their performance.

If anyone on the public payroll want to exchange pension plans with me, even retiring at 65, I would be very pleased to hear from them.

[David-Foster-]

Dirt Lazy Lying MP’s…… beggars belief, oh and the timing… today..

"Taxpayers must pay millions more to fund MPs’ lavish pensions, the Government has announced.
MPs’ gold-plated retirement packages are to be topped up with an extra £1.2million a year – on top of the £13million taxpayers already pay for them annually…

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who has served nine years as a Cabinet Minister and 27 years as a backbench MP, can expect a generous pension package worth more than £55,000 a year – and a total pension fund of more than £1million."

(:) (:) (:)