Public Sector Pay Increases

In my little corner of the civil service, good workers are leaving for more money elsewhere and our low rates of pay mean the replacements are pretty poor, so we end up employing two rubbish people to do the job of one good person. We're paying two people 90% instead of paying one person 120%, all in the name of saving money.

I like my work and really don't want to leave, but if it carries on like this I'm going to have no choice.
 
Another below inflation rise for me (pay cut) that's over 12 years now. First it was the financial crash and austerity (all in it together, that was a good one), brexit, covid and now inflation spiral. Wonder what the reason will be next time.
Billionaires and millionaires making money, companies still making profits, dividends being paid out but the workers get peanuts. Capitalism eh
 
We also need to remember that this public sector pay offer covers only about 25% of the public sector workforce.

Things like the local government pay awards are done separately.

Therefore we will see over the coming months an increasing amount of thoroughly sick public sector workers and mass strikes could follow.

I work in local government and am in Unison. I've always voted against strikes as it felt like the increase we got as part of strike action in the past didn't justify the risk posed to the public we serve. But enough is enough. My local authority are talking about a 2% pay increase which is an insult given the rate of inflation.

Add to this that we're all now expected to work in a hybrid model with a large part of the week working at home and the increase in utility bills this brings, with no contribution to this from the employer, and the fact that most of us are doing 50 hour weeks for 37 hours pay, and the above poster is correct...people can only take so much.
 
Corcaigh_the_Cat said:
Increase taxation for those taking most out of society, that's the fairest way.

Corporations are making profits because their workforce can commit themselves to their employer knowing that the public sector are looking after what's going on in the background.

It's time a rebalance was made and that those fleecing society paid back in kind.

What do you think should be done?
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Ltd company contractors avoid certain levels of personal income tax don’t they?

Though I agree, large corporations should pay their fair share instead of being allowed to avoid / negotiate the amount they pay (Amazon/google/Starbucks etc)
 
I'm not going to strike. I'm going to leave. It's getting to the point where I am better off sitting on housing benefit. Thinking of living the high life for a year, spend all the thousands I have saved up for a house I will never be able to afford. Then sponge on benefits for the rest of my life.
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
I'm not going to strike. I'm going to leave. It's getting to the point where I am better off sitting on housing benefit. Thinking of living the high life for a year, spend all the thousands I have saved up for a house I will never be able to afford. Then sponge on benefits for the rest of my life.
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Can you just withdraw it and keep it under the bed? Say you gambled it away?
 
Heard some ministers talkking about wage rises causing inflation and implying they are to blame. Current inflation has nothing to do with wage rises as they well know. It would take very high increases to add to the current inflation. At the same time a lot of them are talking about lowering tax which tends to cause inflation to rise.
 
NZBoro1 said:
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Satire has played an important role in British history.
From Shakespeare to Spitting Image it's important to mock the ruling elite,and hold those to account,shining a light on
politics and power.
It's a real shame we don't have more of it around today, there's certainly plenty of material,but very little on TV.
Perhaps another way the establishment has smothered decent?
 
Nano said:
Not seen any conversation about this yet. As expected massively below inflation pay rises given out. Pay cuts for all, significant pay cuts for many.

Works out as just over 2% for me. Won't even cover 1/4 of my energy bill increase never mind all of the other costs. Another kick in the balls after a decade of below inflation rises.

Can imagine there will be widespread dissent and quite possibly industrial action.

Also expected that the pay rises will be funded out of existing budgets which is another cut to NHS and other public sector services. NHS have only had budgets inflated this year by 2.7% which is nowhere near enough to cover inflation even without pay increases.
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All part of the plan mate - destroy the middle classes and small businesses
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
I'm not going to strike. I'm going to leave. It's getting to the point where I am better off sitting on housing benefit. Thinking of living the high life for a year, spend all the thousands I have saved up for a house I will never be able to afford. Then sponge on benefits for the rest of my life.
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A life on housing benefit really isnt living the high life

Do you write for the daily mail by any chance?
 
northernrower said:
Out of interest, how do you expect the pay increases to be funded if they're not raised from cutting existing budgets?
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By taxing income generated by wealth in the same way the Government taxes income earned through work.

If you work a 40-50 hour week, spending 2 hours a day commuting, working overtime when available and, as a result, earn £50,000 in a year, your total tax bill would be £12,535.

If you own a share portfolio that pays you £50,000 in dividends each year and fill your days by playing golf, your total tax bill would be £3,100.
 
Billy Horner said:
By taxing income generated by wealth in the same way the Government taxes income earned through work.

If you work a 40-50 hour week, spending 2 hours a day commuting, working overtime when available and, as a result, earn £50,000 in a year, your total tax bill would be £12,535.

If you own a share portfolio that pays you £50,000 in dividends each year and fill your days by playing golf, your total tax bill would be £3,100.
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It would be £0 if that was in an ISA which it could be with less than 20 years of maxing out contributions with a 7% return which is feasible for anyone on a big salary (or with inherited wealth).
 
El Guapo said:
Ltd company contractors avoid certain levels of personal income tax don’t they?

Though I agree, large corporations should pay their fair share instead of being allowed to avoid / negotiate the amount they pay (Amazon/google/Starbucks etc)
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Ltd company contractors will pay what their accountants say they owe.

The proliferation of self employed/ltd company employment has become the norm in many occupations with employers being encouraged since the late 70's to cut down on permanent staff and hire in temporary staff as required.

Contractors, though there were some prior to Thatcher came along, are very much a product of neo liberalism. It's a march backwards in time to the 30s. Permanent positions of employment, company pensions, holiday pay etc giving way to hire on demand.
 
JM14 said:
A life on housing benefit really isnt living the high life

Do you write for the daily mail by any chance?
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He kind of has a point though.

You know aswell as we all do there are households all across the TS area where they've never worked a day in their lives yet are still able to afford massive corner sofas on tick, 50" 4K tellies and still live comfortably.

That isn't from the daily mail, that's my personal evidence seen with my own eyes from my time when I was door knocking back in the day. I'm sure it's still pretty relevant today. Of course there are thousands of households struggling too though with food bank use etc, most of which have people in those households working full time jobs.
 
Randy said:
He kind of has a point though.

You know aswell as we all do there are households all across the TS area where they've never worked a day in their lives yet are still able to afford massive corner sofas on tick, 50" 4K tellies and still live comfortably.

That isn't from the daily mail, that's my personal evidence seen with my own eyes from my time when I was door knocking back in the day. I'm sure it's still pretty relevant today. Of course there are thousands of households struggling too though with food bank use etc, most of which have people in those households working full time jobs.
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He does have a point and there are always going to be a very small percentage who aren't going to go to work under any circumstances. Their number boosted since we, as a nation, decided to make millions unemployed. They were always going to need looking after but nobody questioned the government tactics whilst ticking their box at the polls.

We're now into the third or fourth generation for some families, a situation not of their making.

Whilst it is argued by the press and their selected economists that it is the poor to blame for inflation there couldn't be anything further from the truth.

So what's the answer?

The drivers for inflation at the moment are twofold. Energy prices and profit maximisation and year on year increase.

If we're happy with that we have to be happy when our wages don't buy what they used to buy. You start by cutting out on all none essentials, then essentials, then eventually lose your house. That's where it's heading.
 
In relation to housing benefit I was very surprised that Michael Gove came out with a proposal fairly recently that housing benefit could be used to get a mortgage.

It seemed crazy to me. It was taking housing away from housing associations and seemed to be giving people a capital asset from the state.

I wonder if those two vying for high office will adopt it as there own. I’m not sure Mrs T would have taken it on board.
 
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