All us Public Service Workers - your opinion?

largepants

As a Public Servant I'd like to all posters who are Public Sertants what they think of the current Union stance? Do you agree? How far would you go?

Personally I'm not a Union member but I fully support the actions of those who are taking this action. The world and his wife were jumping with glee when the Government gave the Unions a slap in the face last December. Cowen and his cronies were naive in thinking that they had got one over on the Unions at the time. Now it's coming back to bite them on the arse.

I'm all for Public Sector reform and the quicker the better. I'm not prepared to take anymore cuts to my income. I'm not expecting any to get any money back because I don't think it's an option. I'm prepared to support my colleagues if an all out strike materialises.

Finally I don't give a fiddlers about support from the Public. Going by the bitterness andsome of the utter nonsence written about the PS on these boards, I neither expect nor want their support.

Any other views from Public Servants out there?

changes

Yeah i'm a public servant too. I dont expect the paycuts to be reversed i've accepted them. I'd be happy to go along with reforms.

I'm not happy with the pension levy though. They should scrap that. Afterall, they will do what they like with pensions.... just look at them increasing the working age by 3 years at the stroke of a pen. I don't expect to retire on the same pension my grade retire on today.

BeardyFunzo

I'm happy enough with the cuts I've taken so far but I don't believe I should be cut any further. I'm currently not participating in industrial action.

I think the stepping up of industrial action whilst talks are in progress is stupid.

I think that reform will take place naturally (and rather quickly) as people retire/contracts expire and are not replaced.

I would personally be against striking as that would only hurt the public that i serve and not further the cause.

I would like to see the pension levy renamed to 'public service pay cut' or similar (I'm sure they can come up with something snappy) so that it won't be wrongfully bandied around as a 'pension contribution'.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

BeardyFunzo

largepants wrote: »

Going by the bitterness andsome of the utter nonsence written about the PS on these boards, I neither expect nor want their support.

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Just to translate the above for everyone:

Largepants: I'm sick of getting kicked in the nuts around here.

Donegalfella: Just you wait... everyone here is gonna kick you in the nuts.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

murf313

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

where was the wrath of the irish public when the government pissed the economy down the jacks?
the real message here is everyone just wants everyone else to feel the pain more than them.......
donegalfella, how many post have there been before this with positive attitudes, such as, willing to take the cuts etc. yet you go on the attack straight away? its pathetic...

boodlesdoodles

Not meaning to take this thread off topic but how about all the moaners on here getting incensed about the loss of dental treatment in this country? That affects a lot more people than a delay in passports but then why let the truth get in the way of some spin and by the way I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not a public servant but I support their action.

I just think that there are other things people should give out about and take to the streets about like the loss of health services such as the dental care and loss of special needs assistants in schools but all this furore about the passports shows to me that the selfish culture of the Celtic Tiger is still alive and well. Its 'poor me' I can't travel and not 'my poor child or our poor children' won't get the help and assistance the need. The country is well and truly going down the tubes and if the public sector don't stand up to their employers then every other employee in the country will see the likes of IBEC etc having the ammunition to move the goalposts.

FlashGordon1969

largepants wrote: »

As a Public Servant I'd like to all posters who are Public Sertants what they think of the current Union stance? Do you agree? How far would you go?

Personally I'm not a Union member but I fully support the actions of those who are taking this action. The world and his wife were jumping with glee when the Government gave the Unions a slap in the face last December. Cowen and his cronies were naive in thinking that they had got one over on the Unions at the time. Now it's coming back to bite them on the arse.

I'm all for Public Sector reform and the quicker the better. I'm not prepared to take anymore cuts to my income. I'm not expecting any to get any money back because I don't think it's an option. I'm prepared to support my colleagues if an all out strike materialises.

Finally I don't give a fiddlers about support from the Public. Going by the bitterness andsome of the utter nonsence written about the PS on these boards, I neither expect nor want their support.

Any other views from Public Servants out there?

Loving the action. This state is run by thieves-look at anglo increases today for proof. The Public sector will not be the whipping boy of a media trying to cover its culpability over property crash or for a public who sheepishly brought themselves to this abyss by buying into a pyramid scheme /voting FF.

No one expects pay cuts to be reversed but let this be a line in the sand. However, enough now of this go slow-have a full strike or resume normal service.

Kensington

largepants wrote: »

Finally I don't give a fiddlers about support from the Public. Going by the bitterness andsome of the utter nonsence written about the PS on these boards, I neither expect nor want their support.

See this is where I think the unions are shooting themselves, not just in the foot, but in every toe, all the way up their shins and taking out their kneecaps to finish off.

What happens when you take down social welfare?
Put out more people than there are on the entire public sector payroll?
People who have nothing to lose, and all day and all night to take to the streets against you?
And that's just one small section of society that will be affected!

How about the frontline workers?
Are you going to be able to face an angry, pissed off public for the forseeable future as part of your daily job?
Going into your job each day to face people who resent you?
Are disgusted by your union's attitude?
Sickened by your actions?
Who won't trust the public service for a long, long time to come?

And then there's the government.
These actions of the unions are feeding Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael with their next election mandate completely free of charge.
The way things are, a government party could pretty much come along and promise to tackle the public sector once and for all, and to stop the country being held to ransom by them, and they would probably get in on an election on that mandate alone.
The media are having an absolute field day too. You can't accuse them of putting a negative slant on the past few weeks. Your union actions are shovelling enough damning material straight into the mouths of the media that can just gobble it all up without having to put any kind of slant on it.

So you may not give a fiddler's about public support or opinion. But you won't get far without it. Sure, in the short term, you may grind the country to a halt and make your point. In the long term, you are doing irrepairable damage to the image of the public service and destroying the ability of anyone, the general public or the government, to trust a single word the public sector unions say on future reforms and changes in return for pay.

Kristopherus

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Here you are back again pontificating the usual anti PS rant. When are you going to show some respect to the many thousands of PS workers who make your life easier ? Time was not too long ago when the PS was the hind tit of the economy and the breakfast roll crew lorded it like there was no tomorrow. Now the breakfast rolls have gone stale and all you and your ilk can do is moan about the PS. Remember the PS didnt start the fire.

Kensington

Kristopherus wrote: »

Time was not too long ago when the PS was the hind tit of the economy and the breakfast roll crew lorded it like there was no tomorrow. Now the breakfast rolls have gone stale and all you and your ilk can do is moan about the PS. Remember the PS didnt start the fire.

Hang on, the public service that, at the peak of the boom times, used to attract hundreds and hundreds of applicants for a handful of positions? Are we talking about the same public service here?

Kristopherus

Kensington wrote: »

Hang on, the public service that, at the peak of the boom times, used to attract hundreds and hundreds of applicants for a handful of positions? Are we talking about the same public service here?

Not true by a long shot. There were excess applications for Admin type vacancies , but in almost every every frontline service there were drastic shortages.

Kensington

Kristopherus wrote: »

Not true by a long shot. There were excess applications for Admin type vacancies , but in almost every every frontline service there were drastic shortages.

This wasn't the case in Revenue! Their recruitment drives, particularly for temporary summer work were bombarded with many, many times more applications than there were positions. And this was mostly frontline work too - manning counters, dealing with phone enquiries, filing, data entry.

BeardyFunzo

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

You sir, excel at not only bashing the public service but also railroading any thread that could possibly be used to cast the public service in a positive light into another bashing thread.

I'm rather in awe.

bobblepuzzle

Kristopherus wrote: »

pontificating .

Wait a minute, weren't you on The Frontline a while back?? :rolleyes::eek:

ei.sdraob

Kristopherus wrote: »

When are you going to show some respect to the many thousands of PS workers who make your life easier ? .

thats a joke right?

respect is a 2-way street

the public sector by striking are hurting the public, not the government, and pissing away any respect left


people are not stupid they realise the bearded "commissars" (who earn nice 6 figure salaries) are the ones pulling the strings here
if you are at the bottom of the PS you are getting hurt the most, not by the government but by your own unions

evolutionqy7

ops double post...sorry

evolutionqy7

lol right i dont know what a public worker gets paid but in all fairness ye were offered to get ur raises back if you promised more efficiency...hmm wonder why was that turned down~? and other fact that i see most of public workers useless lazy slackers! yes i do know there are some that work like a horse all day and get barely anything out of it...but the few starting lines were my point over the offer MORE MONEY = MORE EFFICIENCY... seemed fair

glaston

The current action by the public sector unions may actually be beneficial in the long run. Hopefully it will lead to a realisation that the public sector has become too big and powerful and resistent to change. The government should start a process of request for tender for several of the services currently managed by the public sector.

BeardyFunzo

No chance anyone want to discuss the main point of the OP?

A quick reminder

All us Public Service Workers - your opinion?

nearly every post here has been OT (mine included, bar my first one I'm sorry to say).

boodlesdoodles

evolutionqy7 wrote: »

lol right i dont know what a public worker gets paid but in all fairness ye were offered to get ur raises back if you promised more efficiency...hmm wonder why was that turned down~? and other fact that i see most of public workers useless lazy slackers! yes i do know there are some that work like a horse all day and get barely anything out of it...but the few starting lines were my point over the offer MORE MONEY = MORE EFFICIENCY... seemed fair

When were they offered the money back? Where are the slackers you talk about? You don't know what they're paid but you know loads of slackers that needs some back up.

thetyreman

The PS will get nowhere without public support,your job is to serve the Public (it is the public tax payers that pay your wages afterall,dont forget)and by this stupid silly childish actions of playing God with peoples lives yous are only shooting yourselfs in the foot.If yous are serious about makeing a stand grow some balls and go out on full strike,without pay,and hammer your point home,you cant have it both ways and you and your Union are setting a bad example for every other employee in the country.
If it was upto me i would sack the lot of yous and rehire some of the 450,000 people that are on the dole to do your job,they would be only to happy to work,,and consider yourselfs lucky to have a job atall,yous need to wake up and smell the coffee...

murf313

evolutionqy7 wrote: »

lol right i dont know what a public worker gets paid but in all fairness ye were offered to get ur raises back if you promised more efficiency...hmm wonder why was that turned down~? and other fact that i see most of public workers useless lazy slackers! yes i do know there are some that work like a horse all day and get barely anything out of it...but the few starting lines were my point over the offer MORE MONEY = MORE EFFICIENCY... seemed fair

that doesn't even make sense. did you ever hear of grammar?
you claim you dont know what public servants are paid but yet they are all lazy slackers?
this one takes the biscuit....

largepants

This thread was aimed at Public Servants and their views on the current impasse. I didn't want it turned into another anti PS rant. There are penty of other threads here for that reason.

So donegalfella et all, you're off topic so go take your anti PS views elsewhere.

murf313

If it was upto me i would sack the lot of yous and rehire some of the 450,000 people that are on the dole to do your job,they would be only to happy to work,,and consider yourselfs lucky to have a job atall,yous need to wake up and smell the coffee...

wow we haven't heard this one before at all...
do you sell tyres by any chance?

The Oggmonster

Kensington wrote: »

This wasn't the case in Revenue! Their recruitment drives, particularly for temporary summer work were bombarded with many, many times more applications than there were positions. And this was mostly frontline work too - manning counters, dealing with phone enquiries, filing, data entry.

Where did you get these figures from?

thetyreman wrote: »

(it is the public tax payers that pay your wages after all, don't forget)

PS workers also pay tax.

thetyreman wrote: »

If it was up to me i would sack the lot of yous and rehire some of the 450,000 people that are on the dole to do your job,they would be only to happy to work,

You think anyone can just walk in and do their jobs with no training?

largepants

Ok so back on topic.

What do you all mean by reform? I'm thinking more flexibility between departments i.e. placing civil servants in the likes of passport offices/social welfare when the needs arise. I recognise that maybe there would be issues with training but it is something that probably should be considered. I believe the wasters in the PS should be shown the door. I'm not prepared to work with people who just couldn't give a toss.

Obviously things have to change from the top down. When Top Level Public Servants see the likes of TDs taking the piss with expenses and junkets they obviously decide to run their departments in the same manner. Invest in technology like tele conferencing to cut out travel and sub.

The structure in my place of work is a joke and it's extremely frustrating. Again a load of money could be saved if things were done properly. But it needs someone high up to take the bull by the horns to show some balls and change it.

thetyreman

The Oggmonster wrote: »

Where did you get these figures from?


PS workers also pay tax.


You think anyone can just walk in and do their jobs with no training?

Well at the minute they couldnt be doing it any worse,as regard the Passport office im sure its not rocket science,you cant expect public sympathy with tactics like this,the Unions are going to see to the end of this country,what little bit of positivitey that is left out there,,,

I pay tax so as to have a Public Service,which i havnt got at the minute..

BeardyFunzo

largepants wrote: »

Ok so back on topic.

What do you all mean by reform? I'm thinking more flexibility between departments i.e. placing civil servants in the likes of passport offices/social welfare when the needs arise. I recognise that maybe there would be issues with training but it is something that probably should be considered. I believe the wasters in the PS should be shown the door. I'm not prepared to work with people who just couldn't give a toss.

Obviously things have to change from the top down. When Top Level Public Servants see the likes of TDs taking the piss with expenses and junkets they obviously decide to run their departments in the same manner. Invest in technology like tele conferencing to cut out travel and sub.

The structure in my place of work is a joke and it's extremely frustrating. Again a load of money could be saved if things were done properly. But it needs someone high up to take the bull by the horns to show some balls and change it.

Flexibility, where appropriate, would be a great thing in terms of the service as a whole and for workers in their personal development. Look at the Firebrigade/Ambulance... lots of cross over there. Dublin airport rotates the police, ambulance and fire brigade. Co-operation and adaptation are the way of the future.

evolutionqy7

id say by the time the so called workers are finished their strikes and whining all the people would know how to make a cup of tea that would be the full training required sack them all d [email]f@ck...theres[/email] ppl that are loosing their houses and everything cause they have no jobs or income...so they should be happy they even got a job...otherwise they can always go work in McD's

The_Thing

I fully support my fellow public sector workers in the passport office.

The usual whingers, moaners, and begrudgers have been out in force lately, but the truth of the matter is that they would do the exact same thing if they
were in our situation.

The anti-ps brigade are foaming at the mouth not because we've inconvenienced Joe Public - for whom they don't really give a damn, but because their desire to see us beaten is being thwarted.

buddy4711

The_Thing wrote: »

I fully support my fellow public sector workers in the passport office.

The usual whingers, moaners, and begrudgers have been out in force lately, but the truth of the matter is that they would do the exact same thing if they
were in our situation.

The anti-ps brigade are foaming at the mouth not because we've inconvenienced Joe Public - for whom they don't really give a damn, but because their desire to see us beaten is being thwarted.

Joe Public = we are just the auld sheep to the PUBLIC service. How's about you all get on with servicing the public needs and forget about your money whinges for a bit. I do a lot of jobs at a dead loss because I want to garner more, well paying jobs. And it works. I never work for money, I work to serve my customers, the money just follows. Try it, its a revelation. And I aint poor mates, and I am always busy. Try working hard at your job you will find that your level of support and pay follow along. We would begrudge you nothing if you delivered an excellent service.

P. Breathnach

Being retired, I am no longer a public servant, but I identify with the public service. In addition, a number of people whose welfare is important to me are current public servants. So I'm in the camp.

I believe that cutting the cost of the public service was an economic and political imperative. I would quibble with some details of how it was done, but that is a side issue. I also think it was unfair that my pension escaped intact (for now).

But I understand the pain people feel, particularly those whose family finances have been thrown into crisis. And I recognise that some of the motivation for the trade unions' actions is to draw a line, to say that enough is enough. I believe that most public servants do not expect the pension-related levy or the pay cuts to be reversed in the foreseeable future.

But there is an amazing lack of sensitivity in the strategies adopted by the unions, and an extraordinary lack of concern for public relations. What is happening in the Passport Office is pretty well inviting public opprobrium: who needs the ill-will that is being engendered? If action were justified, there are better options available.

I also don't like the idea of trying to have it both ways: if you do not do your work in a reasonably normal way, you should not expect pay for that day or half day.

Kristopherus

The_Thing wrote: »

I fully support my fellow public sector workers in the passport office.

The usual whingers, moaners, and begrudgers have been out in force lately, but the truth of the matter is that they would do the exact same thing if they
were in our situation.

The anti-ps brigade are foaming at the mouth not because we've inconvenienced Joe Public - for whom they don't really give a damn, but because their desire to see us beaten is being thwarted.

+1. And they would have you think that being a PS is pariah. If a private sector worker was brought in to do a lot of the PS jobs, they wouldnt last a wet week in most cases.

buddy4711

Kristopherus wrote: »

+1. And they would have you think that being a PS is pariah. If a private sector worker was brought in to do a lot of the PS jobs, they wouldnt last a wet week in most cases.

What? Out of boredom, frustration? Because of the demanding nature of the work? Do me a favour...

flames

Well if the CPSU manage to hold on to their members after this i will be very surprised they are nothing but a waste of space and all they are doing is robbing their members of their union subs and making up their own rules along the way, the only thing union subs is used for is to pay the union reps when they are on strike the members get NOTHING

flames

thetyreman wrote: »

If yous are serious about makeing a stand grow some balls and go out on full strike,without pay,.

Lower paid PS DO NOT get paid when on strike at all but the union reps do and they are usually the higher paid PS

flames

Kristopherus wrote: »

Not true by a long shot. There were excess applications for Admin type vacancies , but in almost every every frontline service there were drastic shortages.

I would love to move to the frontline in the passport office but the CPSU is stopping all transfers even for staff who are not union members
Remember ppl it's the unions and government who started all this mess and the PS staff are thrown to the public as their scapegoats so please lay off the staff and go after the real problem ie: the unions and the government,
All this arguing is just playing straight into the hands of the government and the media and they are even worse having ppl believe that all PS have salaries of 40k or more, well for the lower paid PS workers try half that amount and you might be a bit closer to the real truth

flames

CPSU represent the lower paid PS so where are all the higher paid PS during all this industrial action, why cant they process a passport or man the front desk are they too scared it will prove they don't have a clue what to do ??????

Euro_Kraut

flames wrote: »

Lower paid PS DO NOT get paid when on strike at all but the union reps do and they are usually the higher paid PS

Unions Reps are not Public Servants. They are private sector workers. Often their pay is linked to certain grads in the Civil Service though.

My own view on this is that the CPSU are dragging all the other unions into the gutter with them. It may be time for ICTU to cut them lose. Their actions over the past week are a serious stumbling block from the other unions to reach agreement with the Govt.

The CPSU have shown over the last year that not only to they not care about the general public, but they also do not case about their fellow Public Service workers. Its all about them. If that is going to be their attitude than perhaps its time other unions reassess their relationship with them.

Euro_Kraut

flames wrote: »

CPSU represent the lower paid PS so where are all the higher paid PS during all this industrial action, why cant they process a passport or man the front desk are they too scared it will prove they don't have a clue what to do ??????

The PSEU and IMPACT are barred from taking any action that would circumvent the industrial action of another Union.

Are you actually in the CPSU? Surely this would be common knowledge.

Padraig Mor

The_Thing wrote: »

The usual whingers, moaners, and begrudgers have been out in force lately, but the truth of the matter is that they would do the exact same thing if they were in our situation..

Says who? I'm in the public service and accept all the cuts already made were completely inevitable. It's also an absolute economic certainty that further, far more serious, cuts will be made to pay and staff in the PS. There is absolutely no avoiding this. Speaking personally, I wouldn't be surprised if my job is gone in a year. The PS whingers in the Passport Office and on here make me sick. Be glad that you have a decent job for decent pay (and don't give me that 'low paid' crap - pay in the PS is, almost without exception, great). That's not the case for 100s of thousands in the private sector, my wife included.

Fire anyone in the PS who won't do the job they're paid to do. Remove trade union subscription tax relief. The unions are parasites on irish society.

largepants

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Says who? I'm in the public service and accept all the cuts already made were completely inevitable. It's also an absolute economic certainty that further, far more serious, cuts will be made to pay and staff in the PS. There is absolutely no avoiding this. Speaking personally, I wouldn't be surprised if my job is gone in a year. The PS whingers in the Passport Office and on here make me sick. Be glad that you have a decent job for decent pay (and don't give me that 'low paid' crap - pay in the PS is, almost without exception, great). That's not the case for 100s of thousands in the private sector, my wife included.

Fire anyone in the PS who won't do the job they're paid to do. Remove trade union subscription tax relief. The unions are parasites on irish society.

I respect your opinion, however I really think you are in the minority. I agree with you that cuts were inevitable and will not be reversed. I wouldn't be prepared to stomach anymore to be honest.

MagicSean

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Seems to me there is a lot of anger and jealousy towards the public service. Lets make sure we have one thing straight. Everyone in the country had the option to join the public service but chose the more profitable and higher status private sector. Many people looked down on the public service workers. Personally I was laughed at when I finished my degree and told my mates I was joining the public service. Waste of a degree they said. Half of them are struggling to find a job right now. Then the greed of the private sector and government ran the country into the ground. Then they come back to the public service workers and say "Hey, we destroyed the country and you're gonna have to pay for it because a lot of us are on the dole now and we can't. By the way you have to pay our dole now too." Is it any wonder the public service have reacted like they did? We have been categorically told pay cuts will never be reversed and there will probably be more. We have been given no assurances in return at all. Our work has been completely devalued and we have been made the scapegoats for the countries economy.
There were many more places were money could have been saved but the easy option was taken. Does anyone knoe how much was spent on AIB and the M50 buyout? Now we have the countries fireman on income assistance. Outrageous, in my opinion. These are the people that will drag you out of a burning building at the risk of their life. These people are human too. They have families. And despite what some posters might think, you cant replace a fireman, nurse or garda by going down to the dole office and giving out uniforms. These people have gone through a lot of hard training to get where they are.
I feel sorry for the people that have lost out on their holidays, i really do. But that kind of complaint will fall on deaf ears to someone who is forced into industrial action because they are struggling to pay their mortgage, due to the massive house prices they had to pay which were caused in no way by the public sector.
You can go on all you want about how the public sector is losing the support of the people. What support? I've never seen any support. People rejoiced when they saw cuts to public service wages. This country has turned on itself while the people at the top live in ignorant bliss. If the people want a public service that works hard for them they need to show some support and respect for their fellow citizens and turn their anger on the people who caused all this.

pah

k_mac wrote: »

Seems to me there is a lot of anger and jealousy towards the public service. Lets make sure we have one thing straight. Everyone in the country had the option to join the public service but chose the more profitable and higher status private sector. Many people looked down on the public service workers. Personally I was laughed at when I finished my degree and told my mates I was joining the public service. Waste of a degree they said. Half of them are struggling to find a job right now. Then the greed of the private sector and government ran the country into the ground. Then they come back to the public service workers and say "Hey, we destroyed the country and you're gonna have to pay for it because a lot of us are on the dole now and we can't. By the way you have to pay our dole now too." Is it any wonder the public service have reacted like they did? We have been categorically told pay cuts will never be reversed and there will probably be more. We have been given no assurances in return at all. Our work has been completely devalued and we have been made the scapegoats for the countries economy.
There were many more places were money could have been saved but the easy option was taken. Does anyone knoe how much was spent on AIB and the M50 buyout? Now we have the countries fireman on income assistance. Outrageous, in my opinion. These are the people that will drag you out of a burning building at the risk of their life. These people are human too. They have families. And despite what some posters might think, you cant replace a fireman, nurse or garda by going down to the dole office and giving out uniforms. These people have gone through a lot of hard training to get where they are.
I feel sorry for the people that have lost out on their holidays, i really do. But that kind of complaint will fall on deaf ears to someone who is forced into industrial action because they are struggling to pay their mortgage, due to the massive house prices they had to pay which were caused in no way by the public sector.
You can go on all you want about how the public sector is losing the support of the people. What support? I've never seen any support. People rejoiced when they saw cuts to public service wages. This country has turned on itself while the people at the top live in ignorant bliss. If the people want a public service that works hard for them they need to show some support and respect for their fellow citizens and turn their anger on the people who caused all this.

I agree with the general thrust of your post but as a PS worker who bought an overinflated house 3 years ago do you not think that I contributed to the bubble somewhat? I know that at the time I had no clue what was going to happen but half the problem was that people continued to buy into the increases. The Public Service itself may not have contributed to the bubble, but Public Sector Workers contributed as much as any Private Sector worker IMO.

theg81der

I don`t honestly believe any of this rubbish. Everybody wants to work in the public sector bar some very wealthy at the top of private organisation.

I worked in several places where people left for public sector jobs (of course they all knew people and had a way in).

If you don`t want your job I`ll take it and I`ll work twice as hard as I would have any time in the last 10 years.

I said here before I was in a friends house overlooking 3 Government buildings at the back, must be at least 200 offices, Tuesday middle of the day and not one person in any office - that was it for me any credibility the public sector had out the window (literally). There is nothing anyone here can say to change my mind I`ve seen it with my own eyes and it makes me sick.

MagicSean

pah wrote: »

I agree with the general thrust of your post but as a PS worker who bought an overinflated house 3 years ago do you not think that I contributed to the bubble somewhat? I know that at the time I had no clue what was going to happen but half the problem was that people continued to buy into the increases. The Public Service itself may not have contributed to the bubble, but Public Sector Workers contributed as much as any Private Sector worker IMO.

What else could you do? Live in a box? We all had to buy houses. It's not public or private sector workers that are to blame for that mess. It's the higher ups.

MagicSean

theg81der wrote: »

I don`t honestly believe any of this rubbish. Everybody wants to work in the public sector bar some very wealthy at the top of private organisation.

I worked in several places where people left for public sector jobs (of course they all knew people and had a way in).

If you don`t want your job I`ll take it and I`ll work twice as hard as I would have any time in the last 10 years.

I said here before I was in a friends house overlooking 3 Government buildings at the back, must be at least 200 offices, Tuesday middle of the day and not one person in any office - that was it for me any credibility the public sector had out the window (literally). There is nothing anyone here can say to change my mind I`ve seen it with my own eyes and it makes me sick.

Everybody wants to work there now. Personally I work very hard. And always have done. I do a lot of work on my own time at home too. I know a lot of my colleagues do the same. I have no problem with lazy workers being fired but you could also do with taking some of that tar off your brush.

deise blue

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Your argument is flawed , I'm Private Sector and I entirely support the actions taken by the Public Sector and their Unions.

Indeed in conversations with family and friends there is a lot of sympathy for particularly lower paid workers and the fact that the cuts were made unilaterally but as you say there is a lot of people who express anger at the public sector and also the continuing industrial action but it's entirely incorrect to state that the " wrath " you talk about is felt by the entire public.

katkin

From reading this thread it sounds like many public sector workers have accepted the pay cuts and this reflects what I hear from the majority of ps workers I know. Most people know the country's ****ed and that the cuts were necessary. Despite what union leaders say is not the current action mere posturing with the goal being a guarantee from govt that there will be no further cuts to basic pay. Or are unions seriously trying to have the paycuts reversed. I personally think it would be fair to guarantee them no further pay cuts for the sake of stability and fairness. However if the pay increases go ahead at Anglo I really think private and public sector should go on a general strike - because that really is the government ****ting down on top of all of us.