Will the public service strike now?

monkeytronics · 04-02-2009 11:36AM

hellboy99 wrote: »

They need to also reboost the economy, as I've said before if government are going to hit people's wages they need to address and do something to lower the costs of electricity, phone / internet services, VAT, VRT, high rents in the retail sector, stealth taxes, further lower the amount they give to overseas aid etc...

the cost of living will definitely fall but not by as much or as quick as it would have if EVERY worker was forced to shoulder the burden not just SOME of the private sector and ALL of the public sector.

KerranJast · 04-02-2009 11:38AM

The cost of living is already falling by 3-4%. Retail rental should seriously drop soon too. In Limerick there is bucketloads of new unused Retail space in the Castletroy/Ballysimon area. Until the landlords slash rent on them they'll never shift those units.

Kimbot · 04-02-2009 11:38AM

quad_red wrote: »

Public sector workers benefited substantially as the government revenues increased through the social partnership 'process'.

Public sector worker pay increased substantially more than GDP and GNP were increasing (so more and more of the state's income was going to pay public sector wages).

The fact is that your employer, the state, is now running an almost incomprehensible deficit. Overall government spending for 2009 is going to be €55 billion with revenues predicted to be €37 billion. If that was a private company, there would be mass layoffs and paycuts across the board.

But unlike the rest of us, your job is relatively secure.

If you asked myself, or any of my friends, would we take a ten per cent paycut to guarantee our jobs - the answer would be yes.

And, btw, I'm college educated. In a professional job. And I earn the average industrial wage. As are most of my friends.

I refuse to countenance totally bankrupting this state and making this situation ten times worse just so we can continue paying you what you think you deserve.

That's no longer the issue - we are all faced with the reality that we are going to get paid what our employee can afford or we are going to lose our jobs.

I am not saying I DESERVE to keep my pay, what I am saying is that instead of taxing just the public servants the gov will have to tax everyone equally.

Lets just say that you take a 10% Cut tomorrow to keep your job, then the government put a tax on the Private sector alone of another 7-10% would you be happy?

No you wouldn't. I am in the service 8 odd years now. Working in I.T. started as a developer and paid for most of my own tuition and courses to begin with. I am now on roughly €35,000 a year work in I.T.

Now I am all for helping the country out, that is why I am working in the Civil Service but this is not the way to get the country out of the mess that it is in.

The only way to stop this is the following:

---Social Welfare payments have to be reduced.

---EVERYONE pays an extra levy (The 1% is pathetic, if people paid a 4% Levy for middle earners, 1% for those bordering minimum wage and roughly 7-8% for those that are higher paid then I would be happy with that.)

---Tax dodgers have to be caught and punished.

---Councils have to stop wasting money.

---The Gov have to stop spending money on unneeded pieces of junk (The new statue for the liffey springs to mind aswell as that Spire)

---The Prisons should adopt a work policy for prisoners, in that they repair roads, clean up areas etc. Chain gangs would save this country a fortune.

---Health Service admin staff numbers that are not needed really have to be cut and cut now.

---The army, what on earth do they do these days? Only thing I see them do is protect Banks Money!!

There is an endless list as to what can be done to stop us from spiralling out of control but again the fools that we elected are only looking for scapegoats. If I was a minister I would have asked when this mess started to take some of my wages away to help out. Enda Kenny took a cut if I remember rightly and not one in power followed his example!

04-02-2009 11:39AM

monkeytronics wrote: »

the cost of living will definitely fall but not by as much or as quick as it would have if EVERY worker was forced to shoulder the burden not just SOME of the private sector and ALL of the public sector.

The cost of living could of been dropped a long time ago but there was too much profiteering going on and a government that couldn't of been bothered to do anything.

Caoimhín · 04-02-2009 11:39AM

not yet wrote: »

MOSTLY SELF FINANCING......

A self financing government department? Even the semi-states benefit from public funds or they are protected due to the lack of competition.

04-02-2009 11:42AM

KerranJast wrote: »

The cost of living is already falling by 3-4%.

Well I haven't noticed it in my household bills, rent, fuel or in the price of my weekly grocery shop, hence the reason I go up north.

quad_red · 04-02-2009 11:42AM

monkeytronics wrote: »

so far that is not ringing through. Only a relatively small portion of the private sector has been hit. I think you will find publuc sector working would have been much more willing to consider pay cuts if it affected EVERY worker and not just one part of the community

Are you being serious?

Have you seen how many people have lost their jobs in the private sector? Have you seen the predictions for how many people in the private sector are going to lose their jobs this year.

And there are no specific stats on how many private sector employees are being moved down to less hours, taking pay cuts etc. I would wager that it is considerable and will only accelerate.

Caoimhín · 04-02-2009 11:42AM

jonny24ie wrote: »

I am not saying I DESERVE to keep my pay, what I am saying is that instead of taxing just the public servants the gov will have to tax everyone equally.

I have no problem with that, but since we are treating everybody equally, the government should guarantee everybody's job and provide a nice pension, equal to the PS pension of course.

Ireland would be bankrupt within a month.

monkeytronics · 04-02-2009 11:43AM

hellboy99 wrote: »

The cost of living could of been dropped a long time ago but there was too much profiteering going on and a government that couldn't of been bothered to do anything.

A lot of things could have been done sooner.

I am still amazed after so many years of boom times that our capital hasn't been provided with a good quality reliable integrated city wide transport system. The Metro idea should have been introduced 10 yrs ago and be well under way at this stage.

KerranJast · 04-02-2009 11:44AM

hellboy99 wrote: »

Well I haven't noticed it in my household bills, rent, fuel or in the price of my weekly grocery shop, hence the reason I go up north.

Threaten to move that'll sort out the rent. Rents for people moving into places have tumbled down due to oversupply. The price of fuel has also dropped a lot. Petrol is now below 100c per litre in most places. The North is always going to be cheaper no matter what we do here short of leaving the Euro and devaluing. Personally speaking I do most of my shopping in Lidl and Aldi and buy any luxury items of the 'Net.

monkeytronics · 04-02-2009 11:45AM

quad_red wrote: »

Are you being serious?

Have you seen how many people have lost their jobs in the private sector? Have you seen the predictions for how many people in the private sector are going to lose their jobs this year.

And there are no specific stats on how many private sector employees are being moved down to less hours, taking pay cuts etc. I would wager that it is considerable and will only accelerate.

All public sector workers are taking a pay cut. The same cannot be said of the private sector. Simple as that. Seriousness is in the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not.

Kimbot · 04-02-2009 11:46AM

Degsy wrote: »

What a lousy 30 grand a year is bankrupting the state?
bollocks.
There's households on the dole pulling in that much and they're not paying a penny in tax.

Don't forget the builders(and other workers) that were working for cash in hand and collecting the dole aswell for years.

I know tonnes of people that milked it in for years and because of the current climate they are now stuck in a rut. I have sympathy for alot of the people losing theirs jobs but remember if you are in the private sector that is the risk and it has always been that way.

mickey mac · 04-02-2009 11:47AM

If the public service go on strike, will they get paid?

quad_red · 04-02-2009 11:48AM

jonny24ie wrote: »

I am not saying I DESERVE to keep my pay, what I am saying is that instead of taxing just the public servants the gov will have to tax everyone equally.

Lets just say that you take a 10% Cut tomorrow to keep your job, then the government put a tax on the Private sector alone of another 7-10% would you be happy?

No you wouldn't. I am in the service 8 odd years now. Working in I.T. started as a developer and paid for most of my own tuition and courses to begin with. I am now on roughly €35,000 a year work in I.T.

Actually, if it meant I kept my job, yes I would. And so would most of the people I know.

jonny24ie wrote: »

Now I am all for helping the country out, that is why I am working in the Civil Service but this is not the way to get the country out of the mess that it is in.

Mate, I'm sure you work hard, but I worked in the public sector and the (anecdotal I know) vast majority of people I worked with worked in the public sector because it was a safe as houses job, you pretty much couldn't get fired and wicked holidays and flexi time.

Working for the benefit of the people had nothing to with it.

jonny24ie wrote: »

The only way to stop this is the following:

---Social Welfare payments have to be reduced.

---EVERYONE pays an extra levy (The 1% is pathetic, if people paid a 4% Levy for middle earners, 1% for those bordering minimum wage and roughly 7-8% for those that are higher paid then I would be happy with that.)

---Tax dodgers have to be caught and punished.

---Councils have to stop wasting money.

---The Gov have to stop spending money on unneeded pieces of junk (The new statue for the liffey springs to mind aswell as that Spire)

---The Prisons should adopt a work policy for prisoners, in that they repair roads, clean up areas etc. Chain gangs would save this country a fortune.

---Health Service admin staff numbers that are not needed really have to be cut and cut now.

---The army, what on earth do they do these days? Only thing I see them do is protect Banks Money!!

I agree with you on most of them.

04-02-2009 11:48AM

KerranJast wrote: »

Threaten to move that'll sort out the rent. Rents for people moving into places have tumbled down due to oversupply. The price of fuel has also dropped a lot. Petrol is now below 100c per litre in most places.

That will get me nowhere, I'm in affordable housing so I can do nothing about it, as for petrol prices there on the way up again in my area :rolleyes:

deisebabe · 04-02-2009 11:49AM

If the public service go on strike, will they get paid?

If the public service go on strike, will we notice? For this i mean the people working in the govt departments, not the likes of teachers, guards, nurses.

In all honesty, I really dont think the country would notice any difference in that case.

monkeytronics · 04-02-2009 11:50AM

Caoimhín wrote: »

I have no problem with that, but since we are treating everybody equally, the government should guarantee everybody's job and provide a nice pension, equal to the PS pension of course.

Ireland would be bankrupt within a month.

I don't think we will see any industrial action and bar a hell of a lot of groaning, the country will move on from this and PS workers will pay the average 7.5% levy (which will probably for life and not just until the country does pick up). Thats the long and the short of it to be perfectly honest.

But I sincerely do hope that the following happens:

1. In the 10 yrs or whenever the country/economy returns to "normal" I hope those in the private sector now and previously will remember what they've said.thought about the wonderful employment of the PS and will seriously consider applying when recruitment begins again.

2. I hope for the next number of yrs not to hear people complaining about the level of service provided in/by hospitals, AGS and other essential services.

quad_red · 04-02-2009 11:50AM

monkeytronics wrote: »

All public sector workers are taking a pay cut. The same cannot be said of the private sector. Simple as that. Seriousness is in the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not.

The Government have made the choice between jobs or public sector wages.

Would you prefer mass layoffs in the public sector (akin to those that have occurred and are occurring in the private sector) once you don't see a reduction in your salary?

destroyer · 04-02-2009 11:53AM

monkeytronics wrote: »

All public sector workers are taking a pay cut. The same cannot be said of the private sector. Simple as that. Seriousness is in the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not.

True. BUT.. overall the private sector has taken by far the bigger hit.

Its just that it is spread disproportionally, a lot lost their jobs, alot
on 3 day week ,most taking a pay cut., some not affected at all.

Kimbot · 04-02-2009 11:54AM

hellboy99 wrote: »

Well I haven't noticed it in my household bills, rent, fuel or in the price of my weekly grocery shop, hence the reason I go up north.

All I have noticed is all my bills go up. For this winter my heating bill was €600. (Heating was on for max 2 hours a day for 2 months) Last year for more the bill was only about €300.

Caoimhín wrote: »

I have no problem with that, but since we are treating everybody equally, the government should guarantee everybody's job and provide a nice pension, equal to the PS pension of course.

Ireland would be bankrupt within a month.

I pay into my pension every week and I don't have a choice in that, either does anyone that started in the service after 1995. Its not as if we work without contributing and then get handed a pension. We pay into it!

All private sector employees will be on the public service employees backs over the mess of the country because the media have been driving it that way for months! As you can see from numerous people on this thread and the many others on the site that there is no objection to helping the country out but why on earth should it be the public sector only that help out. It is every tax payer in this countrys job to help out not the minority's!

Lets just say we lose 7% more of our wage due to this.
In a few years when the country picks up this levy will never disappear which means that if the private sector booms again the public sector pay more taxes and the private sector are richer again which I think will cause this time and time again: is that fair?

monkeytronics · 04-02-2009 11:54AM

deisebabe wrote: »

If the public service go on strike, will we notice? For this i mean the people working in the govt departments, not the likes of teachers, guards, nurses.

In all honesty, I really dont think the country would notice any difference in that case.

Time and time again, posters continue to post uneducated posts. Of course, no one would notice a different. They don't do anything or provide any service to the public. Not to even start mentioning the various issues that are dealt with which don't normally affect the every day lives of every citizens

tomred1 · 04-02-2009 11:55AM

Caoimhín wrote: »

I pay for my pension, why shouldnt public sector workers pay for theirs?

If they do strike, they wont get much publc support.

Public Sector employees already pay for their pension, do some research idiot.

not yet · 04-02-2009 11:56AM

Caoimhín wrote: »

A self financing government department? Even the semi-states benefit from public funds or they are protected due to the lack of competition.

Dublin City council is 75% self financing.

Why the fu/ck are we still allowing or social welfare system to be raped...FFS 20 billion budget for social welfare, I'd take a guess that 20% of that is fraud...now bring on the (leave the weakest alone) brigade.

destroyer · 04-02-2009 11:56AM

(quote)1. In the 10 yrs or whenever the country/economy returns to "normal" I hope those in the private sector now and previously will remember what they've said.thought about the wonderful employment of the PS and will seriously consider applying when recruitment begins again.(/quote)

and i hope you move over to the private sector seeing as the
conditions in the public sector are so terrible

deisebabe · 04-02-2009 11:57AM

Time and time again, posters continue to post uneducated posts. Of course, no one would notice a different. They don't do anything or provide any service to the public. Not to even start mentioning the various issues that are dealt with which don't normally affect the every day lives of every citizens

Having contracted in various government depts I have seen the output. It is laughable. Get a private sector MD in there and there'd be half the people as well as half the time wasting.

Pete4779 · 04-02-2009 11:58AM

Caoimhín wrote: »

I pay for my pension, why shouldnt public sector workers pay for theirs?

If they do strike, they wont get much publc support.

They pay 6.5% of their gross salary as a compulsory pension payment. Now it is 6.5% + 7.5% = 13% of gross income.

monkeytronics · 04-02-2009 11:58AM

quad_red wrote: »

The Government have made the choice between jobs or public sector wages.

Would you prefer mass layoffs in the public sector (akin to those that have occurred and are occurring in the private sector) once you don't see a reduction in your salary?

you might please note that I haven't argued against a pay cut. My arguement all along has been about the targetting of the public sector and the attack made on it by those in the private sector and not to mention the down right ignorant, uneducated comments that made about public service conditions.

So i'll just shove the bolded part of your comment in the retard bin along with the mass of idiotic blindly ignorant posts that appear here.

not yet · 04-02-2009 11:59AM

13.5% now paid by public servants for their pensions

Kimbot · 04-02-2009 12:00PM

mickey mac wrote: »

If the public service go on strike, will they get paid?

No, if the public service go on strike they will not get paid. The unions generally have a kitty to pay but that would run dry after one day of a strike.

quad_red wrote: »

Actually, if it meant I kept my job, yes I would. And so would most of the people I know.

Mate, I'm sure you work hard, but I worked in the public sector and the (anecdotal I know) vast majority of people I worked with worked in the public sector because it was a safe as houses job, you pretty much couldn't get fired and wicked holidays and flexi time.

Working for the benefit of the people had nothing to with it.

I agree with you on most of them.

I understand that there is a fiar bit of deadwood in the service but this is starting to get resolved with people having to tighten their belts. If you ain't working you are out the door just like the private sector thses days.

deisebabe wrote: »

If the public service go on strike, will we notice? For this i mean the people working in the govt departments, not the likes of teachers, guards, nurses.

In all honesty, I really dont think the country would notice any difference in that case.

Yes the country would notice.

Who would give out social welfare payments, repair roads, maintain order in prisons, maintain order on the streets, teach the children, take in taxes etc etc. The country wouldn't come to a complete stand still but it wouldn't help the country out either!

old boy · 04-02-2009 12:02PM

bench marking needs to go, what was a golden egg became an ugly 6 headed monster, how can clown cowen justify earning more than brown and obamah etc, the social welfare system needs reforming, one idea the childrens allowance need to be means tested, people on jobs seekers allowance need to be working on meanful work two days a week or get cut off, that works out at 100 a day, not to be sneezed at, conscription to be brought in, give theose that have no intention of working, the habit of taking instruction and orders, and working, some one mentioned prisioners working for the country, in the majority of countrys when you go to prison you go to work, ring john timmons and say sorry but we need you, hire the best, legal, economic, and accountancy brains, have them on the goverments side, people running for public offoce to be vetted, all the people in public office be make accountable, keep the summer time it will save a lot in term of fuel imports, i could go on but i have not the time,

Will the public service strike now?

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