[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Jon T

Can't be bothered with the quote feature at the moment, but, how is a phrase like "I'm contributing to public workers pensions" justified. Every product you buy from the private sector is not only contributing that's companies pension fund, but also to shareholders in the form of dividends.

Yes, but I have choice about where and with whom I spend my money. Companies that provide good service, good value for money, and also keep their costs down will succeed in competitive market.

I have no choice but to pay my council tax whether I think I getting good value or good service.

I would also argue that, according to the fugures supplied earlier in the thread, the typical LA pension plan is better than a typical private/company pension plan. Where the local authority pay a good percentage more into the plan than the employee from public funds.

This is not money made because of good working practices, this is just money taken by the LA because they can.

I say again, I contribute 9% of my pay packet each month to my LGPS pension, in line with most employers, a contribution is made my them as well.

How much?

If anyone's interested, I earn slightly more that 20k a year, compared to 23-26k I could get in the private sector,

I'm not that intrested, and if it bothers you why not go into the private sector and get the other 3-6K

As a compulsory step that each LA has got to go through, i'm about to go through something called Single Status, this is a job evaluation process with in every authority it's been implemented in has wiped thousands of some people;'s wages.

So what? you think that doesn't happen every year in the private sector. FYI Virgin Media are in the middle of massive job realignment, salary levelling, and change in T&Cs program.

Whats your point?

In relation to pensions, remeber that we're talking final salary here,

I would love to be on a final salary pension. The final penaion you will receive is as good as guaranteed

so an employee is on 20k a year, based on my contributions, that's £1800 a year into the pension, single status then drops my wages to 16k as year, that's £1440 in contributions a year. I stay on that wage with LA employment till retirement, as my pesion isfinal salary, where does the extra money go to that I paid when I was on a higher wage?

Your assuming you'll stay on that wage until you retire? so much for ambition, maybe that's why you don't want to go out and get that other 3-6K

THings are not a one way steet, and I would like to know what people think the soloution is. We've condemned the banks for what they've done. What I can't understand I that I a public worker am doing a job, i'm accepting the advantages/disadvantages that come with that job. Do I have any control over it? No!

You have total control, you can leave.

Maybe we should have experience days/job swaps between the public sector and private. Or then again maybe not. As people on both sides have made up their made that the opposite side have clearly got it made.

I don't think you've got it made, far from it.

I wouldn't work in the public sector....unless I had to.

But neither do I think there should be separate set of rules. The public sector should be under even more scrutiny about how they spend their money. If they were more results driven and focused on getting more for their money the better run they'd be.