Are the TUC now out of touch?

[dave50]

The only people that are in unions these days are those working in the public sector. So for them to be planning strikes and civil disobedience in order to protect their pensions and jobs which I pay for through my exhorbitant taxes I find disgusting. They will get no support whatsoever from those working in the private sector as it's they who pay for it all.

[flip_flop]

The pension of Dave Prentis of Unison should be quite healthy - in 2010 Unison paid £32,818 into his pot.

[Slapshot]

@ Flip Flop no confusion here, I “won’t” because I “can’t" afford it.

In net terms my salary has fallen nearly 20% against the rates of inflation over the last few years, not just this current pay freeze. Additionally, my pension will take a hit of around 20% under the best terms of what’s proposed and still be working beyond the age of 65. I can deal with that what’s pi$$ing me off is the hit Civil Servants are taking relevant to other market sectors.

@Bazwillrun It’s easier than you think.

@Vulcan42 what should people do?? Roll over and play dead??

I am a member of our union and if hadn’t been for something they did a few years back for us I’d have dumped them because they are useless, money is better in my pocket. I’ve never gone on strike and never will but it doesn’t stop the right to protest.

[jno]

go for it, Slapshot. Lot of people here saying "My pension's been hit, so I want everyone else's to be too." Feel free to defend your rights, even if others don't feel up to it.

[modeller]

slapshot //Get behind public servants, join them in tackling this pathetic government and their blatant pandering to the rich,//

OK slapshot I'm willing but before I join them please tell me the point. It wont save a single job or safeguard their final salary pensions or change the age of their retirement and it wont do any good for the recovery of this country .

[modeller]

If you really need to blame someone ,then blame the goverments who allowed the unrestricted credit for years . Had they insisted on 20% deposits on all purchases and set a a limit on how long the repayment could be , eg 25 years for houses and 4 years on cars , tvs etc and that all repayments had to be completed before the age of 65. We would not have had the property crash and the unbelievable debt that we now have.
None of these are new ideas it was the law in the 50s and we had a stable property market and most young people were able to buy their own homes.
All governments were to blame over the years but the Blair/Brown era was the worst . Not at the start, Brown was known as the prudent chancellor but he with Blairs backing allowed people even in their 70s to take out 120% morgages with little or no end dates . The banks only did what the goverments allowed and encouraged them to do and they could have been stopped . They have been now but it wil take years to put it right and all these strikes here as in Greece will not do an iota of good.

[Sqad]

I agree with modeller.....and if the strikes are going to have an effect on the ordinary people ( and that is the function of strikes) then who did you think will come out of these, unaffected by industrial action?....yes the "fat cat Bankers" and who do you think will suffer the most......"Joe soap, you and me"