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Irish public sector take 13% pay cut

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    Irish public sector take 13% pay cut

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle7070306.ece

    Hmmm, interesting this. Irish public sector workers seem to accept that they need to take a share of the pain in bringing the country’s finances back into shape. Just like other European countries, Ireland gives it’s public sector employees good pensions and secure jobs; it seems that the Irish generally accept that’s quite a privilege nowadays, and have, if a little begrudgingly, accepted that the good times don’t go on for ever.

    Many many private sector workers all over Europe have seen their income fall. Contractors face lower rates and less work. Permies have seen their bonuses and overtime cut. Why shouldn’t the most protected employees of them all give up a part of their income until the books are balanced again?

    Have the Irish government set a good example for others to follow, in just getting people to ‘bite the bullet’ and accept cuts?
    And what exactly is wrong with an "ad hominem" argument? Dodgy Agent, 16-5-2014

    #2
    Originally posted by Mich the Tester View Post
    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle7070306.ece

    Hmmm, interesting this. Irish public sector workers seem to accept that they need to take a share of the pain in bringing the country’s finances back into shape. Just like other European countries, Ireland gives it’s public sector employees good pensions and secure jobs; it seems that the Irish generally accept that’s quite a privilege nowadays, and have, if a little begrudgingly, accepted that the good times don’t go on for ever.

    Many many private sector workers all over Europe have seen their income fall. Contractors face lower rates and less work. Permies have seen their bonuses and overtime cut. Why shouldn’t the most protected employees of them all give up a part of their income until the books are balanced again?

    Have the Irish government set a good example for others to follow, in just getting people to ‘bite the bullet’ and accept cuts?
    It's certainly not going to happen over here.
    It seems as if the British goverment are in denial of the recession that has hit this country hard and still awarding public sector pay rises.
    "Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch." - Orson Welles

    Norrahe's blog

    Comment


      #3
      My friend is a teacher and is ready to go out on strike if they don't get a pay rise of 3% I think he said. I told him I have taken a 30% drop in the last year, in one ear and out the other.

      When I told him last year that my tax bill paid his wages and then some extra he certainly heard that and stormed out the pub.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by norrahe View Post
        It's certainly not going to happen over here.
        It seems as if the British goverment are in denial of the recession that has hit this country hard and still awarding public sector pay rises.
        It damn well should though. I know the Irish government have had their share of scandals like expenses fiddling, but I think this is quite an admirable step, both from a government having the guts to do it and the public accepting it and getting on with the job. Ireland may well recover rather more quickly as a result of this.

        The Irish government have broken a taboo; the idea that public sector employees should be inherently more secure than private sector employees. I’ve had to accept lower profits and therefore pay as the recession has bitten in NL. Our family business can’t pay out the kind of bonuses it’s paid in the past, and yet we all just accept it and get on with it. Why shouldn’t the public sector all over Europe do the same?

        Oh well, maybe I'm preaching to the converted here.
        And what exactly is wrong with an "ad hominem" argument? Dodgy Agent, 16-5-2014

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by minestrone View Post
          My friend is a teacher and is ready to go out on strike if they don't get a pay rise of 3% I think he said. I told him I have taken a 30% drop in the last year, in one ear and out the other.

          When I told him last year that my tax bill paid his wages and then some extra he certainly heard that and stormed out the pub.
          The fact that your tax bill paid his wages disguises the real problem. A much bigger problem is that the tax bills of many of us won’t pay the public sector wages any more because profits have fallen so significantly. I’ve paid a lot less tax over 2009 than 2008 or 2007, but the salaries of those who receive the money have gone up, supposedly by ‘inflation’ rates; interesting, because I don’t actually think there is any inflation in Holland right now. Everything I buy is getting cheaper; hotels are running discounts, cars have been cut in price, restaurants are concentrating on using the cheaper cuts of meat, clothes stores are in a permanent state of ‘SALE!’ We just bought a TV whose price had been reduced by 30%. Only car fuel has become more expensive, but I’m not really noticing it as I mostly travel by train.

          Oh, and you don't have to buy your teacher friend a beer any more as he stormed out of the pub.
          And what exactly is wrong with an "ad hominem" argument? Dodgy Agent, 16-5-2014

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by norrahe View Post
            It's certainly not going to happen over here.
            It seems as if the British goverment are in denial of the recession that has hit this country hard and still awarding public sector pay rises.
            The real problem is that there has been a shift of power from the private sector to the public sector under NL. Incomes and pensions are only a part of that.
            Behold the warranty -- the bold print giveth and the fine print taketh away.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by minestrone View Post
              My friend is a teacher and is ready to go out on strike if they don't get a pay rise of 3% I think he said. I told him I have taken a 30% drop in the last year, in one ear and out the other.

              When I told him last year that my tax bill paid his wages and then some extra he certainly heard that and stormed out the pub.
              Well he does do a more socially useful job than you.
              Public sector jobs are sometimes more productive than private sector ones.

              HTH
              Hard Brexit now!
              #prayfornodeal

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by minestrone View Post
                My friend is a teacher and is ready to go out on strike if they don't get a pay rise of 3% I think he said. I told him I have taken a 30% drop in the last year, in one ear and out the other.

                When I told him last year that my tax bill paid his wages and then some extra he certainly heard that and stormed out the pub.
                It's when they protest , "But we pay taxes too", I laugh.

                However, I normally have to leg it when I say, "I don't give a frack; I don't pay tax".
                How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

                Follow me on Twitter - LinkedIn Profile - The HAB blog - New Blog: Mad Cameron
                Xeno points: +5 - Asperger rating: 36 - Paranoid Schizophrenic rating: 44%

                "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to high office" - Aesop

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by sasguru View Post
                  Well he does do a more socially useful job than you.
                  Public sector jobs are sometimes more productive than private sector ones.

                  HTH
                  Indeed, but look at this example from one of the respondents;

                  I'm currently training to be a speech and language therapist. I guess Libby thinks I will be a bit greedy with my starting salary of £20,710 at the end of my four year degree course. Does she really think that this should be cut to £18.018, putting me in the bottom 2% in terms of graduate pay? How satisfying to be entering such a valued profession.

                  Is 18000 pounds per year really such a low income for someone who is probably 22 years old, has only just qualified and has virtually no experience? I really don’t think so.
                  And what exactly is wrong with an "ad hominem" argument? Dodgy Agent, 16-5-2014

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by sasguru View Post
                    Well he does do a more socially useful job than you.
                    Public sector jobs are sometimes more productive than private sector ones.

                    HTH
                    Hmm, he is a maths teacher without a maths degree and 70% of children have below expected levels of numeracy in his area.

                    Comment

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